Prior  to  enrolling  in  the  Masters  of  Performance  Teaching,  if  I  were  

propositioned  with  the  question  of  ‘why’  I  taught,  my  answer  would  have  

undoubtedly  related  to  the  financial  incentives.  Teaching  seemed  like  a  natural  

progression,  something  you  did  to  supplement  your  income  as  a  performer.  

However,  throughout  this  degree  I  have  come  to  realise  and  appreciate  the  role  

in  which  music  education  and  in  particular,  instrumental  music  education,  can  

play  in  the  propagation  of  the  value  of  music,  the  preservation  of  musical  ideals  

and  practices  and  the  enhancement  of  people’s  lives.  Although  it  is  beyond  the  

scope  of  this  essay  to  offer  a  fully  functioning  philosophy  of  teaching,  the  act  of  

contemplating  ‘why’  I  teach  has  broadened  my  understanding  of  the  nature  of  

performance,  aesthetics  and  the  justification  for  their  inclusion  into  an  

educational  curriculum.  

If  the  question  of  ‘why’  I  teach  is  to  be  based  on  the  assertion  that  a  philosophy  is  

the  sustained,  systematic,  and  critical  examination  of  belief  (Alperson,  1993),  

then  I  must  firstly  explain  what  my  beliefs  are.  These  beliefs  encompass  

education,  the  role  of  music  in  general,  the  significance  of  aurally  transmitted  

genres,  creating  musical  educational  opportunities  for  rural  communities  and  

the  rationale  for  focusing  specifically  on  instrumental  music  teaching.  The  

importance  of  education  is  the  way  in  which  human  thought;  beliefs,  ideals  and  

practices  are  articulated,  preserved  and  transmitted  from  one  generation  to  

another  (Alperson,  2010).  Music  education  not  only  transmits  and  preserves  

information  to  subsequent  generations;  it  enhances  people’s  lives  and  gives  

complementary  or  alternate  meaning  to  experiences  (Leonhard  &  House,  1959).  

Music  hosts  a  multitude  of  roles  as  highlighted  by  Alan  Merriam’s  list  of  the  ‘ten  

functions  of  music,’  which  amongst  other  functions  include:  aesthetic  enjoyment,  

emotional  expression,  entertainment  and  contribution  to  the  continuity  and  

stability  of  culture  (as  cited  in  Alperson,  1993).  Instrumental  music  can  provide  a  

unique  insight  into  the  embodied  meaning  of  music  as  well  as  enhancing  the  

aesthetic  experience  (Elliot,  1993).  As  well  as  stating  my  beliefs,  it  is  pertinent  to  

establish  my  goals,  which  are,  to  elevate  the  standard  and  perceptions  of  

contemporary  guitar  within  the  general  populace  and  formal  education  

institutions;  promote/foster  aesthetic  appreciation  amongst  music  learners;  and  

provide  opportunities  for  people  residing  in  rural  communities  to  have  access  to  

quality  music  education.      

 

Through  learning  to  teach  and  the  act  of  teaching  others,  I  have  been  able  to  

develop  intelligent  approaches  to  my  own  practice;  gain  a  sense  of  fulfilment  by  

sharing  my  experience  and  expertise  with  others;  and  preserve  and  promote  

musical  traditions  found  in  20th  century  American  music  within  Australia.    

Music  performance  has  played  a  pivotal  role  within  my  own  life,  and  through  

teaching,  I  have  had  the  opportunity  to  explore  alternate  avenues  for  enjoyment,  

intellectual  stimulus  and  the  acquisition  of  knowledge.  

 

I  believe  music  performance  represents  a  particular  form  of  knowledge  that  is  

often  overlooked  in  favour  of  more  conventional  descriptions  of  cognition.  

Conventionally,  emphasis  has  been  placed  on  ‘declarative’  knowledge,  which  is  

based  on  the  notion  that  knowledge  is  a  purely  mental  phenomenon,  which  can  

only  be  expressed  verbally  or  through  symbolic  representation  (Elliot,  1993).  

Reimer  (2009),  who  lists  notation  as  one  of  the  key  “understandings  to  be  

developed  as  required  to  become  a  competent  performer”,  echoes  this  focus  on  

symbolic  representations.  David  Elliot  (1993)  offers  an  alternative  source  of  

knowledge  and  understanding  that  he  terms  ‘procedural’,  which  is  defined  as  

‘knowing  how’  as  opposed  to  ‘knowing  that’.  The  essence  of  Elliot’s  contention  is,  

‘procedural’  knowledge  consists  of  thought-­‐full,  intentional,  practical  based  

manifestations  of  cognition  that  are  non-­‐verbal.  This  is  one  of  my  personal  

rationales  for  teaching  instrumental  music  as  opposed  to  classroom  music.  Music  

performance  is  a  demonstration  of  cognition  and  knowledge  through  action,  as  

opposed  to  verbal  and  symbolic  representations  (Elliot,  1993).    This  has  

particular  significance  for  contemporary  genres  such  as  Blues,  Country  and  Jazz,  

as  they  are  traditionally  aurally  transmitted.  For  example,  saxophonist  Gerry  

Bergonzi  recalls  a  rehearsal  with  jazz  pianist  Dave  Brubeck.  When  Bergonzi  

asked  Brubeck  the  chord  he  was  playing,  he  responded,  “it’s  a  D7”,  when  the  

chord  was  actually  a  Dm7b5  (Jazz  Heaven,  2011).  This  illustrates  that  although  

Brubeck  had  a  very  high  level  of  performance  and  improvisatory  skill,  he  did  not  

associate  a  conventional  symbolic  or  verbal  representation  to  sound.  

Furthermore,  it  is  often  difficult  to  align  contemporary  styles  with  more  

conventional  notions  of  knowledge  demonstration  and  transfer,  such  as  written  

examinations  and  verbal  descriptions.  This  is  due  to  the  stylistic  feature  found  in  

contemporary  styles  such  as  Blues  and  Country  being  difficult,  if  not  impossible  

to  accurately  represent  with  notation  or  written  word.  Having  recognised  that  

‘procedural’  knowledge  is  of  equal  significance  in  music  performance  and  

education,  my  own  teaching  is  driven  by  a  desire  to  assist  in  the  appreciation  of  

aurally  transmitted,  practical  based  knowledge/learning.  Although  there  is  a  

significant  lack  of  focus  on  genres  such  as  Blues  and  Country  in  formal  education  

institutions,  I  believe  that  both  are  complex  and  valid  art  forms  that  demand  

significant  investigation.  A  major  motivation  for  teaching  instrumental  music  is  

to  assert  the  notion,  that  aurally  transmitted  genres  are  valid  vehicles  for  

learning,  deserving  of  serious  study  and  are  music  of  quality.  Over  the  longer  

term,  through  my  teaching  I  hope  to  elevate  perceptions  of  contemporary  music  

to  that  of  the  same  levels  of  classical  music.    

 

I  strongly  believe  in  the  unique  nature  of  the  experience  one  can  elicit  through  

music  performance,  and  it’s  among  my  goals  as  a  teacher  to  be  active  in  

increasing  the  depth  of  experience  for  instrumental  learners.  Throughout  much  

of  my  teaching  I  have  witnessed  an  overwhelming  emphasis  placed  on  the  

execution  of  the  notated  page  and  the  development  of  technique.  This  

observation  is  supported  by  Bennet  Reimer  (1989),  who  states,  “the  major  effort  

of  children  involved  in  performance  is  expended  on  skill  development  and  the  

major  focus  of  teaching  is  typically  on  this  matter  of  technique.”  Students  whose  

primary  learning  focus  is  driven  purely  by  completing  grades,  perfect  execution  

etc.,  are  missing  out  on  a  deeper,  some  might  say,  more  profound  musical  

experience.  Although  I  am  coming  dangerously  close  to  a  pedagogical  argument,  

my  own  teaching  is  resolutely  motivated  by  the  desire  to  assist  learners’  develop  

musical  understanding  and  sensitivity  to  aesthetic  experience  through  music  

performance.  The  importance  of  education  as  aesthetic  education  has  begun  to  

permeate  my  own  reasons  for  teaching.  In  developing  aesthetic  awareness,  I  am  

able  to  assist  in  heightening  student’s  ability  to  perceive,  reflect  and  find  new  

meaning  in  experience  (Reimer,  2009).  In  the  book  Foundations  and  Principles  of  

Music  Education  Charles  Leonhard  and  Robert  House  (1959)  describe  music  as  “a  

vehicle  by  which  other  men  can  find  additional  meaning  in  experience  and  

undergo  new  experience”.    Increasing  aesthetic  awareness  not  only  provides  a  

deeper  musical  understanding  and  enhances  enjoyment,  it  serves  to  strengthen  

the  status  and  role  of  music  performance  in  education.  Music  performance  has  

begun  to  be  viewed  as  dispensable,  in  favour  of  new  technological  advancements  

as  the  primary  source  of  musical  experience.  Technology  has  also  reduced  

composer’s  reliance  on  performers  to  realise  their  musical  ideas  (Reimer,  2009).  

I  believe  the  decline  in  the  prevalence  and  engagement  in  music  performance  

would  be  detrimental  to  the  global  musical  culture.  Without  music  performance  

we  are  denying  students  and  the  public  one  of  the  essential  components  of  

aesthetic  education  (Reimer,  2009),  as  well  as  losing  our  profession.  Upholding  

the  value  of  music  performance  when  confronted  with  its  potential  decline  

should  be  at  the  forefront  of  all  teaching  philosophy.  This  is  also  another  

rationale  for  promoting  the  inclusion  of  aurally  based  music  traditions,  and  why  

it  is  included  in  my  teaching  philosophy.  Reimer  (2009)  argues  that  within  

“musical  cultures  that  depend  on  aural  transmissions  of  music;  that  is,  cultures  

in  which  the  function  of  the  composer  and  performer  are  not  separate,  

performance  has  been  and  will  remain  the  essential  musical  creative  act.”    

Learning  a  musical  instrument  to  any  considerable  level  of  ability  has  long  been  

regarded  as  ‘hard  manual  labour’  or  ‘arduous’.  Many  regard  the  activity  of  

practice  and  the  process  of  cultivating  proficiency  and  musical  ideas  on  one’s  

instrument  as  being  void  of  aesthetic  enjoyment  (Reimer,  1989).  I  believe  that  

the  process  of  unlocking  the  interworking  of  music  can  be  just  as  aesthetically  

pleasing  and  enhance  the  overall  musical  experience.  Although  this  idea  is  not  

fully  formed  I  do  believe  there  is  some  evidence  to  support  my  assumption.  

Practical  experiences  can  also  be  aesthetic  in  nature  when,  one  “is  conscious  of  

the  results,  and  anticipates  the  consumption  of  his  experience”  (Leonhard  &  

House,  1959).  Personally,  I  revel  in  the  ‘process’  and  feel  that  it  heightens  my  

musical  experience.    Through  my  teaching  I  wish  to  share  this  appreciation  for  

the  ‘process’  not  only  to  increase  peoples  enjoyment  of  music,  but  also  to  

strengthen  the  role  music  performance  plays  as  a  source  for  musical  experience.  

 

For  the  most  part,  the  reasons  why  I  teach  are  based  on  values  and  principles  

that  are  intrinsic  to  music.  However,  part  of  my  personal  rational  for  teaching  

does  include  social  and  communal  considerations.  I  grew  up  in  an  area  of  

Australia  that  could  at  best  be  described  as  a  ‘cultural  wasteland’  where  there  

was  little  exposure  to  musical  experience.  My  school  music  program  was  

minimal  and  there  were  no  community-­‐based  activities  that  fostered  any  sort  of  

creative  practice.  I  believe  that  my  musical  development  and  my  capacity  for  

leading  a  healthy  musical  life,  one  that  included  an  aesthetic  appreciation  and  a  

comprehensive  musical  understanding,  was  severely  stunted  for  a  considerable  

amount  of  time  as  a  result  of  poor  teaching  and  opportunities.  A  large  part  of  

why  I  teach  is  out  of  a  belief  that  everyone  is  entitled  to  have  access  to  a  quality  

music  education.  I  enjoy  recognising  and  supporting  talented  performers  as  well  

as  providing  genuine  and  meaningful  musical  opportunities  that  can  engage  the  

entire  community.  As  well  as  working  with  younger  students,  I  have  a  keen  

interest  in  adult  music  learners.  Most  learners  cease  playing  an  instrument  after  

the  completion  of  high  school,  when  the  social  reinforcement  is  no  longer  

available  (Reimer,  1989).  I  believe  creating  opportunities  for  adult  learners  to  

continue  enjoying  music,  within  an  environment  that  is  conducive  to  learning  

can  provide  music  performance  with  a  longer  lasting  value.  I  would  eventually  

like  to  take  the  skills,  expertise  and  passion  that  I  have  acquired  throughout  my  

musical  life  and  provide  rural  communities  with  the  musical  education  that  I  

wish  I  had  received.  

   

Until  recently,  the  question  of  ‘why’  I  teach  instrumental  music  was  a  line  of  

enquiry  that  I  had  given  minimal  thought.  Upon  further  reflection  I  have  come  to  

realise  the  significance  teaching  has  in  the  upholding  of  my  values,  beliefs  and  

future  ambitions  in  regard  to  music.  Instead  of  teaching  being  an  activity  of  

necessity,  something  that  is  secondary  to  my  own  musical  experience,  it  has  

developed  into  an  integral  component.  Through  teaching  I  have  gained  an  

awareness  of  the  importance  of  the  aesthetic  experience  and  have  a  deeper  

understanding  of  what  constitutes  musical  understanding.  It  has  led  me  to  

examine  the  musical  values  that  made  me  into  the  musician  I  am  today  and  given  

an  insight  into  the  musician  I  wish  to  become.  The  reason  I  teach  is  simple,  as  a  

result  of  helping  others  enhance  their  lives  through  music,  my  own  musical  

experience  is  enriched.  

 

 

 

 

Bibliography    

Alperson,  P.  (1993).  What  Should  One  Expect  from  a  Philosophy  of  Music  

Education.  In  E.R.  Jorgenson  (Eds.),  Philosopher,  Teacher,  Musician  (pp.  215-­‐244).  

Illinois,  U.S.A:  University  of  Illinois  Press.  

 

Alperson,  P.  (2010).  Robust  Praxialism  and  the  Anti-­‐Aesthetic  Turn.  Philosophy  of  

Music  Education  Review,  18(2),  171-­‐193.  

 

Elliot,  D.  (1993).  Music  as  Knowledge.  In  E.R.  Jorgenson  (Eds.),  Philosopher,  

Teacher,  Musician  (pp.  21-­‐40).  Illinois,  U.S.A:  University  of  Illinois  Press.  

 

Jazz  Heaven.  (2011,  September  13).  Jerry  Bergonzi  Interview  on  playing  with  

him  JazzHeaven.com  Excerpt  Jazz  Saxophone  [Video  file].  Retrieved  from  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xu1owiqghM  

 

Leonhard,  C.,  &  House,  R.  W.  (1959).  Foundations  and  Principles  of  Music  

Education.  New  York,  U.S.A:  McGraw-­‐Hill.  

 

Reimer,  B.  (2009).  Seeking  The  Significance  of  Music  Education:  Essays  and  

Reflections.  Maryland,  U.S.A:  Rowman  and  Littlefield  Education.  

 

Reimer,  B.  (1989).  A  Philosophy  of  Music  Education,  second  edition.  Englewood  

Cliffs,  N.J.:  Prentice  Hall