Deanna Sorge

Critical Pedagogy I
Philosophy of Music Education

Critical Pedagogy has helped me open my eyes and has really made me see the student
from a different perspective. Critical Pedagogy is an approach to teaching that helps students
question authority, and gives students the opportunity to bring their personal ideas and
experiences into the classroom. It gives students social freedom, and the ability to make outside
connections within the classroom. Critical Pedagogy made me realize that students can learn
music in many different ways, there is never one way to teach anything. For the past five years of
my life I have identified myself a music major, going to a high school that was centered around
the arts and being surrounded by music educators on a daily basis really helped me form strong
opinions on music education. Being constantly surrounded by musical environment during one
of the most crucial times of development and self realization not only made me realize how
badly I wanted to be an educator, but has also shaped my ideas of what I want my future
students to take away with them as musicians and members of society.
One most important things that I feel should be addressed in any music classroom is
nurturing your students so they can build self confidence as a musician, Growing up in the
Brooklyn and spending a lot of time New York City helped me learn to appreciate all different
types of music. I grew up listening to a lot of Broadway show tunes and pop songs on the radio. I
learned that music does not only have be heard on the radio or at a concert, it can be heard all
around you. I am open to listening to any genre of music, because my father would also sing and
play different songs from different time periods and genres on the guitar and piano throughout
my childhood.

When I got into High School I found a love for classical music and choral music. I was
surrounded by a plethora of sounds not only from the choir room and radio but also from the city
streets around me. For example I am able to recognize that the interval that the train doors make
when closing is a descending major third. I want students to experience how music spills over
into all parts of their lives.
I want to encourage my students to explore all types of genres and be open to sharing
their ideas of what music they want to be heard in the choir room. I will be open to any
suggestion that my students make and appreciate what their ideas. I will also make sure that the
repertoire they suggest is vocally appropriate for the choir.
My High school had so many great aspects, but most of the time it was solely based on
solos, select ensembles and select choirs. From what I gathered most of the time if the students
were not accepted into any of these select groups you were often looked down upon by faculty,
and your voice was literally never heard again. My job as a future educator is to make every
student not matter what their skill level feel included and confident no matter what level they are
on musically.
My teachers and mentors really helped shape the way in which I will approach music in
the future. I was in a choir every single year at my school and my teachers always stressed the
importance of diverse repertoire in their sets, and also how important it is to introduce music
from different cultures. We were able to sing in Tagalog, Russian and Norwegian. In this process
we also gained an understanding of the culture and meanings of the song which is something that
should never be looked over when teaching songs from different cultures. This is one thing I
will continue to do when I have a choir in the future.

As a teacher you should make every student feel empowered no matter what. If a student
is not on the same level as everyone musically it is always best to encourage them and not make
them feel left out of the class. If you have a student in the class where English might be their
second language for they might feel excluded in the classroom, especially if most of the music is
Western American Folk Music. In this circumstance you could ask the student if they would want
to share music from their culture with the class. Boshkoff and Gault state composers of choral
music have created numerous settings of traditional pieces that allow students to interact with
music from unfamiliar cultural communities. (191) You should have different cultural music
in the class to being with. Using this strategy you can boost these students confidence, as well as
create a student and teacher bond which something I also feel is something that can help with
musical confidence in the classroom and in general.
According to Abril , we might consider opening spaces in the classroom for students to
discuss, question and come to a better understanding of the music experience from myriad
cultural perspectives including their own (4-5). With this in mind opening these spaces can
cause students who may not have the best music skill or confidence in the classroom to become a
possible cultural bearer for the choir. A cultural bearer could be another student or colleague
who has complete knowledge of a culture or language. In these situations these cultural bearers
can serve as aids when teaching a choir multicultural repertoire. Giving students different
opportunities to share themselves on a more personal level with their classmates is a great way to
boost a student's confidence, and help the students feel more empowered to learn and express
themselves.

Reflecting on the past few years as a musician one thing I would want to focus on is
creating a bond with a student, and making sure I see from their point of view. Honoring the

student is something I would focus my curriculum on. Having an open door for the student to
talk to the teacher is always a great way to make a student feel comfortable and safe. Whether it
be them wanting to propose a new song for the choir or them wanting to address an issue they
had in class that day it is crucial to always be open to listening to what they have to say.
In Randall Everett and Erich Shieh article Social Justice and Music Education-The Call
for Critical Pedagogythe authors talk about how crucial it is to listen to our students, and to also
be aware of how stereotypes can be reinforced by good intentions. They state that To listen to
our students is to allow them to enter our curriculum with us as agents of change. They are not in
our classes only to learn musical skills or established traditions from us; they are in our classes to
shape musical traditions (50). We have to remember that we are shaping the future and want to
positive impacts on students so they are able to carry this music out into the future. Allowing
students to voice their opinions and ideas to a teacher will only keep them more engaged and
confident about the music they are producing.
It has been said that if one engages in friendly conversation with the students it opens
so many doors in forming a healthy relationship once you are able to engage students and get
them talking about something important, they will unconsciously communicate non-verbally as
well as verbally (JMST, 192) Being aware of the students nonverbal and verbal actions can
help teachers base their instructions off the students actions. This will occur if both the student
and teacher are at a level where they are comfortable expressing some of themselves with each
other.
There is a huge difference in knowing your student versus your student feeling that you
know them. One great thing that was mentioned in chapter eight of The Journey from Music to
Student the article stated how important it is to be know what your students are interested in

outside of the music classroom. As educators sometimes fail to realize that students have lives
outside the classroom. A student who loves music may also have an nich for drawing or playing
in the school school. One great idea the article mentioned was the idea of supporting your
students outside the classroom. Attending a student's band performance or art gallery is always
nice to show the students you care about them as a whole and notice their interests outside of the
classroom.
Collaborating with other faculty members in the art department is a great way get
students interested in other forms of music and art. I believe that is is crucial for you to develop
strong relationships with other faculty members in your department and other departments as
well. When you have these bonds it can lead to great things such as the band and choir doing a
collaboration piece in one of their concerts. Having these things happen can cause a student in
choir to be interested in taking about an instrument or influence a student in band to join one of
the choirs. Although scheduling might be an issue, if you have other faculty members backing
you up you may have a better chance of making a change. Creating these bonds causes
collaborative thinking and more room for creativity and learning within a school, which can only
better the student.
In all my years of studying music I have learned how important it is to show students that
you know how hard they are working, and for them to know that their hard work is appreciated.
This not only helps student teacher relationship, but also help builds confidence within a student.
Ayers talks about as educators we are always looking to find what motivates students. He states
We want to be more effective-to maximize those satisfying moments when we reach children
and minimize the frustrations of seeing everything we try fall flat (Ayers,46). Ayers makes a
great point here in which he wants teachers to learn to praise students when they understand a

concept that they have been struggling with, but also not learning how to not get frustrated when
a student may not be grasping the material we teach that quickly. We have to always remember
that everyone learns at different speeds and different ways.
Students loved to be praised for their hard work and effort I will always push my students
to be the best they can be, and make sure they are working to be the best can they can be for
themselves and not anybody else. In todays society I feel many of us compare themselves to
someone who is better than them at a certain skill, and after doing this for such a long time can
really take a toll on you mentally. I will make sure to reinforce that everyone has different talent.
Just because someone might be a better sight reader then you does not mean that you are
the worst musician in the world and never get a job. I will remind students that they have the
skill and the willpower to get where they need to be, and its totally ok if it takes a little longer
then then the student sitting next to you. Having students set personal goals or encouraging them
to have a notebook where they can document what they felt went well in Music class that week is
something that I will definitely take part in.
I have always learned to sing healthfully and to not push sound out of anyone. This is
something that has been reinforced throughout my musical journey. I solely believe that their is
a difference in challenging the choir, and hurting your choir. Vocal Health is something that
really should be in discussed and taught in a music classroom.
In Regelskis paper Toward an Applied, Professional Ethics For Music School, he
discusses the importance Duty Ethics within a classroom. He states lack of understanding about
the changing voice in boys and girls can result in vocal damage. And students who are straining
on parts ill-suited to their voices can quit, thus depriving them of their right to the choral music
education they sought If a teacher is not mindful of this information how could they pass it on

to their choir? Students should be informed about how and when the voice changes, and that its
totally ok if youre a thirteen year old singing soprano in middle school choir. Music Educators
should have these knowledge and bear it forth to their choirs.
As a music educator I want my students to be enriched in all types of music and to not be
afraid to go out and discover music and or other things on their own. Students should be know
solfege and have experiences with orff instruments and body percussions as well. Having
students explore all of these ideas can only help the student grow and be open to learning more
as time goes on. When putting this philosophy into practice, I want my students to appreciate
music and continue to share and pass on that appreciation for generations. No matter where my
students go in life I want them to have a love for music and the arts, and to realize that anyone is
capable of making music no matter what their skill. Music Education is a growing field that
keeps expanding and is something that should never be taken for granted.

References
Abril, C. (2010). Opening Spaces in the instrumental music classroom. In A. Clements (Ed.),
Alternative approaches in music education: Case Studies from the field (3-14). New
York, NY: Rowman and Littlefield
Allsup, R.E., & Shieh E. (2012). Social justice and music education: The call for public
pedagogy. Music Educators Journal, 98 (4), 47-51.
Ayers, W (2010). To teach: The journey of a teacher (3rd ed). New York, NY: Teachers
College Press
Boshoff, R & Gault, B. (2010). Culture bearers in the childrens choral ensemble. In A.
Clements (Ed.), Alternative approaches in music education: Case studies from the field
(189-199). New York, NY: Rowman and Littlefield.
Regelski, Thomas A. (2010). Toward an Applied, Professional Ethics for School Music.
Paper presented at the May Day Colloquim, Montclair, Nj