Philosophy
I believe music holds extraordinary value for everyone. Music is something that all children will encounter on a regular basis in their lives. Some individuals will delve into the world of classical music, others may play in a band with their friends, and some will simply listen to music in the car, for example. Regardless of the degree to which music is involved in someone’s life, it is a unique form of human expression that is an integral part of every culture (past and present). Through music, we can communicate meaning as an aural, visual, and kinesthetic experience. Humans can convey love, anger, amusement, fear, mourning, hope, pride, torment, passion, and beauty through music. It is a way for all of us to experience life more fully. It is my desire to work with students to achieve their musical goals and set them up to succeed musically throughout their lives.
In my music classroom, students will be actively creating, performing, and expressing music. Rather than learning about music as an outsider, I want my students to learn by actively engaging in the music-making process. We will sing songs, move to music, create music through improvisation and composition, and play instruments. Through a variety of activities, students will acquire skills that allow them to increase their musical fluency. They will have opportunities to do these musical activities in large and small groups and as individuals. The students will experience many musical styles and genres, tonalities, and meters. As students engage with historically and culturally significant music (from many different cultures), they will learn about how music connects to the world around them. Students will also listen to music and learn about concepts like form, dynamics, and tempo. Because different students learn in different ways, I will teach using a variety of methods. These include modeling (both correct and incorrect examples), immersion, phrase-by-phrase teaching, movement to music, and use of music notation. These aural, visual, and kinesthetic experiences will help to make music accessible to all students. All of these things will come together to create a learning atmosphere where students engage successfully with a variety of music.
In my music classroom, students will be actively creating, performing, and expressing music. Rather than learning about music as an outsider, I want my students to learn by actively engaging in the music-making process. We will sing songs, move to music, create music through improvisation and composition, and play instruments. Through a variety of activities, students will acquire skills that allow them to increase their musical fluency. They will have opportunities to do these musical activities in large and small groups and as individuals. The students will experience many musical styles and genres, tonalities, and meters. As students engage with historically and culturally significant music (from many different cultures), they will learn about how music connects to the world around them. Students will also listen to music and learn about concepts like form, dynamics, and tempo. Because different students learn in different ways, I will teach using a variety of methods. These include modeling (both correct and incorrect examples), immersion, phrase-by-phrase teaching, movement to music, and use of music notation. These aural, visual, and kinesthetic experiences will help to make music accessible to all students. All of these things will come together to create a learning atmosphere where students engage successfully with a variety of music.