E-MAIL ME

Although many people influenced my decision to major in music education, I feel that one teacher inspired me more than any other. My choir director, throughout both middle school and high school, was the one who led me to pursue a career in music education. During the six years I spent in her choir, she motivated me to learn more about music and why it is so important to society. Through her words, and more importantly, her actions, she made me want to show others why it is so essential to pass a love of music on to future generations in order to keep the arts alive. In my career, I hope to influence my students in many of the same ways that she influenced me.

The goal of many music educators is to give their students an appreciation for music, and to help them to see how music impacts daily life. My choir director was able to go beyond that and give me, as well as her other students, a love of performing and listening to music. Her enthusiasm for her job made me want to continue on with music and pass my love of music on to others. Inside and outside of the classroom, she was always willing to do whatever was necessary to help students be active in the arts. Whether it was assisting a student in fitting choir into his schedule, or giving an ensemble member extra help on a part, she constantly showed dedication to her career as a music educator. In the six years that she was my director, she always appeared to love her job, which made me want to be as passionate about my own career as she is about hers.

In addition to her love of music, my choir director also helped to show me the benefits of a career in music education. While she made it clear to me that music education is not an easy job, and that I would meet many challenges along the way, she also explained that it was an especially rewarding profession. She made me see that even if I never have a student who chooses a career in music, each student has the capacity to learn and love the arts, and it is the teacher’s responsibility to encourage the students to incorporate the arts into their own lives. By observing her communication with her own students, I became aware that everyone can benefit from music, and also that everyone can use their musical abilities to better enjoy their lives. Every day, she would go out of her way to help students become more involved in the music program, regardless of their talent level. Whether a student had plans to major in music or just to continue singing in a community choir after graduation, she showed each individual that she appreciated their contribution to the choir and also that she respected them for making music a part of their own life. In this way, I feel that her career has been very successful, and I would like to adopt her attitude toward music education into my own career.

Besides showing me what a career in music education was really about, my teacher also aided me in developing some of the skills I will need to succeed as a music educator. Not only did her teaching help me to enhance my skills as a musician and performer, but also to be confident in my abilities and driven to achieve my goals. Although she was my choir director and I am an instrumental music education major, she always encouraged me to develop vocal skills and showed me how they would benefit me as a band director. During my senior year of high school, she supported my decision to major in music education and made me see that I should do what I feel is best for me, and not what others feel I should do. Her confidence in my ability to become a music educator lifted my confidence in myself, and kept me determined to be successful in my future. If she was able to do all of this for me, I know she inspired others to want succeed in their careers as well.

I know I am very fortunate to have had a teacher who inspired me so greatly, and without her guidance I am sure that I would not be majoring in music today. She helped me to set many of the same goals she has for herself as a teacher, showed me why a career in music education is so worthwhile, and gave me skills that I might not have acquired elsewhere. My potential for success as a music educator will be significantly increased by incorporating my choir director’s values into my own teaching. I believe it is these reasons that make her stand out in my mind when asked what influenced my decision to become a music educator, and hopefully I will one day be able to pass everything she gave me on to my own students.