Jamiah Harrison

Background Information

Block 2

Student A

During my time at my second placement, I got to form relationships with many

students. However, one student stood out to me. Out of respect for the student’s privacy, I will be

addressing them as Student A. Student A is a freshman in high school who is brand new to the

choir. They are of Middle Eastern descent and comes from a fantastic family. Although they are

new, they are very active and willing to get better at all aspects of music. Student A comes into

office hours often to work on their solfege skills. During the class, they frequently have a great

attitude. I can observe that they are participating in singing and all aspects of music. Sometimes I

fear that Student A tends to have a lack of confidence. Their voice is good, and I know it is still

growing. However, I feel that if they believed in themself more, it would benefit them. I know

Student A has so much potential to grow as a musician. I know this because of their video

submissions. Because my student teaching was virtual, students submitted recordings of their

singing through an online format. Student A’s Submissions were always on time. They would

always acknowledge when they got something wrong. When something was correct, they

celebrated getting it right. It was great to see their reaction to such things through the video

submissions. During the beginning of a new piece or topic, all the students set goals for

themselves. Student A set a goal of practicing every day for ten minutes. I thought that this goal

was very reasonable in the sense that they could still get their other school work done. I believe

that the more Student A Develops as a musician, the more they will develop their goals. We

talked about how ten minutes can turn into fifteen and eventually more. They are starting to

realize their potential because the student is a hardworking student. Between their school, social
 Jamiah Harrison

Background Information

Block 2

and music life, they are becoming aware that it is hard to balance. However, the more Student A

finds their routine, the more they are accepting that this is reality.
 Jamiah Harrison

Background Information

Block 2

Student B

During my time at my second placement, I got to form relationships with many

students. However, another student stood out to me. Out of respect for the student’s privacy, I

will be addressing them as Student B. Student B is a senior in high school who is an active

member of the choir. Student B is also an Asian-American and is an active member of the

Asian-American community at school. They are currently preparing for their college auditions

for different music programs. Over the last couple of weeks, they talked to my cooperating

teacher and I about what schools they are auditioning too. They are planning on auditioning for

many schools. They also take private voice lessons where his voice teacher helps him as well.

They had the chance to sing a piece that they have been working on for my cooperating teacher

and me. After they sang the song, we gave him some advice that might help him. In retrospect,

Student B is a great student. They know how to read music, sight-read, and perform very well.

They are always a student that volunteer to do any singing that I ask. Their ability to properly

correct and critique music is outstanding. They hold themself to a higher standard and believe

that everyone else should do the same. However, I do notice that they can become off-task, late,

and not participate sometimes. I also observed that the student has a hard time turning things in

on time. I know that they want to have a career in music, and from experience, one must keep

track of it. In most settings, the Aspiring music student does not always trump their ability to

perform logistically. Before they graduate, they should make a goal for completing on-task

behaviors. From my experience, it is sometimes troubling to find a balance. Allowing yourself to

find that balance is something I want to discuss with them. Moreover, Student B is a great

student with a very bright future in music. I am excited to see where they go.