Archives for February 2015

On any given day, one can scroll down Facebook and see inspiring memes and articles about the benefits of music education.  Articles sprout up in major newspapers about the benefits of a STEAM education (Science, Technology, English, ARTS, Math) vs. STEM.   But all said and done, and much like any other subject, music education only has the magical benefits we all read about when it is taught masterfully.  And most parents don’t know if it is taught well or not, especially if they do not have any musical background.  This is why I recently wrote a post about what to expect from music teachers, and it’s why I am passionate about writing this blog.

Just because someone has chosen to become a music teacher and is mediocrely teaching the subject in a room in the back of a school does not mean they are doing a huge service to our society.  Becoming a music teacher is a huge responsibility that extends far beyond the classroom.  If they are to be successful, music teachers sign up to do many things whether they know it or not, including:

[Read more…]

Every year almost 100% of public school students begin an instrument through their school’s music program (if a program exists).  One or two years later, more than 50% of students quit; unable to enjoy all that music education has to offer for the rest of their K-12 schooling, if not beyond.

During my time as an educator and administrator, parents and students have shared with me several reasons why the child quit their musical instrument, including:

• The student is not musically talented (or at least thought they weren’t).
• The student is too busy with other activities.
• The student hates practicing (or the parents grow weary of begging the child to practice).
• The student doesn’t like their teacher.

…and there’s more…

[Read more…]