Supporting Student Engagement in Instrumental Music Education

This proposal seeks to offer new perspectives on issues relating to developing imagination and promoting student motivation in primary and secondary instrumental music education classrooms. These issues are highly topical, as, on the one hand, worldwide debates question the purpose of music education in formal school curricula, while, on the other hand, multiple research studies repeatedly confirm the social, cognitive and emotional benefits of quality instrumental music education. During this session, the audience will meet senior staff members of the Washington Hill Instrumental Music Education Department, which officially opened for registration in 2014, and today offers its graduates a B.Ed.Mus and teaching certification in Instrumental Music Education. Each faculty members will meet with a group of participants from the audience, with whom he/she will raise issues, answer questions, and discuss innovative pedagogical methods developed within their areas of expertise.

The convener will open the session by introducing the panel (5 min.). Each speaker will then briefly introduce the topic which they will discuss (30 min.). The audience will then divide into groups for informal discussions with members of the panel (30 min.). The groups will then reconvene, report on the issues discussed which were discussed in their groups and summarize suggestions of how to enhance motivation within instrumental music education classrooms (25 min.).

We propose that participants from the audience sign up in advance for the discussion groups so that we may assess the number of participants for each group.

Topics for discussion:

Group1: Tradition and Innovation in Israel`s Instrumental Music Education Programs. How can you introduce instrumental music education projects in your schools?

Group 2: ‘A Journey around the World’ in the Beginner Bowed-Strings Classroom: How can we improve the curriculum for our beginner bowed-strings students?

Group 3: The Power of the Group in Wind Instrumental Education

Group 4: Values and Motivation in Instrumental Music Education : Identifying values which are most important to students who choose to study instrumental music education.

Group 5: The Renaissance of Percussion through the Eyes of the Performer and the Educator: Short and long term goals of percussion instrumental music education.