(1) I began teaching full time in 2015 and found myself as many new teachers do, trying to survive. I was not the ‘fresh-face’ right out of college but I was still the 20-something finding their way in a new career. Early mornings, late nights, and a constant cloud of stress over planning, classroom management, and instrument repairs quickly took over my life. What did I get myself into? Every task seemed monumental. Personal wins were quickly defused by upcoming deadlines. I often felt desperate to reach out for anything to reprieve myself from the stress. The school was firm on expecting and enforcing detailed lesson plans created weeks in advance. Additionally, a complete scope and sequence was required at the beginning of the year with the expectation that my effectiveness as an educator would be partially measured by my students ability to meet the goals I put forth. The asks that were put on me, aside from the lack of flexibility, were certainly not out of the ordinary and I [...]

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Contemporary music education practices are guided by the formation, examination, and implementation of various philosophies. As Reimer (1989) states, music education philosophy helps to form insight for “more pertinent objectives for teaching and learning” (p. 25). From developing state standards to selecting lesson repertoire, philosophy is involved in decision making at all levels of music education. Given this, it is in the best interest of music educators to examine the philosophies that inform our best practices. The purpose of this paper is to examine the philosophy of music education as aesthetic education. Included in this examination are the goals, critiques, and applications of aesthetic education as forwarded by Bennett Reimer and others. Background It was not until the 1950’s that music education as aesthetic education became more explicit with the publication of two books: Basic Concepts in Music Education (Colwell, 1958) and Foundation and Principles of [...]

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The process of learning to play an instrument is as old as music itself. Whether honing techniques at a world-class conservatory or learning a hymn at a local church, music learning involves fundamental cognitive functions that allow us to develop music skills. Compared to other disciplines, understanding the music learning process is a new task for music researchers and sociologists alike. Given this, traditional learning theories have been applied to further understand music learning. Among these theories is the theory of self-regulation led by researchers Gary McPherson and Barry Zimmerman. Zimmerman’s early research into self-regulation has laid the groundwork for much of McPherson’s and Zimmerman’s later work of self-regulation in music learning (SRML). The aim of this paper is to provide (1) an overview of SRML, (2) an analysis of three SRML studies, (3) an application of SRML in the classroom. Overview Self-regulation is an intricate network of developmental and [...]

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Contemporary Songs and Accompaniments in Beginning Band Method Books   Chapter 1 – Introduction   Take a step into today’s classroom and you will see that music learning has evolved to include more contemporary music through non-traditional school setting such as Rock Bands, Mariachi groups, or Music Technology. Demographics in the United States continue to grow increasingly diverse and today’s responsive teaching practices has driven classrooms to include more contemporary music as studies have shown that teenagers prefer contemporary music over other genres (Haak, 1972) and the use of contemporary music generally enhances student learning and motivation (Grashel 1979; Morrison 1998). Contemporary music has not only reflected in classroom practices but also in the books and materials used in the classroom. With the understanding that teachers utilize method books to shape curriculum and supplement instruction, the content of method books holds important [...]

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A Philosophy for Music Education In a moment of growing cultural divisions and mounting progressive movements, there is a unified call for a new generation that can mend divisions and foster continued progress toward equality. Whether it is developing mindfulness, embracing ambiguity, or deconstructing aesthetic hierarchies, the role of music education is to provide students with the experience, knowledge, and capability to contribute responsibility toward the greater good of society. From heighten senses to cultural critiques; the music classroom is responsive to the needs of those who it serves, the students. Mindfulness Music education enable’s mindfulness by heightening the awareness within our senses and consciousness. Described as the “qualitative state.” Eisner (2002) says that understanding and the process for which we understand, shapes our personal identity. Given this, our senses shape who we are. Music allows students to foster new meanings and challenge [...]

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   Music Learning and Youth Intervention Socio-Emotional Learning, Positive Youth Development, and Music for Detained Youth   In the past two decades, the notion of music learning as means for youth intervention has begun to emerge in the field of music education and music education research. This is primarily in response to shifts in how youth intervention is thought as. Only since the 1950’s has juvenile crime intervention and treatment programs been officially recognized by the government. During the time between 1950 and 1970, these intervention programs expanded to include treatment for substance use, conduct disorder, academic failure, and teen pregnancy. During the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s these prevention programs would focus on treating problems separately (results being mostly ineffective). This led to a shift of focus to the ‘precursors’ of a single problem. Finally, in the 1980’s and early 1990s, critiques of the ‘single problem approach’ led to [...]

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Popular Music Lyrics and the Music Classroom When prompted, my students jump at the opportunity to hear their favorite song in class. Students will request songs to be played in the background during class or request a song to learn on the piano or guitar.  When playing or learning these songs, students become more engaged in ensemble playing and even more engaged in self-directed activities. Without a doubt, the use of popular music is a major motivating factor for students in my classroom. As evident in research and my own classroom, popular music allows for students to make meaningful connections to music learning and create a more inclusive/responsive environment. Simply put in in their words, ‘music becomes fun’. Unlike the subscribed songs we see in band, choir, orchestra, and jazz band, popular music requires the teacher to screen songs for explicit language and messaging. Songs that do contain explicit language and/or messages are rejected or replaced with ‘clean’ [...]

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The Adaptive Helpless-Oriented Student? Motivation and the General Music Classroom   When we think of music education and motivation, we mostly think of the performance centered music classroom in which students are assigned a single instrument or vocal part over the course of many years. Research has been done on why students choose to continue with music or why certain students practice more than others, all of which require longitudinal data or student experiences. However, how does motivation play into the general music classroom? Students that may only study the guitar or the piano for a quarter, do they experience motivation is the same or similar way that a student in a performance only class would? Motivation within an instrumental program usually involves rehearsals, public performance, and individual practice. However, in the case of a general music class, public performances may be limited and individual practice, outside of the classroom, may not be feasible. [...]

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Engagement, Representation, and Action and Expression: Planning Inside Out         On the topic of teaching students with disabilities or students labeled as diverse learners, I often think about how I can modify my teaching to accommodate learning for all. But perhaps this way of thinking is backwards. When we modify, we adapt to the capabilities of the child, and in doing so, we put limitations on students by defining what they cannot do. However, what if we could avoid these limitations by beginning with what all students can do? There is no typical child. There is no typical diverse learner. We can make predictions as too how certain children of a certain age in a certain environment might learn best but every child is human, and it is a part of human nature to be different. In these respects, not only do our diverse learners need “accommodations” but also do all children. If we are to maintain a positive growth mindset, we need to move away from the fixed mindset that [...]

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Musical Agency and the Zone of Proximal Development   For students, musical agency means having a stake in the learning process; students have the capacity to believe they are in control of their own learning. We know that when children are able to connect learning to their own experience, they develop deeper understandings. Philosophically, agency can be described as a democratic classroom (Woodford) or an open system (Jorgensen) in which students have greater control over the learning process. Psychologically, there are also theories which promote musical agency, one being, the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) ZPD is the area between what students can and cannot do. Aligning students in this zone, allows for growth and musical agency. The challenge within my classroom and I suspect many other art classrooms, is the wide spectrum of learning capabilities. Unlike a math class or an English class, students are placed in an arts class based on their schedule or status [...]

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