Course Summation - Psychology of Music Teaching

The psychological paradigms I learned in Psychology of Music Teaching– behaviorism, cognitivism,

constructivism, and humanism– will transform my perception and approach towards teaching and learning.
These psychological theories, the psychologists behind them, and how these theories function in the
classroom, have informed me of how to clearly plan and deliver music learning material in relevant, engaging,
contexts.

Behaviorism began in 1870 as early psychologists began to “think about thinking.” Through
behaviorism, teaching is very teacher-centered and the student is a passive recipient of information– not a
holistic learner. A method often seen in behaviorist teaching is the token economy system– rewarding students
for completing a task. I do not find this beneficial to the overall learning experience for the student, as there is
less focus on intrinsic motivation. Students respond well, but are they responding for the reasons we want
them to respond? It is unlikely that tokens actually instill learning and motivation in our students that will help
them build life skills. However, though behaviorist principles like the token system should not exclusively make
up classroom practices, there are benefits to some behaviorist teaching practices. Thorndike & Skinner’s
operant conditioning, as well as rote learning and contingency contracts are beneficial in a music classroom.
Operant conditioning functions through training students to perform tasks autonomously. This is excellent for
placing students in the pre-rehearsal routine of setting up their instruments, grabbing their warm-up
book, and being ready to play by the time posted on the board. Rote learning is an excellent way to
model a scalar pattern or begin to teach improvisation, serving as a strong building block for students
to improve their ear training skills. Additionally, contingency contracts lay out basic expectations for the
classroom. I have four rules in my band room: (1) no talking when we are working, (2) be ready to listen when
Ms. Shellard is on the podium, (3) we create “fun” as an ensemble, not individually, and (4) be respectful at all
times. These aren’t meant to serve as edicts with strict punishment if they were broken, but rather general
expectations that will lead to successful band rehearsals and performances. As a learner, it is important for me
to know the expectations for the classroom I’m learning in so I can place myself in a mindset that will bring me
the most success. Without a basic framework of classroom expectations, students may feel lost and unguided
through the material, leading them towards an unsuccessful learning experience. In order for students to learn,
we need to know who they are as people and cater to their interests. When we establish a healthy classroom
environment and build rapport together, students are set up for successful learning.

Learning about cognitivism allowed me to reflect on how I structure my teaching. Cognitivism is based
on how to sequence instruction in a way that is most clear to the student. Teachers need to know about child
development, levels of learning, and how to introduce material, so that students understand what they are
learning. Without a clear framework of how a student is to learn something, the less likely the student will
comprehend with the material and engage in the class. I was intrigued by Victor Wooten’s TedTalk where he
mentioned how babies begin to learn music before they’re even born– simply because the music is around
them. Babies are surrounded by language, so it is logical how most children are generally “fluent” by the time
they are four or five years old. I am very interested in studying how this can be applied to music, and I reached
a revelation listening to Victor Wooten. Why DOES music need to be taught so formally? I would like to do
more informal music experiences with my students with no focus on notes or rhythms– just feeling the
music. Also, I will use cognitivist principles to map out my instruction. I want to be more clear in my scaffolding
and model it from Bruner’s spiral curriculum. Dr. Clauhs’s guitar demonstration was brilliant! We interacted with
music right from the start, even though we didn’t know the exact chords, notes, or rhythms. THIS is what
students want from their music-making experience– playing songs they like as soon as possible without getting
trapped into the mundane “linguistics” of notes and rhythms. I want them to feel the music before putting labels
on anything they’re doing so that they are interacting with music in a more genuine way and will allow them to
learn other musical techniques quicker. For example, if students are having difficulty playing a difficult
technical passage in a band piece, I will play the rhythm and articulation on one pitch and they will
repeat it back to me. Then, I can post notes on the board and ask students to play the rhythm using
those notes. Once they achieve success in that, they will be able to play the correct notes, rhythms,
and articulations from the sheet music. I also want to follow Piaget’s Four Stages of Development, as my
middle school students are emerging out of the concrete operational stage and into the formal operational
stage. I need to tailor my lesson planning and teaching to these so that students are the most successful. In
the concrete operational stage, students are becoming less egocentric and beginning to think about how others
think and feel– I can use this opportunity to teach students about meanings behind our band pieces and
backgrounds of the composers. Additionally, students in this stage are beginning to use inductive logic or
reasoning from specific information to a general principle, so I can teach them how to effectively practice on
their own. Once my middle school students reach the formal operational stage around age twelve, they begin
to grow more compassion. I can utilize this by asking peers to share positive feedback and helpful
practice tips with each other.

I’ve found that I learn best from teachers who clearly deliver subject material and plan developmentally
appropriate activities that lead me to deeper learning. In terms of teaching to students with trauma, though I am
blessed to have not experienced severe trauma in my childhood, I dealt with a lot of anxiety. My students who
understood how anxious some of their students were and planned their lessons and assignments accordingly
were the classes I thrived in the most. I felt valued and confident to complete the work, learning great deals
along the way. My biggest takeaway from cognitivism is that its principles are necessary in order for the other
paradigms to function effectively. If content material, teaching methods, and how teachers interact with
students are not in line with what is appropriate for them, students will not learn to their fullest potential. I look
forward to using constructivist principles in my teaching in order to engage students in deeper music learning.

Constructivism is critical to education, as it reflects students as learners constructing knowledge rather

than learning passively. Joseph Shively highlights concepts in “Constructivism in Music Education” that are
centered around making learning relevant to my students through understanding methods of how they engage
with learning and general interests. The most significant quote I found is “school is real life for our students.” All
teachers know that students enjoy socializing with each other and are most engaged in the material when the
content is relevant to their interests. So, why would we not use this to our advantage in the classroom? After
rehearsing a section of a piece in band rehearsal, I would often ask my students to tell me what sounded good
and what we can improve upon. However, with a constructivist lens, I would like to elevate the quality of this
learning segment. I want students to talk to each other about these questions before talking to me so
that they learn from each other. Also, I want them to compare their current playing to a separate time
when they played a piece of music really well. My intention here is for students to place themselves in the
context of a musically successful situation so that they may channel the same knowledge and thought
processes from that time as they play in rehearsal. I also appreciated Shively’s comment, “culture itself is a
powerful transmitter of construction.” I love learning about my students, talking to them about their
interests, and building relevant connections. With constructivist principles, I can utilize these
connections to deepen my students’ musical learning and foster a greater appreciation for music. This
will also help me understand my students’ limitations. For example, if a student lives in an apartment
building where they cannot practice their instrument, I will shift my expectations for their musical
practice at home and provide time during the school day or pull-out lessons for them to play as much
as possible. Wherever the student may be interacting with music, I want to utilize my knowledge of their lives
and interests to make those interactions positive.

John Dewey said “give the pupils something to do, not something to learn.” Through constructivism,
students will learn by doing! I found I learned the most in my non-music high school classes when the teacher
would briefly model an activity and give us time to work through it and discuss it with our peers. This
problem-solving, real-life model that Dewey highlighted as being the most effective way for students to learn is
what allowed me to enjoy the class I was in and remember the knowledge I constructed during the process.
Whenever I took a lecture-style class, I zoned out and retained nothing. My goal is to engage my students in
the “Zone of Proximal Development” created by Lev Vygotzky so that students construct knowledge through
proper guidance via discourse with their peers and my pre-existing musical knowledge. Also, schema theory
illustrates why constructivism is effective. I love the idea of our brain being a series of interconnected networks
that communicate to form knowledge through relevant experiences. Building upon these connections and
drawing similarities between parts of our lives (much like how the processfolio does so with our graduate work)
creates the best mindset for learning. At the end of the day, I want my students to enjoy music. They do not
need to be experts on their instruments to enjoy a lifelong appreciation of the arts. My hope is that through
constructivist approaches, their musical learning will deepen and they will see music as a relevant, engaging
part of their lives.

Humanism is valuable in that it is fully student-centered. Music is one of the best ways to find
meaningful life experiences, and music educators have to use that to their advantage. Using principles like
growth mindset and grit, teachers use positive encouragement methods to motivate and inspire their students.
Although, I was surprised that Maslow’s Hierarchy is decades old and we still have the problems in education
that he sought to fix. The function of education IS self-actualization, and I do believe most teachers want their
students to become the best person they can become. But why do we still see so many teachers today rely on
behavioristic, passive learning principles? Why is it taking so long for these humanistic ideas to be more
streamlined in the classroom?

I have always tried to incorporate elements of humanism into my teaching, but there was never a
“name” for my techniques. My undergrad clarinet professor once told me to “simplify the problem in order to
simplify the solution” and this has stuck with me ever since. I mention this to my students all the time in
lessons and rehearsals– break down the tricky piece into small chunks and pick one or two things to
focus on at the time. However, now I want to integrate these practices through methods more specific
to grit and growth mindset. Dr. Dweck says we need to bring our students from “now” to “yet,” a state of mind
where students learn to accept and process their errors, learn from them, and correct them appropriately. I will
strive to provide students with more praise on their efforts and processes (nice job with your practice on
#27, I can tell you’ve been working hard!) rather than their tangible music successes (great job with the
rhythm and notes on measure #27!). Students still need to know their strengths and weaknesses in a certain
area, but commending students for their process will encourage perseverance and grit in their lives. If students
have “grit,” they are likely to succeed in whatever they set themselves out to do.

My peak experiences (Maslow) through music were the ones that made me a music teacher. Any time I
performed in our school pit orchestra or when Mr. Fisk gave me a solo in jazz ensemble, I felt elated. These
experiences shaped who I am and led me to recognize the great value in a strong music education. Even if I
chose not to pursue music as a career, these experiences helped me develop my work ethic, group of friends,
sense of humor, and gave me clarity and peace amidst times of anxiety and instability. Students can’t progress
unless their “humanity” is considered in the learning process. Music educators not only need to foster peak
experiences for our students with the goal of their self-actualization, but they need to teach them how to learn
through growth mindset and grit. With these mentalities in place, students will be able to achieve their goals
and beyond.