A Tribute to Music Teachers

A Tribute to Music Teachers

What drives someone to teach music?  Is it a calling from the Muse?
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the “Muses” are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. The word can refer, in general, to anyone or anything which inspires an artist, musician, or writer.

So, what is the Muse for music teachers?

Is it a love of imparting musical knowledge?

Is it developing curricula, conducting rehearsals, grading students, working with parents or local music authorities, budgeting, or advertising concerts?

Is it the love of children or helping others?

Or is it the need to improve your own musical knowledge by teaching it to others?

Degrees are required, and to get those degrees, you must succeed in highly
competitive, performance auditions.

If that isn't enough, music teachers must have:

Enthusiasm
Patience
Organization
Motivation
Administrative, communication, and marketing skills
Excellent memory
Flexibility

This year, many music teachers must quickly learn and institute virtual teaching techniques that gives the children a comparable learning experience to a typical schoolyear.

So, more than ever, a teacher’s muse is important for continuing music education.

This Muse motivates us to eat, breath, and pass music to others every day!

Take time today to stoke your inspirational fire and reaffirm your muse.“It's not just a job, it's a calling!” from the Muse.

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses (Ancient Greek: Μοῦσαι, Moũsai, Modern Greek: Μούσες) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts.  The word "muse" can refer, in general, to anyone or anything which inspires an artist, musician, or writer.

 And perhaps music teachers are touched by the Muse in their teaching?

The Muses are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts in Greek mythology.  Artists, Musicians, Poets have often said that their inspiration has come not from themselves or their education, but from energy outside of themselves and beyond themselves.  The Muses were inspired to bring more beauty and harmony into the world.

This is not often thought of - that music teachers feel the Muse and are inspired just like performers and composers.  From ancient Greek mythology, the Muses were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemonynē, Memory herself.  It is said that the "memory" of great historical music, poems, and art create the "Muse" of artists.  There were nine Muses, and each presided over one particular art form: Calliopē, epic poetry; Clīo, history; Euterpē, flute-playing (and lyric poetry to the flute); Melpomenē, tragedy; Terpsichorē, choral dancing and singing; Eratō, the lyre and lyric poetry; Polyhymnia, hymns to the gods; Urania, astronomy; and Thalia, comedy.

In our present day “over” culture, education is thought of as job preparation and knowledge is judged by its usefulness.  But in ancient times, the muses kept the collective memory alive, attuned the heart to what really mattered in life, and presented the mind with the deepest problems to ponder.

At Golden Music we hope that education is about shaping loving lives, tuning hearts and inspiring wonderful choices, rather than simple job preparation.  We are committed to robustly support music teachers and programs of all ages and type.  Often there are worries academic standards are lowered with music focus, but study after study shows it ignites students with fuel and power for intelligence and more capacity to learn.

As the renowned British educator Charlotte Mason said at the turn of the 20th century:

“The question is not, -- how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education -- but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care?  In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? and, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?” some material summarized from Jason Barney the Inspiration Of The Muses