by David E. Knauss
“Where there is no vision, the people perish:” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). Another version states, “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves;” (The Message).
While many people think this proverb applies only to mission statements and such, its truth actually filters down through every level of existence. Generally asked, “Without well-defined purpose that underlies well-focused knowledge, what are you doing?” Specifically asked for teaching music, “What is your music education philosophy?” “Are authentic, holistic, inferential modes of music learning included in your philosophy?”
What Is Your Music Education Philosophy? Have you formed your own philosophy of music teaching? Whether or not you thought it out, you are living it! Whether or not you are aware of it, consciously or subconsciously, anyone who’s spent any time around you can easily tell it to you. Your philosophy is the sum total of your beliefs. Your beliefs direct your every move, thought, motivation, teacher failure, and teacher competency. Not only do your beliefs control you, but they also control your students. Beliefs create either freedom or bondage. Your beliefs over yourself and over them greatly affect the music outcome of every one of your students.
While you are examining your beliefs, also go back to your basics. Something aesthetically inspired you to be drawn to teaching music. What was it? Do you teach your students so they too may experience an aesthetic event? Have you answered for yourself the following elements of a music education philosophy?
WHY: Aesthetic vs. Utilitarian: Are you teaching music for its own artistic sake or music as a vehicle for learning other subjects? Which do you use to justify to school board members, administrators, and parents why music is taught in school?
WHO: Everyone: Do you believe that ALL your students have music potential (aptitude), which can be increased up to about age 9? Or do you believe "some have it and some don't?"
HOW: Active Participation: Do you "talk about" music in your classes, or do you "perform" music? Do you present information or do you enable transformation? Do you develop every student's achievement level within his/her music aptitude?
WHEN: Every grade K-12: Do you believe that music is for every grade?
WHAT: Do you plan lessons and teach with Behavioral Objectives (Enabling Behaviors), Materials, Procedures and Activities, Corrective / Extension Activities, and Assessments?
Your philosophy will shape the vision and focus of your entire music education teaching career, and whether or not you will produce successful music students. Your philosophy is your “belief system” that you have about them and operate over them. You should be able to perceive my philosophy of music education as you peruse this article and those in this series.
Are You Teaching Authentic, Holistic, Inferential Music Learning? Why ARE You Teaching? Authentic, Holistic, and Inferential should define our music teaching purposes and ultimate goal of music education, as well as any and all education. In music, this translates into improvising, composing, arranging, manipulating, creating, and composing. So let’s reword the question Why Are You Teaching? into: “Are you teaching your students music knowledge, music skills, and music expression in simulated or real-life circumstances to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize to a high level of expertise?” If not, for what other reason are you teaching? If you students don’t end up knowing how to perform music, enjoy to its fullest, and create using all their perfected skills, then why are you teaching? Music is a “doing” art form!
AUTHENTIC: For simplicity's sake, Authentic, in education, may be defined as "real life skills in real life circumstances." Do you provide your students with opportunities to perform and appreciate all kinds of music from all global cultures? Do you make it as real life as possible?
HOLISTIC: Holistic considers "the whole person in a whole manner." Can your students demonstrate an integrated and natural feel for music expression with their bodies as well-tuned musical instruments?
INFERENTIAL: Inferential is the realm of "analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing," the three upper learning levels of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy of the Cognitive. Have your students passed learning basic music skills (discrimination learning) and progressed into music's inferential levels?
There is much more to the Authentic, Holistic, Inferential realm of music teaching and how to perfect it, than the above short introduction. Contact Dr. Knauss for the complete article.
Please feel free to contact me at any time, as often as you please, with any mentoring, music teaching, music curriculum, or classroom management questions.
David E. Knauss
Ph.D. in Music Education.
www.classroom-music.info
Dr. Knauss mentors student teachers and regular teachers into teaching excellence. He taught for 3 decades in inner-city public schools, winning over street kids into being like family, became one of the principle curriculum writers for an award-winning, internationally-recognized music department. He retired from public schools, completed a Ph.D. in Music Education, and presently is an adjunct music education professor at Baptist Bible College.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish:” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). Another version states, “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves;” (The Message).
While many people think this proverb applies only to mission statements and such, its truth actually filters down through every level of existence. Generally asked, “Without well-defined purpose that underlies well-focused knowledge, what are you doing?” Specifically asked for teaching music, “What is your music education philosophy?” “Are authentic, holistic, inferential modes of music learning included in your philosophy?”
What Is Your Music Education Philosophy? Have you formed your own philosophy of music teaching? Whether or not you thought it out, you are living it! Whether or not you are aware of it, consciously or subconsciously, anyone who’s spent any time around you can easily tell it to you. Your philosophy is the sum total of your beliefs. Your beliefs direct your every move, thought, motivation, teacher failure, and teacher competency. Not only do your beliefs control you, but they also control your students. Beliefs create either freedom or bondage. Your beliefs over yourself and over them greatly affect the music outcome of every one of your students.
While you are examining your beliefs, also go back to your basics. Something aesthetically inspired you to be drawn to teaching music. What was it? Do you teach your students so they too may experience an aesthetic event? Have you answered for yourself the following elements of a music education philosophy?
WHY: Aesthetic vs. Utilitarian: Are you teaching music for its own artistic sake or music as a vehicle for learning other subjects? Which do you use to justify to school board members, administrators, and parents why music is taught in school?
WHO: Everyone: Do you believe that ALL your students have music potential (aptitude), which can be increased up to about age 9? Or do you believe "some have it and some don't?"
HOW: Active Participation: Do you "talk about" music in your classes, or do you "perform" music? Do you present information or do you enable transformation? Do you develop every student's achievement level within his/her music aptitude?
WHEN: Every grade K-12: Do you believe that music is for every grade?
WHAT: Do you plan lessons and teach with Behavioral Objectives (Enabling Behaviors), Materials, Procedures and Activities, Corrective / Extension Activities, and Assessments?
Your philosophy will shape the vision and focus of your entire music education teaching career, and whether or not you will produce successful music students. Your philosophy is your “belief system” that you have about them and operate over them. You should be able to perceive my philosophy of music education as you peruse this article and those in this series.
Are You Teaching Authentic, Holistic, Inferential Music Learning? Why ARE You Teaching? Authentic, Holistic, and Inferential should define our music teaching purposes and ultimate goal of music education, as well as any and all education. In music, this translates into improvising, composing, arranging, manipulating, creating, and composing. So let’s reword the question Why Are You Teaching? into: “Are you teaching your students music knowledge, music skills, and music expression in simulated or real-life circumstances to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize to a high level of expertise?” If not, for what other reason are you teaching? If you students don’t end up knowing how to perform music, enjoy to its fullest, and create using all their perfected skills, then why are you teaching? Music is a “doing” art form!
AUTHENTIC: For simplicity's sake, Authentic, in education, may be defined as "real life skills in real life circumstances." Do you provide your students with opportunities to perform and appreciate all kinds of music from all global cultures? Do you make it as real life as possible?
HOLISTIC: Holistic considers "the whole person in a whole manner." Can your students demonstrate an integrated and natural feel for music expression with their bodies as well-tuned musical instruments?
INFERENTIAL: Inferential is the realm of "analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing," the three upper learning levels of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy of the Cognitive. Have your students passed learning basic music skills (discrimination learning) and progressed into music's inferential levels?
There is much more to the Authentic, Holistic, Inferential realm of music teaching and how to perfect it, than the above short introduction. Contact Dr. Knauss for the complete article.
Please feel free to contact me at any time, as often as you please, with any mentoring, music teaching, music curriculum, or classroom management questions.
David E. Knauss
Ph.D. in Music Education.
www.classroom-music.info
Dr. Knauss mentors student teachers and regular teachers into teaching excellence. He taught for 3 decades in inner-city public schools, winning over street kids into being like family, became one of the principle curriculum writers for an award-winning, internationally-recognized music department. He retired from public schools, completed a Ph.D. in Music Education, and presently is an adjunct music education professor at Baptist Bible College.
