Abstract
In this issue of General Music Today, several authors present ideas for finding and/or maintaining one’s voice as a music educator. Christine Hayes, in “Get Up, Stand Up,” shares her experiences of how she “stood up” for the children in her classrooms and her teaching career. Matthew Thibeault cautions readers to maintain the personal and communal aspect of making music in a world consumed with technology. Audrey Cardany reminds readers that music can serve as a “catalyst for success” and prompts us to “Just Sing. Sing a Song.”
Sometimes within our classrooms we become so engrossed in the technical aspects of “making music” that the enjoyment of the music may become secondary or even lost. The same problem can occur with teaching and the accompanying bureaucracy of education—we become so consumed with “bureaucratic details” that we do not remember to enjoy teaching the students in our classrooms.
“Teaching is planned opportunism. We have an idea of what we want to teach children, and we plan ways to make that learning possible. When we put our plans into action, children offer us opportunities to say something, or not, and the choices we make affect what happens next. Teaching requires constant improvisation.” (Johnston, 2012, p. 4)
There is a Quaker saying, “Let your life speak.” For music educators we could change that to “Let your life sing.” Are you singing your song? Are you in tune with the needs of your students? Are you constantly finding joy in the “improvisatory nature” of teaching and learning in your classroom?