Music Education Manifesto for 2025 - Engage More Students in Music-Making

Music Education Manifesto - 2025 mfsmithmusic

Too many students are left behind by traditional methods, traditional teaching, and traditional ensembles. It’s time to broaden our approach and engage more students in music-making, especially at the secondary level.

Reimagine Traditional Teaching Practices

1. Engage more students by prioritizing auditory preparation before notation reading, ensuring no one falls behind due to traditional, notation-first approaches.

2. Playing by ear is encouraged, not discouraged.

3. Improvisation unlocks potential and fosters original thought.

4. Creating music is essential in today’s world of artificial intelligence, where creativity will lead the way and guide the machines.

   
   

Foster Diversity and a Lifelong Engagement with Music

1. Diverse repertoires reflect and engage diverse populations.

2. All students should learn a varied repertoire of songs to sing and play for life.

   
   

Transform Traditional Ensembles

1. Ensembles must broaden or break the molds that limit student engagement, focusing on the needs of students today rather than exclusively on the traditions that continue to guide us.

2. Ensembles should center around students, not directors, literature or composers.

By broadening our approach, we can ensure that all students, regardless of background or ability, experience the educational and artistic benefits of engaging with music in education.