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On the first day of class, Dr. Kaiser announced that there was no particular topic besides
the idea of promoting music for life (Jellison) and music for all (Mason, Gehrkens). In order to
make it more meaningful and practical for each member of the class, he gave us the freedom to
explore areas of personal interest (Montessori). The assignments were very open-ended and
and assignments.
Throughout the session, we discussed the various ways that music is experienced in
and out of schools, and examined our overall goals for music education. We asked the
questions; why do students generally limit their music making to the classroom?, Why do the
majority of students not participate in school music programs?, Why do many people stop
participating in musical groups after graduating high school? Our class discussions centered
around these questions, which all have the overarching focus of music for life (music for all, and
music in communities) in common (Dewey, Vygotsky). We shared stories and ideas, and
researched ways to promote lifelong learning for all (Ernst). In addition to the animated class
One of the assignments involved rewriting one of our own lesson plans with various
adjustments for a different population. This was helpful in pushing us to think outside of the box
for creative ways to cater our teaching strategies and activities to different populations
(Erasmus, Da Feltre).
For another assignment, we researched a book that related to a topic of interest and that
would provide us with ideas for better encouraging music for life. I found a very interesting book
called The Power of Music by Elena Mannes. This book focuses on the many ways that science
relates to music, and the various functions of music in the world outside of the formal concert
hall. Learning about these different uses for music made me realize that many students dont
know that music has many uses other than what is typically taught through the traditional
method of ensembles, or the opportunities involved in musical groups outside of school. I have
realized the importance of broadening the types of music that my students are exposed to in
In addition to the book review, we were also tasked with a research thread assignment. I
chose to find research studies that have been done about how music can enrich the lives of
people diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease. This particular assignment reinforced the idea that
music should be available and enjoyed by all people (Ernst). I believe that it is important for my
young students to have the opportunity to play their instruments and interact with an older
generation, so that they can experience the inclusive nature of music. I have been inspired to
organize opportunities for my students to play with the high school students in my district, and to
The fourth assignment required us to interview lifelong learners in music in order to learn
about their past and current musical experiences, and learn some of the reasons that they
continue to make music in their adulthood. These interviews were especially meaningful to me
because I was able to learn more about two of the people in my life, and begin to understand
some of the reasons that they have been inspired to continue participating in musical groups.
Although I learned a lot throughout the process of completing those assignments, the
biggest impact on my perception and approach to teaching came from our final project. This
project required us to connect and synthesize many of the ideas and discussions (Socrates,
Piaget), and create personal action plans for how we will better promote lifelong musicianship
for all. To be completely honest, up until this point in my career, I had not considered the
importance of community involvement or reaching beyond the structure of the classroom. Since
I have only had one full year of teaching experience, I focused primarily on developing
individuals and musicians within my classroom. This class allowed me to realize and explore the
significance of merging in-school and out-of-school musical experiences in order to make music
learning more relevant to my students (Dewey), and to help promote music for life. I plan on
facilitating musical experiences that provide a broader and more relatable experience in which
my students can connect to music on a deeper level and experience it outside of the classroom.