Recruitment

I found both of these articles fascinating. It is true that the majority of concert bands in America do suffer from poor instrumentation and I completely agree with the first article, by Rogers, that this is due largely to the fact that certain instruments are considered "cooler" than others and also carry gender stereotypes. Finding an oboe player, for example, may be easier in a high school than the elusive male flute player. I also agree that this is partially the director's fault for not being proactive in persuading students to consider new instruments that are in short supply. I still believe, though, that a student should be allowed to play whatever instrument they are attracted to, though. Perhaps a strategy to balance both of these views would be to allow the student the option to "double" in the band and slowly move them towards the needed instrument.

I also enjoyed the recruiting solutions that Smith offered in his article. I truly agree that the most fertile recruiting grounds are in the elementary school. At this time, a child is still new to musical experiences and is excited to try new instruments. This becomes less so during the later years when children become involved in other activities, such as sports, student government, etc. Finally, this also fits with a key point in my philosophy: music should be shared by all for as long as possible. I feel that the recruiting tools presented in this article will help to accomplish that goal as well as create a very powerful high school band program that will allow for proper rendering of the works chosen.

I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to use the strategies presented in this article to enhance my future music program. While music, I feel, is a vital part of any student's school experience, good music in proper settings, is even more so.

Philosophies of Music Education

Having a defined music philosophy is a must. I feel that this is the starting point for the way that you will structure your course of study, program the music that you will play, choose which adjudicated events to perform in, and I would argue most importantly, justify your program to the community and to the students in your program.

Why is what you are doing important? That is the starting point of any philosophy and I feel that a clear and logical answer to this question will help justify your program to your students. A well defined philosophy is something that can be shared with the students that you are teaching; a goal that the band (or choir/orchestra) is working towards. As Dr. Peter Boonshaft says in his books and sessions, sharing the goal is vital for the success of a program so that everybody has a defined direction and is working towards a common endpoint. I feel that Lehman's article specifically addressed this while the other articles only touched on it: music is an indispensable part of the human experience.

Most of the articles in the reading also addressed the final goal as either the product (the final performance) or the process (the way in which you get to the final performance). After reading all of these articles, I feel that my philosophy is more in line with that of stressing the importance of the process. I feel that it is certainly possible to rote teach notes and rhythms to the extent of getting a superior contest rating, but does the child actually learn and assimilate anything? I would argue not, and I feel that Dodson's article supports this point.

I feel that these articles significantly helped to refine my philosophy of music in education. I feel that music is an intricate part of the human experience that is to be shared. Additionally, there are so many avenues for development in a music classroom (both personally, emotionally, and technically) that it should be a part of any complete education.