Music Major Concentration
Music Educators
What is the music educators concentration?
One degree, two credentials: a Bachelor of Arts in music and a P-12 teaching license.
Music educators, listed in the course catalog as the Music education concentration for P-12 certification, is a concentration in Goshen College’s Bachelor of Arts in music that leads to an Indiana teaching certification in vocal and instrumental music for grades P through 12. At 60 to 62 credit hours, including 35 hours of professional education coursework, it is the largest concentration area in the major.
You”ll learn to teach every section of the room. String, Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion Methods and Materials are the coursework for instrumental licensure, and Vocal Methods and Pedagogy is the coursework for vocal licensure. Elementary Music Methods and Secondary Music Methods cover both ends of the P-12 span, while Conducting II, Advanced Music Theory, Building Community Through Music and 12 credit hours of applied music carry the musician side of the degree. You finish with student teaching in your fourth year.
What you’ll be able to do
You graduate licensed, and you graduate having already taught.
- Teach music from preschool through grade 12: Get certification in vocal and instrumental music, so you can teach a general music classroom, a choir, a band or an orchestra
- Teach any instrument in the room: Methods courses in strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion and voice let you start a beginner on an instrument you don’t play.
- Perform as a musician, not only as a teacher: Twelve credit hours of applied music, a sophomore qualifying recital, a senior recital, project, or lecture recital and an ensemble every semester on campus
- Lead an ensemble before you lead a class: Conducting I in the core and Conducting II in the concentration put you in front of players and singers well before student teaching
You graduate prepared for a career that uses the musical arts to make a positive contribution to society.
Common questions about music educators
Goshen offers teacher certification in vocal and instrumental music for grades P through 12, and you can pursue either area or both. String, Woodwind, Brass and Percussion Methods and Materials make up the instrumental licensure coursework, and Vocal Methods and Pedagogy makes up the vocal licensure coursework.
Student teaching comes in the fourth year, alongside the balance of the major and the Goshen CORE. Keyboard proficiency has to be finished before student teaching, so plan the 200-level keyboard theory labs and at least one semester of applied piano early. Music education students may take Elementary Music Methods, Secondary Music Methods, Conducting I and Conducting II whenever they are offered.
Students planning a music major or minor are eligible for Music Achievement Awards ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 annually, and all instruments and voice parts are encouraged to audition. Ensemble Grants of $1,000 annually are available to students who are not majoring or minoring in music. See Music Scholarships for audition details.