ANDREA E.

VAN HOF 1505 North Lorraine Ave

Music Educator Muncie, Indiana 47304
(585) 789-0013
andreavanhof@gmail.com

Personal Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Music exists within two forms of reason: The idea that music is organized sound and silence, and
how an individual emotionally feels or is connected to the music by way of either performing or
listening. A student who studies music reinforces teamwork, communication skills, self-
discipline and creativity. These are all qualities students need to embrace in order to thrive in
other studies. A music educators responsibility is to engage students of all levels and ability by
teaching the importance and appreciation of music. With a skill set including patience,
organization, management techniques and musical ability a highly structured classroom and
ensemble setting that exercises a high order of creativity, artistic success, and musical integrity
can be achieved. By providing an inclusive education which incorporates all genres of music,
music history and music theory, the music educator will enable students into becoming critical
thinkers and independent musicians.

The music educator must also be culturally informed. A culturally informed approach to music
education, based acknowledging cultural heritages within the classroom of different ethnic
groups can contribute to broadening students musical experiences, knowledge and skills. It
builds meaningful connections between home and school experiences by letting students
celebrate their own and each others culture which is extremely important in music education.
Culturally responsive teaching enable students to become more successful learners by
empowering them to celebrate individual and collective accomplishments.

Research shows that schools with successful music programs generate a student body that
benefits from brain and general learning skills such as improved reading skills, a better
vocabulary, and stronger neural activation in language. The activation in language is crucial for
every student, but it especially benefits english language development learners because it
increases the ability to incorporate the sound patterns of a new language into works, fosters
better and more focused listening skills, and better auditory memory.

The National Education Association found that compared to those with low arts education, low-
income students with high amounts of arts education were more likely to participate in
extracurricular activities, scored higher in writing and science, were five times less likely to drop
out of high school, achieved a higher GPA, and were more likely to enroll in a continuing
education program such as a four-year college after high school graduation.

The performing arts as an academic discipline develops aesthetic awareness through three basic
activities: creating, performing and appreciating. The educational value in performing arts
benefits a students intellectual, emotional and social growth. Students receive positive
interaction through performing, moving, experiencing cultural literature and listening. As the
learner matures and grows the skills of organizing, understanding and creating become more
refined. Why music and why music education? To allow students to discover their interest,
understand group and self preparation and for the opportunity for individual accomplishment.
From these experiences, the learner will develop the ability to create new artistic ideas and
forms, while developing respect and value for the creative statements of others.