Philosophy of Music Education

Written by Nicholas Paradas

To whom it may concern,

My name is Nicholas Paradas and my hobbies include but are not limited to cooking, exercising,
and reading/writing poetry and music. I am a professionally trained instrumentalist and
vocalist. I play piano, viola, and I sing tenor as a soloist as well as in the choir. My passion for
education stems from a deep-rooted desire to positively influence upcoming generations
through music-making the way my former music teachers were able to do for me.

I am beyond excited to begin teaching music as it is an integral part of all cultures; part of what
makes us human; and what separates us from other species. I feel that it is my job to guide
each of my students on their path to self-discovery in order for them to find their purpose in
making our society a better place. Through music-making (a communal activity) students will
have a place where they feel they can express themselves freely without judgment, as I will
make it my utmost priority to ensure that students understand the detriment of their
words/actions by teaching them what it means to empathize with a foreign experience;
something we will practice a lot when singing otherworldly repertoire. Please feel free to reach
out to me through my professional email about whatever, whenever. I believe good
communication among all parties is paramount.

My philosophy of music education centers around a cohesive blend of the Kodaly, Orff, and
World Music Pedagogy syntheses, i.e., incorporating singing and movement such as Curwen
hand signs, kinesthetics, and integrating folksongs to inform students of foreign cultures and
develop students' improvisation skills as outlined in the official website regarding Kodaly and
education: Kodaly.hnu.edu/kodaly_and_education.cfm. I am keen on integrating Kagen’s
classroom management tactics to create a more student-centered classroom as I am well aware
that students can teach each other better than we can due to being in a similar cognitive
developmental stage. Regarding the exchange of knowledge, I am also well aware of
the knowledge gaps that my students will fill. I approach every day of teaching as a reflection
and
assimilation; with that being said I will learn just as much as my students if not more based on
the way that my instruction is absorbed. I believe that to achieve inclusivity in the
classroom, music teachers must integrate the customs and traditions of other
cultures to aid in the development of students' affective skills and provide students from all
walks of life with a safe place to learn.

Ultimately, schooling aims to nurture students into problem-solving individuals. To problem

solve, one must be engaged in creativity, and music education focuses on the
development of creativity. Due to a lack of expressive opportunities in schools, students may be
deprived of skills essential to thrive in society. Therefore, we must recognize the
value of music education to promote a plethora of skills inaccessible to them otherwise.
From improvisation to collaboration, there exists an array of skills including
self-awareness/management that can be facilitated far more in-depth than other core
subject classes as a lot of music-making requires collaboration and spontaneity that other
classes simply do not allow for.
Lastly, I believe in establishing a vulnerable environment in the classroom as students need to
learn through trial and error. A vulnerable environment can be accomplished through mutual
trust developed over time through constant reassurance that each student is valued individually.
Once students feel valued individually, they will be more likely to engage in active learning and
develop creativity skills that support future innovators, thus encouraging the progression of
society.