wisconsin music educators association president Authentic
LEADERSHIP IN THE MUSIC CLASSROOM
4 Be YOURSELF 4 Be GENTLE 4 Be HUMBLE 4 Be STRONG 4 Be DILIGENT 4 Be AMAZING!
relationships with their students. I recommend using those relation- ships to guide you in identifying the needs of your students.
Teachers as Teachers of Leadership
As I stated earlier, many music teach- ers work with their students for several years. Our multi-year curriculums are an ideal platform to encourage students to experience leadership. Teaching is lead- ing. Whether they are the skills learned by running a sectional or pairing older students with younger students in a mentor relation- ship, music classes offer many opportuni- ties that encourage student leadership.
Brin Cowette in her 2022 article, “Leader- ship in the Music Classroom,” identifies two sets of leadership skills. The first is intrapersonal skills that encourage per- sonal growth. This set of skills is based on metacognition, an understanding of how a person thinks and learns. As teachers, we need to grow our ability to teach students to reflect on their own learning. This is an all important first step in developing student leaders.
The second set is interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills are the external skills associated with working with others. These include communication, collaboration and empathy. Music ensembles are exceptional environments for building these skills. As music teachers, I think we have a respon- sibility to not only teach music, but also to nurture leadership skills that will serve young people as they grow into adults. Who knows? Some of these leaders may pursue a career in music education.
Every student deserves the opportunity to progress in their personal growth while learning to become a leader. I wish you all the best as you and your student leaders prepare for the end of the year study and performances.
Brad Schneider is a retired instrumental music educator.
Email:
wmeapresident@wsmamusic.org
Wisconsin School Musician September 2024 • Music Moves Us Forward
January 2025 • A Look Back
In this issue, we pause to reminisce and reflect on music and music education as they were in the past, highlighting what has worked well, what hasn’t, and what we might improve upon to meet current and future needs. We consider how to integrate these insights into frameworks rooted in strong traditions – and maybe some challenging realities – to ensure that we forever “get at the heart” of music and music education to inspire students and communities to recognize music’s intrinsic worth.
April 2025 • The (In) Visible Work
It’s no secret among music educators that teaching music demands much more than just teaching music, but too often, it’s a secret kept from everybody else. In an effort to make the job look effortless, music educators can inadvertently reduce their work’s visibility – or at least the full scope of it – which puts both the educator and the profession at risk. We’ll discuss in this edition how to make the invisible work visible, all while outsmarting burnout and finding joy in the journey.
Wisconsin School Musician 7
2024–25 Themes
Whether the impact is emotional, cultural or otherwise, music and forward motion are synonymous. We take our theme, “Music Moves Us Forward,” from the 2024 Wisconsin State Music Conference. In celebration of this annual event and the new school year, we’ll explore how music moves us – internally, externally and into the future.
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