An Orientation to Musical Pedagogy Becoming a Musician-Educator

Novice music teachers and music education students struggle to form an identity that synthesizes 'musician' with 'music teacher,' and to separate themselves from their prior experiences to think critically about music-making and music instruction. Throughout this text, readers are encouraged to both reject and reflect upon their prior experience and are provided with new frameworks of understanding about both music-making and music instruction, as they form a new personal philosophy of musicianship and pedagogy. Ultimately, the purpose of this text is to provide foundational knowledge for subsequent learning as students become both musician and music pedagogue.

Dr. Birch Browning is Associate Professor of Music Education and Director of Bands at Cleveland State University, and Music Director of the Cleveland Winds. The Cleveland Winds was the winner of the American Prize in Band/Wind Ensemble Performance-Community and School Division, 2015. He is the current Associate Editor of Contributions to Music Education.