Music Teacher's Perspective
Why Study Music? – Personal philosophy
The Reason for Music:
- Legal requirement - The National Curriculum emphasises every child’s entitlement to a full and comprehensive Music education
The Relevance of Music:
- Within a broad and balanced curriculum, music performs an essential role in educating the whole child
- The use of ensemble work helps to develop team work, self-confidence, and various other social skills
- Music encourages the organisation of ideas (composing, improvising) and develops problem-solving abilities
- Music helps to develop aesthetic sensitivity and the acquisition of an awareness of beauty in terms of sound, form or emotional expression
- On multiple levels – profession or leisure
Education should mean more than simply the acquisition of knowledge and skills. Alongside other subjects, Music has an important part to play in the development of ‘rounded’ human beings. Music teaching and learning which focuses solely on the development of knowledge and skills will for many students, fall far short in this vital area – hence the need to develop the whole person.
I believe we need to be aware of the relative importance of each of these three areas:
- skills
- knowledge
- understanding and attitudes
All are important, not least because they are interconnected. Interest and satisfaction in Music stem from attitudes which spring from feelings of familiarity and confidence developed from the knowledge and skills acquired.
I always remember how gradual were the steps and processes by which I acquired my knowledge and skill and this guides my planning for musical learning base on what students know and can do before moving forward.
