Music Teacher Education
November 24th, 2006 by vincebates
I am just now completing my first semester as a university professor here in America’s Heartland, Missouri. I thought I would give it a try; if I end up not liking it I can return to a K-12 job in a little town somewhere in the Great Basin (and I’ll get a pay raise!). However, so far things are going well. My students seem to like my courses and nobody is “looking over my shoulder”–yet. This semester I taught two music appreciation courses with the usual elitist, Euro-centric text (Kamien’s music “appreciation”). I have been able to keep those students entertained, but I will need to do something different next term to really get them to think critically about music.
I also teach two music courses for elementary education majors. It’s a fun class. I have taught them a number of singing games, folk dances, and integrated “activities”. We are also playing some guitar. Interestingly, they seem to value the guitar element the most.
I took my Shoshone drum to my sons pre-school class and taught them the Canoe Song. The kids seemed to like singing and dancing with the drum and the teacher was very appreciative. On the way home, however, my son who just turned five said it was “lame”. They sure grow up fast, don’t they?
