Program Overview
The Undergraduate Certificate in Teaching Artist in Music provides B.A. Majors in Music of any concentration with a scaffolded experience toward developing the skills and understandings needed to facilitate musical experiences with others. Teaching music requires a deep level of content knowledge and musicianship applied using appropriate pedagogies for guiding learners through their own development of music skills, concepts, and contextual knowledge. As such students will take content courses that deepen their own musical knowledge and skills as well as applied practice courses which allow them to develop the skills to facilitate musical learning in settings related to their own musical interests and experiences.
Teaching Artists are increasingly more common and are critical members of our arts education community. They are important colleagues and collaborators for our school arts educators and help to enhance and expand school and community arts experiences. Studying side-by-side with music education majors would be an invaluable professional experience for both in terms of building relationships and offering multiple perspectives. Many musicians find themselves facilitating learning experiences with others but have not acquired content or applied experiences in teaching and learning theories, pedagogy, or curriculum. They often do not have training or guided experiences in designing lessons, planning rehearsals, organizing courses, workshops, engaging with learners, or assessing learning. This certificate would provide supplemental content and applied learning opportunities tailored to students’ particular areas of interest and experience and would enhance their skills as a teacher artist who may work collaboratively with school music teachers or in community settings. It is anticipated that this certificate will be of primary interest to BA in Music students but is also open to any non-majors so long as they could fulfill the prerequisites. The entrance audition or Basic Performance Assessment can be taken by anyone so long as they schedule it through the music office. Only some music majors are required to have this in advance. This certificate does not lead to an endorsement for state teaching licensure and has significantly fewer credits and course hours than the B.S. in Music Education.
