As we put the pandemic further and further in our rearview, many of us are confronted with new realities related to how, when and WHY we need to advocate for our programs, our profession and our art form. For example, I have found myself needing to have more conversations with school board members, administrators, parents and even colleagues about the value of a robust and rigorous music education. In this posting, I am going to direct you to TWO recent Choralosophy conversations which approach the topic of Advocacy.
Music Ed
If Every One Agrees, We Can’t Have the “Difficult Conversations” with Micah Horton
Many people think they are speaking truth to power, but they are really just preaching to the choir. This episode deals with the role of political discourse in the lives of all citizens, and educators in particular. The future of education is hanging in the balance right now as I see it, based on the […]
The Elephant in the Shower: Four Seasoned Music Educators Share the Same Concern
By Stuart Hunt Among the necessary, and at the same time, egregious choices in which education (choral education in particular) presently finds itself, perhaps we have (necessarily) focused on the immediate, and, at our own peril, not looked far enough down the road. In our research, nowhere can we find this particular topic being significantly […]
Off The Podium: Universal Music Education
As we enter the third decade of the twenty-first century, the time has come for music educators to stop pussyfooting around and advocate for Universal Music Education. Indeed, it is long past time. We should stop wasting valuable time – time that belongs to us and to the children in our care – we should […]
Why Music Education Matters to Me
The March 2015 issue of Choral Journal features an article titled “Why Music Education Matters to Me” by Kelsey Wickerham. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose March 2015 from the dropdown menu._____________________________ A “3,” another “3,” and a “4.” It was in that succession that I read the scores […]
So…You’re replacing a legendary choral director…
If you are about to face a group of middle school or high school chorus students in the upcoming school year who have been taught by a teacher they absolutely adored, you may be feeling like you’ve just been hired to replace Robert Shaw…iconic 20th Century Choral Conductor! It is so scary. Can you imagine […]