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February.04/16
ED3601-D
I believe that musical education should be accessible for anyone who wants it. Music
education should be a subject that provides a key to music for everybody. If the eternal treasury
of music is to be opened with this key, it can be done easily; however, if this opportunity is not
desired then it is lost. No one should be deprived of music because their parents are too poor and
thus unable to provide music lessons. (Kodaly, p. 15) I also believe that there should be a choice
at a certain age that students need to make themselves. I believe that music should be a
mandatory part of their education leading to after their first year of instrumental band, whether
that is grade 6 or 7 depending on the school, and then it should become optional. I like the idea
of there being a general music class which doesn't focus on playing but rather the appreciation,
history and theory of music. Music supplies a great opportunity for thinking and understanding
that many other subjects do not allow for. In many other subjects such as math and science there
is often only one right answer, whereas in music the answers can take multiple shapes and forms.
This allows students to think divergently and learn through the effective way of collaboration
with their teacher and peers. I believe that it is important to start a students musical education
early and at as high of a quality as possible. As stated by Zoltan Kodaly, The smaller the child,
the more easily it learns, the less it forgets (Kodaly, p. 15). Like learning a new language it is a
much easier process to start at a younger age.
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come down to being a strong musician and conductor yourself before you can instruct other how
to do the same. A music teacher should have a strong sense of multiple pedagogical principals as
well as real life experience in the music world. I believe that passion is a very important factor to
consider when teaching. If you are not passionate about the subject you are teaching how can
you expect your students to be interested and engaged in your lessons. Music teachers influence
how their students learn in a large way but music is also the art of learning by doing and this
allows students to creatively problem solve while learning how they learn best. Having this time
to build and master skills is something you don't find in a lot of other disciplines and is one of
the reasons music education is so important. It is my belief that as a mathematician should teach
math, a musician should teach music. If either taught the others discipline the quality of the
lessons would decrease significantly. It is important for a teacher to understand students and their
needs as well. This is why it is important for them to have a educational background in teaching
as well as a deep understanding of music.
build stronger musical skills and creativity by focusing on them individually. Music education
can be seen as a spiral curriculum and because of this you will see many different units and
concepts happening at the same time and progressing over time.
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There are many beliefs on what the right way to teach music is and I think that
depending on your students that way can change often. For younger students I think it is
important to use pedagogy from both Kodaly and Orff. Having a combination of both
instrumental, notated music and singing will leave the students with a well rounded education.
Learning these pedagogies at a younger age with help them determine which discipline, if any, of
music interests them the most. Music should be taught in a enjoyable way that leaves the
students with skills to be life long music enthusiasts. I believe that it should be a combination of
both work and play. Once students reach the instrumental band level I believe that technique
should take a fairly large role as well as learning rep. Deep understanding of music and notes is
more important that just working towards the next concert. By teaching them the skills to
actually understand the music the quality will come for the concert and the students will have a
better understanding because of it.
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Bibliography
Kodaly, Z. (n.d.). Music Should Belong to Everyone.
Philips, C. (2014). Twelve Benefits of Music Education. Retrieved 0, from
http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/twelve-benefits-of-music-education/
RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms. (2010, October 14). Retrieved January 30, 2016,
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=youtube_gdata_player.
Wasiak, E. B. (2013). Teaching instrumental music in Canadian schools. Don Mills, Ont.: Oxford
University Press.
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