Lisa Pasch "Art as a teaching tool"

In our public schools, the fine arts programs are being reconsidered and often cut due to budget restrictions and lack of justification of curriculum. As a future music educator, I always root for the fine arts programs, not just because I would like to have a job when I graduate, but also because I really believe in the teaching power of art in all its forms.

The purpose of teaching in any capacity is to develop your students cognitively. Information processing, retention, brain development, and memory are all things we should be working on developing in our students. But isn’t it also important to consider a student’s creative capacities, emotional communication skills, psychomotor and social skills? I believe the fine arts cover all of these in some form or another. Particularly in musical ensembles, students are provided with a place in which the student can develop leadership skills through section leading, attention development with times of focus and keeping with the rhythm of a piece, physical coordination of dance while singing or playing an instrument, creative expression through the performance of a piece, historical and cultural knowledge from the different genres of music that can be performed, and a setting in which groups of peers can work together in a positive and supportive environment developing social skills and learning of social cues. All of those things are important too, right? If I as a music teacher can fit all of these things into my classroom on a daily basis, doesn’t that make the synthesis of knowledge and skill easier for the student if they can grasp it in more than one medium? Sure you can teach these things in a History class, but only if the teacher is creative enough to find a way to get the students moving, working, listening, talking to each other in an organized manner, and still having enough time for formal and informal assessments of a student learning and communicating their development at the same time. I find that because these learning opportunities are already engrained in the traditional music classroom format, it is less of a challenge for teachers of other subjects who also have students in the music classroom. I also think it’s important for students to be able to gain these skills in a variety of mediums, not just in a “sit and listen to the teacher” kind of class that we see most commonly in the public schools of today.

The question I am most often asked as a future educator is “Do you teach music, students, or students through music.” I have chosen to focus on being a teacher of students through music. Yes, scales, music theory, music history, singing correct pitches, and playing with correct rhythms are all important. But the things you can learn through experiencing music, not just honking out notes on your clarinet, are far more valuable than being a good performer of music. I hope that when I graduate, people still find value in fine arts classes in the public schools. Not just for my financial stability but also because I would like to see the future of our country have the opportunities to grow in many different capacities and be able to pass on the cultural and expressional value of the arts.