The Meanings and Values of Music-making in the Lives of String Teachers: Exploring the Intersections of Music-making and Teaching.

Abstract

There has been much debate centering on the relationship between performer and teacher identities in the lives of preservice and inservice music educators. Often, these two identities are thought to be in tension with one another, especially for preservice string teachers (Froehlich & L’Roy, 1985; Woodford, 2002). Although recent literature has expanded and deepened the understanding of music teacher identity and some literature suggests that preservice and inservice music teachers seek balanced or integrated identities, the performer/musician identity and teacher identity continued to be addressed as distinct entities in recent research (Dust, 2006; Isbell, 2006, 2008). Instead of studying music teacher identity as consisting of two separate components of performer and teacher, this study focused on activities associated with these identities, music-making and teaching, and their relationship to each other. The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to examine the meanings and values of music-making in the lives of string teachers and to explore the intersections of music-making and teaching. Research questions included, (a) How do participants describe their journeys to becoming string teachers and the meanings they constructed about their past music-making experiences? (b) Why do participants continue or discontinue to engage in music-making at different points during their teaching careers? and (c) How do participants’ past and present music-making experiences intersect with their teaching? Data sets were generated through background surveys, multiple individual interviews, videotaped classroom observations, focus group interview including music-making and conversation, researcher’s self-interview, and researcher’s journals. Participants connected meanings of music-making with the formation of identity and with their well-being. Music-making intersected with teaching in multiple ways. Music-making outside of the classroom reminded participants why they valued playing, provided insight into pedagogical issues, and helped them be more compassionate towards their students as learners. Participants’ music-making inside the classroom helped them be more present in their teaching. They used music-making to inspire their students and themselves, to proactively address classroom management, to gain credibility with students, and to model technique, musicality, and their love of music-making. The findings from this study provide insights to inform music teacher education and professional development programs.