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Emilio Chase
Professor Gallo
Critical Pedagogy I
11 May 2015
My Experience, Growth, Application of Critical Pedagogy
In my experience thus far, critical Pedagogy has helped me to understand the level of
professionalism and understanding needed to teach not only a music classroom, but any
classroom I may find myself in charge of in the future. Additionally, it has forced me to
challenge all that I have learned in the past as well as the experiences I have had while in grade
school. What aspects of my education were exceptional and which were not up to par? This class
allowed me to think about aspects of my education that I may not have considered otherwise.
Growing up on nothing but popular music had a profound effect on me, whether for
better or worse. In one way, it inhibited me from having an early appreciation for classical music
since I simply never heard it growing up. However, it instilled my love for singing as well as my
love for dancing and gave me a connection to my peers around me. Once I joined a choir
program in elementary school, there was a sharp disconnect between what I was used to hearing
and what we were introduced to. As I got older, the disconnect between genres grew larger. In
different levels of music taught in schools across the nation, most focus simply on folk tunes,
classical music, or short songs that are meant to teach the children something. While these are
very important parts of music education and learning, they are not the only way. By introducing
the music they listen to into the classroom, it gives students something to connect with and look
forward to doing. If choirs and general music classrooms focus solely on classical pieces, this
alienates the students who may not like classical music. Music, especially at early levels, is about

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connecting the students with music and instilling a love and passion for it as early as possible. By
incorporating music they love into their learning, it validates their type of music as real music
and helps them to connect with the music class on a whole new level. Additionally, I also believe
it is very important to continue using popular music in the classroom once you reach middle and
high school levels. Just because the students are now older and more mature does not mean that
they still want the music they listen to to appear in the classroom. In high school, students are
deciding what they want to choose to pursue once they graduate. Some may consider music
depending on the experience they have had with music in their education. By incorporating a
large range of music in the classroom, from classical pieces all the way up to the pop music of
today, a large range of students can become inspired by what they are learning and may choose
to pursue music education to share that inspiration with a future generation. Regelski discussed
the ethics of music education in his paper Toward an applied, professional ethics for school
music. While discussing duty ethics, he states that, First and foremost, it should benefit the
students, not the teacher; and not music programs as though autonomous ends-in-themselves. As
we know, some in other professions do lose sight of their duty to those they serve and instead put
their own needs ahead of professional values. This often leads to warranted skepticism about the
ethics of those individuals or professions (3). I believe that some music teachers have a
tendency to focus on music that they are familiar with for whatever reason. In my opinion, this is
very self-serving because it discredits the music the students grew up with and the genres they
enjoy listening to. While this quote from Regelski encompasses much more than just this, I
believe it is a perfect example of moving past familiarity to not only benefit the music program,
but also benefit the students.

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Another aspect of teaching that I have come to understand through this course was the
need to care for the students I teach. While I was completely aware that I will need to care for
every student that I teach, I did not fully understand to what degree this needed to be done to.
Each and every student is unique and none of them share all of the same experiences between
each other. Every student comes from a unique and diverse background that is important to take
note of. Some students have had easier lives than others, while some have already lived through
enough turmoil for a lifetime. Randall Everett Allsup and Eric Shiehs article Social Justice and
Music Education: The Call for Public Pedagogy addresses the importance of caring for students,
stating, At the heart of teaching others is the moral imperative to care. It is the imperative to
perceive and act, and not look away. Calling upon our best selves, we know ethically that we
cannot ignore these things. Consider that we are educators precisely because we do not wish to
ignore these things. Education, after all, is a public endeavor with an obligation to enter the
public space. Consider that we work with music because the social life, the cultural life of our
communities, is something we care deeply about (48). When I become a teacher, I want to be a
teacher that students feel completely comfortable with and feel that they can be vulnerable and
emotional with no judgement coming from my end. From my own personal experiences, I know
what its like to have the weight of the world on your shoulders inside and outside of school.
During high school, I essentially became the primary caretaker of my grandmother who was
diagnosed with Alzheimers. This crippling disease was one of the most painful things I have
ever had to deal with, but I needed to take care of her because we could not afford to send her to
a home, nor did we particularly want to send her to one. I volunteered to do this because I loved
my grandmother with all my heart and I did not want my parents jobs to be put in jeopardy.
Additionally, I was an honor student in my high school that was involved in many different

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activities. Having to balance that emotionally crippling problems at home with the demand from
my teachers proved to be too much for a mere 16 year old to handle, so I began to shut down
academically. My grades slipped dramatically just when they began to matter most, which
caused me to slip in and out of depressive episodes. I bring all of this up to get to my main point:
if I had a teacher in my life that I was comfortable enough with to share all of this information,
my high school education may have turned out completely different. Having a mentor in my life
that did not necessarily understand what I was going through, but could empathize with me and
help me develop a plan to get my grade back on track would have been wonderful. My goal is to
be that teacher that I never felt I had. I want to help a student that truly needs and I want to help
them with all of the power I have.
Throughout my teaching career, I will encounter students from many different races,
religions, and sexual orientations. Depending on the student and what they identify as can have
very drastic effects on the type of repertoire I would want to select. In Bill Ayers To Teach, he
states that, kids love to tell us about themselves, and we can structure multiple opportunities for
them to do so (54). By giving these students an outlet to introduce their own cultures music, we
give them a voice. Most music taught in the traditional classroom is very Anglo for lack of a
better word. The majority of the music comes from Europe and ranges from English, to Latin,
German, French, and many other European languages. In reality, I will never have a classroom
where this genre of music will connect to every student. They all come from rich backgrounds
that deserve to be celebrated in the classroom and they all have rich personalities that also
deserve to be celebrated through the music they sing. Ralibert and Teachout state in The Journey
from Music Student to Teacher Chapter 8 that, Knowing any or all of those labels might help
you to know about the child, but not to know the child. To know the child you would have to get

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beyond the labels to know the individual. However, not to know pertinent information about a
child is to risk assuming that all backgrounds are the same (137). Each of my students will be
different and will all come from different backgrounds and have different characteristics that
define them. These all deserve to be respected in my classroom and will be, but they are only
facets of the people that my students will be. Additionally, I want my classroom to be a
completely safe space for LGBTQIA+ students to be comfortable and included. Being a gay
male, I understand how difficult it can be to be open with others in high school. While I was
extremely fortunate to be accepted by everyone that mattered to me, I realize that this is not the
case for everyone. At the very least, I want my classroom to be welcoming and a judgement free
zone that these students can express themselves in. Having a teacher in their lives that gives them
this encouragement could be the difference between failure and success in their lives. If they see
a successful member of this community, it could drive them to follow in my footsteps.
In my own experiences, I have developed an idea of how I want my classroom to be run
and the philosophies I wish to follow once I am a teacher. My goal is to be able to change and
revolutionize the way my students think about music education and how it can impact their lives
for the better. In the Music Education at the Tipping Point article by John Kratus he states the
one should, believe that change is possible, even under unlikely circumstances. Curricular
change is possible (47). Kratus goes on to challenge many of the methods of teaching currently
in place and presents many student engaged ideas, most of which can apply to my own
classroom. Overall, I aim to be able to make a significant on my students in a positive way and
instill a love and appreciation for music in them that lasts a lifetime. If that requires me to
challenge current curricular ideas, then so be it.

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Ultimately, I want to revolutionize the way that I think teaching is currently. By taking
my own experiences and applying them to what I have learned thus far in critical pedagogy, I
believe that I have the beginnings of being a great teacher. When I eventually have a career in
teaching, I want to be the compassionate, engaging, passionate teacher that I always wanted in
my own grade school experience. Critical Pedagogy has allowed me to deeply think about my
reasons for becoming a teacher and has inspired me even more to continue to strive for greatness
in my field.

Works Cited
Allsup, R. E., & Shieh, E. (2012). Social justice and music education: The call for public
pedagogy. Music Educators Journal, 98(4), 47-51.
Ayers, W. (2010). To teach: The journey of a teacher (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College
Press.
Kratus, J. (2007). Music education at the tipping point. Music Educators Journal, 94(2), 42-
48.
Raiber, M., & Teachout, D. (2014). The journey from music student to teacher: A professional
approach. New York, NY: Routledge.
Regelski, T. A. (2010). Toward an Applied, Professional Ethics for School Music. Paper
presented at the May Day Colloquium, Montclair, NJ.