Logan teaching during a music education course.
Philosophy of Education
Perhaps the most diverse and popular music subject is music education. None of the performers, conductors, composers, or any musicians in general would be where they are today without music education. No matter what area of music you are a part of, there will always be some sort of educational aspect that lies within it. For example, if you want to be a successful orchestra principal player, you have to have educational skills to guide your section. Part of being a successful and incredible composer is portraying how you want your music to be played to the musicians that are performing it. In summary, music education is everywhere.
While there are multiple branches of music education, it all grows from one tree: the student. As music educators, it is our jobs to ensure every student has a place in the topic they strive for. Lucky for us, music is one of the most inclusive environments in the world of education. To some students, including myself, music classes were always a second home; or a place I could express myself. This is not to say music is for everyone, but as music educators it is our job to convince students that it is their safe space.
I strive to become a college professor running my own studio. I swore to myself no matter what students join my studio, I would always make it the most positive environment possible. Every student would have a place no matter how good at the instrument they are or what track they want to pursue.
-Logan Hayungs
While there are multiple branches of music education, it all grows from one tree: the student. As music educators, it is our jobs to ensure every student has a place in the topic they strive for. Lucky for us, music is one of the most inclusive environments in the world of education. To some students, including myself, music classes were always a second home; or a place I could express myself. This is not to say music is for everyone, but as music educators it is our job to convince students that it is their safe space.
I strive to become a college professor running my own studio. I swore to myself no matter what students join my studio, I would always make it the most positive environment possible. Every student would have a place no matter how good at the instrument they are or what track they want to pursue.
-Logan Hayungs
Student Teaching Experience
Logan conducting the Wilson Middle School combined 7th grade band
I had the privilege of teaching as such wonderful schools during my student teaching experience. I began in Fishersville, VA, where I worked with Timothy (Tim) DeSimone and the Wilson Middle School band program. Going into this placement, I was a little nervous since I have never truly worked with students around this age. Luckily, Tim was an excellent mentor, and he made everything feel extremely easy. Enjoyment wise, I loved teaching middle school aged students! It was so much fun to take everything down to the basic level of music while also giving some intermediate-level tips to those students who were excelling at their instruments. During this placement, I got a ton of experience when it comes to classroom management. Middle schoolers being as energetic as they are, I learned so many different techniques from Tim as well some that were based on my own personal experiences. Musically, I worked a lot with the students on rhythm, ensemble blend, and learning some brand new pieces. It was at this placement that I realized how important the ratio of "feedback" and "playing" is. While feedback is extremely important, what is more important is the students playing on their instruments. After all, the more they play, the better the outcome will be.
My high school placement was a very interesting one. I was placed at Harrisonburg High School, and for reference, I have been the trumpet instructor with their marching band for 2 years at this point. In short, I already had previous relationships built with the majority of the students there, so It was not much of a new experience from that standpoint. That did not stop me from soaking up as much information as possible from my cooperative teacher, Daniel Upton. One of the strongest takeaways I got from this experience was just how important a student to teacher relationship is. It sounds obvious, but many teachers overlook it. The way Daniel portrays himself to his students is almost like a father-figure. He gets grumpy with them a lot, but when something is serious he makes it very obvious and shows that to the students. All of his students understand this, and it creates an extremely unique relationship between them. So much to the point where if anyone else tries to imitate Daniel's behavior, the students recognize it right away and noticeably are not as attentive. Building this relationship with your students is so important, whether you are putting on a happy persona or a grumpy one. While every student is different, it does not mean we should treat them differently. Overall, I had an extremely enjoyable student teaching process, and I believe I could not have had a better experience with such incredible schools.
My high school placement was a very interesting one. I was placed at Harrisonburg High School, and for reference, I have been the trumpet instructor with their marching band for 2 years at this point. In short, I already had previous relationships built with the majority of the students there, so It was not much of a new experience from that standpoint. That did not stop me from soaking up as much information as possible from my cooperative teacher, Daniel Upton. One of the strongest takeaways I got from this experience was just how important a student to teacher relationship is. It sounds obvious, but many teachers overlook it. The way Daniel portrays himself to his students is almost like a father-figure. He gets grumpy with them a lot, but when something is serious he makes it very obvious and shows that to the students. All of his students understand this, and it creates an extremely unique relationship between them. So much to the point where if anyone else tries to imitate Daniel's behavior, the students recognize it right away and noticeably are not as attentive. Building this relationship with your students is so important, whether you are putting on a happy persona or a grumpy one. While every student is different, it does not mean we should treat them differently. Overall, I had an extremely enjoyable student teaching process, and I believe I could not have had a better experience with such incredible schools.
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