The music classroom is more than just a classroom; it is a community. Not only should students work cooperatively towards music making, they should begin to build a sense of camaraderie among one another. One of the beautiful aspects of music is its ability to bring people together, be in by composing, performing, or listening with others. Encouraging this property of music within the classroom encourages students to form closer connections and see one another as more than just surrounding instruments or voices; they are people, each with their own individual strengths, experiences, and contributions.
This culture is reinforced by the music educator by building positive relationships with students and recognizing where each student comes from and their current musical experience. From there musical knowledge and skills can be built according to the needs of the student(s) to help them grow and succeed in their musicianship. In any step of their journey, learning how to produce sound on their instrument and voice, because the voice is an instrument too, is a crucial pedagogical moment. Much as an infant learns to babble and experiment with their voice before learning to speak in words and sentences, early musicians should have a space to safely and comfortably experiment with creating sound so that they can then learn to refine it further. The same concept applies to composition and audio production, where students can experiment with sound’s organization before refinement of their own musical voice.
Understanding one’s students is essential to educating then, both in who they are as individuals inside and of the classroom and how they learn as students. Incorporating several ways for students to experience music and connect to their personal experiences allows for more ways that students can understand and engage with musical content. This can occur by using different modalities of learning, be it visual through different forms of music literacy (Western notation, iconographic notation, piano rolls, Digital Audio Workstations), kinesthetically through physically playing music or moving to it, or aurally through listening to themselves or others play.
While the educator is there to guide the students along their musical journey, having a broad knowledge base and ever learning themselves, the students also inform the educator. New generations of students will bring new information to the table, and the educator should be willing to listen and understand the knowledge their students have to offer. While the educator’s role is inherited in its title, to educate others, their students are teachers as well. Providing students the space to share their own wisdom and knowledge with others, including the educator and their peers, allows them an opportunity to build their confidence and offer new perspectives on music and other subject areas.
Above all, music class should be enjoyable for students. They should feel welcomed, safe, included, and respected. A positive classroom culture helps to foster a positive outlook and experience. Instruction and criticism, both peer and educator directed, should be constructive and objective, invested in healthy musical and personal growth. Students are guided and encouraged in their musical journey to refine their skills and be the best musician they can be and are willing to be, validated along the way. Every student has the possibility to be musical; the experience of music making and instruction in the music classroom must encourage and uplift students’ musical and individual journey.