“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

– John of Salisbury, 1159 in Metalogicon; later paraphrased by Sir Isaac Newton

Another of my favorite college professors and mentors passed away recently.  That death is a natural part of life should not come as a shock to someone of my age.  The fact that my instructors are now in advanced years is also no surprise – especially when I am reminded (thanks to aching muscles, gray hair, and ill-mannered family members) that I completed undergrad school almost 40 years ago.  Life events such as this, however, often trigger thoughts and speculation regarding the direction of our careers had it not been for the instruction, encouragement, and support of these former teachers.  Self-absorbed and conceitedly, we want to believe that our professional success is the result of our own initiative, ability, and persistence.  While these personal traits are admirable and certainly contributed to whatever success we may have achieved, if we’re honest we must admit that we owe more to our teachers than we possibly could have imagined when we sat in their classrooms.

Who we are and what we do is the result of an amalgamation of educational experiences – most of them extraordinarily positive.  The influence of those experiences affects and informs our own pedagogical techniques and instructional programs.  Educational research suggests that we teach in the way we were taught.  I like to think, however, that the classroom success occurs when we “reflect upon and revisit” the more positive instructional influences in our past.  Further, the professional development opportunities through which we seek to expand our instructional methods and skills help us re-examine and re-order our “bag of tricks” to remain current, to meet the changing demands of today’s students, and to improve our teaching.

Teaching – and specifically teaching music – affords some unique opportunities to “affect the future” and to stand on the shoulders of giants in the process.  Each of us can name at least one other music teacher who has had an indelible influence on our life and our practice.  Perhaps you have taken a few minutes to send a note, card, or even an e-mail to that person, thanking her/him for providing – often unknowingly – something of lasting value to you.  In my own case, a few years ago I sent letters to several teachers who had significant and lasting effects on my teaching – and my life.  I’m grateful that the list included the professor-friend who recently passed away.

As professional music educators, we recognize the importance of providing musical experiences through effective instructional strategies to enrich students’ lives.  At the time, few of us will know the long-term effects of our work; we understand, however, that our efforts can – and will – pay dividends to someone off into the future.

The current state of music education in Wisconsin – and certainly the rest of the nation, as well – is the result of the life’s work of many, many teachers, college professors, and administrators who have set extremely high standards for those who have followed them.  We all have an obligation to continue and expand upon this legacy of excellence in music education….no matter at what point we find ourselves in our career.  By remaining current in the profession or and continuing to provide quality music education for our students we will join that long line of earlier “giants” and will also exert positive and long-lasting influences on our students . . . and – somewhere in the future – their students, as well.

Copyright 2012 – J.B. Gilliland