Inspiring the Next Generation of Music Educators: Strategies for Teachers

My career in music education has truly been rewarding. Since graduating college over 20 years ago, I have taught many wonderful students in my middle and high school orchestra programs, in youth orchestras, and in my university’s music education program. Most days, I honestly feel that I do not work for a living . I am lucky to be in a career that I am passionate about. However, I know my start on this career path would not have occurred without the opportunities and encouragement I received as a high school student. I had wonderful music teachers, both public school and private lessons, who encouraged me to become a music teacher and put me on my journey to study music education in college. I strongly believe that I would not be where I am today without their guidance.

"It is never too early to ignite our students’ desire to become more involved in music."

However, I often wonder how many great music teachers our profession lost because they were not encouraged to pursue music education. A few of your earlier colleagues may even come to mind. As a result, I want to provide some ideas that K-12 school music teachers can implement in their programs to encourage their students to pursue music education in college. I personally experienced some of these, but my current undergraduate students shared other impactful ideas with me. As music educators, we can strengthen the future of our profession by encouraging opportunities to both middle and high school students who demonstrate the characteristics of and/or interest in becoming a music teacher. It is never too early to ignite our students’ desire to become more involved in music. As the first person to play an instrument in my family, I never imagined where I would be today. You never know how a few words of encouragement can impact a life.

Encourage Students Through Conversation

One of the most important methods K-12 music teachers can use to encourage students to pursue a career in music education is a conversation. Sometimes, students will never know their potential if music teachers do not point it out to them. In some instances, music teachers can take our best students, both performers and leaders, for granted because those students are dependable and exceed our behavioral and music expectations. To make sure we do not overlook potential future educators, current K-12 music teachers need to make an effort to give these students positive reinforcement through encouragement and support. Positive words from a director can go a long way in increasing students’ interest in pursuing music education. Without those positive words, some students may not think becoming a music teacher is possible. Words have power, and I am hopeful we can use them for good to identify our future colleagues.

I can personally speak about the power of positive encouragement. I was lucky enough to have the same orchestra teacher from 4th to 12th grade who was always a wonderful mentor (shout out to Bill Robinson). We had the initial conversation about me becoming a music teacher during a three-hour drive to All-State Orchestra toward the end of my sophomore year of high school. During that drive, he brought up a comment I had made to my private cello teacher about considering a career in music education. We talked about my potential career path and what I could do in high school to better prepare myself for a career in music education. I can honestly say I would not be where I am today without his encouragement, and I am still lucky enough to call him a mentor and friend.

Provide Classroom Teaching and Conducting Opportunities

One of the most influential activities you can provide for students interested in pursuing music education in college is getting them on the podium during middle and high school. In my conversations with my undergraduate music education students during their Intro to Music Education course, they constantly share that leading warm-ups, conducting a rehearsal segment, leading sectionals, teaching an entire piece during a concert cycle, serving as an unofficial substitute teacher (with an official substitute teacher in the room), and conducting a piece at a recruiting or regular concert were some of the most impactful moments that led them to pursue a career in music education. They shared that these opportunities increased their self-confidence, helped them grow as musicians, and made them fall in love with teaching/conducting. My students also expressed how these opportunities meant a lot to them because they demonstrated that their music teachers trusted them. If those opportunities are designed to create positive experiences for the students, I believe they can become influential life moments for many aspiring teachers.

As a former high school orchestra teacher in Florida, I am proud that the Florida Orchestra Association has a mechanism in place that provides students the opportunity to conduct their orchestra at district- and state-level festivals. In Florida, the student conductor teaches and rehearses a piece under the guidance of their orchestra director prior to the adjudicated festival. At the festival, the student conductor leads the ensemble through a piece while an adjudicator provides feedback on an adjudication form. The completed adjudication form is handed directly to the student conductor immediately after the performance, but the student conductor’s score does not affect the performing ensemble’s score. If the student conductor receives proper guidance from their director, the experience of conducting their peers at an adjudicated festival can create a positive memory that may inspire them to pursue music education.

While I know not every state or festival offers opportunities for student conductors, I encourage festival organizations and leaders in state music educator associations to explore the positive impact of this opportunity. I believe festival organizers can create positive student conducting opportunities through careful planning. For more information on how the Florida Orchestra Association offers a student conductor opportunity at their Music Performance Assessments, I encourage you to peruse pages 15-16 of the Florida Orchestra Association’s Handbook . Their guidelines for including student conductors at festivals are a superb starting point for any organization that is interested in adding this component to their festival.

Involve Students in Your Music Feeder Programs

Another wonderful way to get high school students excited about teaching is getting them involved in your feeder program. Their role can include assisting the middle or elementary school directors during class or teaching lessons after school through a peer-to-peer mentor program organized by the music teachers. If carefully designed, this type of program puts the high school student in a safe situation where they can apply their knowledge to contribute to the feeder school’s music program in a positive manner. This is especially effective if they are placed at their previous middle or elementary school with the music teacher who taught them. I encourage you to take peer mentoring to another level by having them assist with general music classes at their local elementary schools. I am a firm believer that quality middle and high school music programs cannot exist without wonderful elementary general music teachers, and getting middle and high school students involved with elementary general music classes may be the spark that pushes them to pursue a career as a general music teacher.

Increase Their Instrumental Knowledge

In many instances, middle and high school students only take a single music ensemble (e.g., band, chorus, or orchestra) each year. However, participating in a single ensemble limits students’ musical knowledge and experiences, and we know future music teachers must know how to play more than their own instrument. To expand the number of instruments students can play, encourage middle and high school students to gain additional experience with other instruments by taking a second music class if scheduling allows. They can learn a second (or third) instrument in a lower-level ensemble at their school, join a choir class, take a non-Western classical music course (e.g., guitar, steelpan, rock band), or learn an instrument from another instrument family. Learning another instrument can also include taking voice, piano, ukulele, or guitar lessons outside of school.

Take Students to Professional Development Workshops

There are many professional development opportunities that exist for music teachers. In my K-12 teaching experience, some of these are not always directly applicable to music teachers (I bet you can think of some). However, there are many music education-focused professional development events that are truly inspirational and informative. These can include national conferences (e.g., The Midwest Clinic, ACDA, ASTA) and state conferences organized by local Music Educator Associations. Take a look at the conferences Alfred Music will be attending! Other wonderful professional development opportunities include single-day workshops offered by your district, local universities, or local music groups. These are great opportunities to invite your high school students who are interested in music education to attend. Including students in these events will allow them to see teaching from our vantage point. They will also be surrounded by people who are excited about learning knowledge and skills that will improve their teaching.

To make this possible, I am hopeful that workshop organizers will allow high school students to attend for free or at a reduced rate. Minimizing the attendance costs for high school students can remove a financial barrier. I offer a summer workshop at my university, the Conservatory String Teacher Institute, and I allow high school students who are interested in pursuing music education in college to attend for free. These students have thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and leave feeling inspired to follow their passion. It is always moving to watch them engage with the teachers in attendance and see the teachers treat these high school students like rock stars.

Introduction to Music Education Professors

One of the simplest tasks music teachers can do to support their students who express interest in a career in music education is introducing them to music education professors at their local colleges and universities. Sometimes high school students do not know where to start when looking at potential colleges or what to look for in a potential collegiate music education program. The influence that a high school music teacher can have by taking the time to introduce their students to university music education professors can be profound. It is also impactful for the high school student to hear their current teacher’s praises during this introduction. In addition, an introduction creates the opportunity for the high school student to learn about the collegiate music education program and potentially participate in college music education courses while they are in high school. The connection also allows the high school student and college professor to build a bond so the student can determine if the college professor is someone who they would like to work with for the next four years. In my experience, students are more likely to enroll in a music education program if both the student and teacher have a positive relationship with the professor.

Conclusion

Inspiring students to pursue a career in music education begins with thoughtful guidance, practical opportunities, and ongoing encouragement. Each of these opportunities can help students envision a future in music education, cultivating a new generation of passionate and dedicated music educators. By creating a supportive environment and providing meaningful experiences, music teachers can help students discover the joy of teaching and the potential of a career in music education.