Teacher Musician

I enjoy reading about Deborah Meier's work in reforming public school education. Her approach is polar opposite to what current politicians, including our president, support. Her basic premise is to create small schools where children and adults work together to form educational, democratic communities. Students are allowed significant freedom and autonomy in their education. They often have choice over what they study and how they go about studying it.

With 500 children trampling through my room each week, it's hard to conceptualize how this approach could work in my setting. Not to mention that "music education" is so greatly tied with large ensembles. Individual musical efforts, or desires, are often ignored in our schools. This is a big topic--and not really the point of this particular post. 

My major thought when I read the above quote, was how can this apply to "music" and "music education." Meier writes: "Powerful thinking should be going on by the adults who keep company with the kids." Applied to music education: "Powerful music making should be going on by the adults who keep company with the kids." I don't mean performance...and I don't mean modeling music....I mean embodying the life of a musician. Students need to see that I'm a musician. I'm modeling, in part, that musical learning and growth is a lifelong investment. 

What is the purpose of music education? It's a part of the total education of a person...so that a person can live a personally meaningful life--a life in which active music making can play a role. Does active music making play a role in MY life? Of course, it does. It's important for my students to see and experience that, as well.