North Carolina Music Educator Winter 2023

Portrait of a Graduate
competency skills seen in a music
classroom
by Aleisa Baker
How many times have you sat in a professional development
workshop or meeting and thought to yourself, “I do these
things in my music education classroom all the time and
always have!” I’d venture to guess, the answer is a resounding,
“Many!” Truth be told, music educators have been doing the
trendy and cutting edge things in education all along.
This once again became apparent to me through an
introduction to the North Carolina Department of Instruction’s
new initiative, “Portrait of a Graduate.” This initiative, “ensures
that North Carolina students are well equipped for the broadest
range of postsecondary opportunities, be it college, career, or
military.” Similarly to the years of teaching 21 st
Century learning skills, this portrait is a set of
competency skills for a student’s future; and
true to years prior, the music classroom is a
living example of many of these ideals.
North Carolina identifies seven areas in
which these competencies are detailed. In a
changing educational landscape, one in which
accountability and validity are paramount for
program security, there is a need to identify
how these competencies live and breathe in
a music classroom. Here are a few examples
we can use when speaking to parents and
administrators to showcase that music
education is a vital and authentic part of a
well-rounded education – one that prepares students for all postsecondary
opportunities.
Adaptability
One of the skills listed under this competency that rings truest
in a music classroom is, “Accept feedback, praise, setbacks, and
criticism.” Our culture is in desperate need of this. Teaching
future generations to graciously accept criticism and learn
from it to move forward seems more paramount than ever. A
music rehearsal or an audition is by far the most comprehensive
example of this. Each day, each moment, each rehearsal is another
opportunity for a student to create these skills. We teach them
How many times
has a student told
you, “Your class
was my family”?
No doubt, we’ve
all heard it many
times.
to try and fail, and try again. Not everyone can win first place,
but the growth that comes from that outcome teaches them to
rebound from what some consider a setback. In fact, the Music
Performance Assessment through NCMEA is a perfect way to
teach students how to accept feedback and criticism.
Collaboration
“Embrace a variety of roles in a group as a participant and
a leader” speaks whole heartedly to the core of a strong music
education classroom. Whether it is through an official leadership
position (ie. section leaders, drum major, etc.) or more subtle
roles (leaders of a musical game or literacy activities) the music
classroom is a hallmark of establishing
leadership in students. Additionally, teaching
them the flexibility to shift from role to role
creates a future workforce employers want.
But most importantly, music ensembles are a
true melting pot of any school. Unlike a testing
scenario in other classrooms, the variety of
backgrounds, skills, talents and experiences
not only disappear in a performance as we
work for a common goal, but may even make it
stronger, more impactful!
Communication
“You hear me, but you aren’t listening!”
Many would argue the digital age has
perpetuated the decline of communication skills among students.
Being a member of a performing ensemble does force students to
learn to communicate better, both on a one-on-one level as well
as on a broader spectrum. “Craft communication for a range of
purposes and audiences” is exactly what this speaks to. It goes
beyond the lyrics of a song so an audience can understand what
you are singing about. Communication is not always verbal;
just ask a marching band adjudicator looking to band members
to communicate the show story. Or a choir parent who may
not understand Latin, but can ascertain the emotion the choir
portrays to communicate the meaning of an a capella piece. All of
these are vital to learning communication skills.
Critical Thinking
Many times in a rehearsal, we ask students, “What measure
did you miss? In what phrase did you accidentally take a breath?”
Answers from young musicians for questions like these are
straightforward and while they are the basis of error detection,
diving deeper is even more prevalent for music education. The
competency skill highlighted by North Carolina, “Analyze, assess,
and reconstruct personal thought processes” is what this deeper
dive looks like.
Whether it’s an introspective look at what a song means
to each student, or critical assessment on a performance, we
impart these skills as an intrinsic need in the life of a musician.
As musicians, we know that the critical thinking skills needed
to be a successful musician are of a higher order – more so than
most other people realize. In a live performance, our students
must rely on these critical skills in order to produce the music as
we’ve rehearsed. In a rehearsal, we can stop a dozen times, but in
a concert, the necessity of those skills are primarily in the minds
of our performers. It’s not just about recalling knowledge, like
taking an end of course test; it combines that recall with all other
competencies simultaneously.
Learner’s Mindset
We often ask students to offer opinions on choices we make
musically. When we collaboratively discuss and choose, students
can think outside their comfort zone to come to a decision we
all commit to for the greater good. While this is not always seen
or written by the individual students, the evidence is in their
performance. But more importantly they, “Embrace curiosity
to experience new ideas, demonstrate growth, and persist
through challenges.” Music educators are masters at teaching
this competency skill. Learning music is hard. We should want
students to want to learn through this mindset – to commit to
trying new concepts to make a positive change.
Empathy
Of all of the competency skills included in this new initiative,
empathy is the most inclusive part of a music classroom. Each
day we work hard to, “Foster belonging and trust through mutual
respect and dialogue.” How many times has a student told you,
“Your class was my family”? No doubt we’ve all heard it many
times. Learning to be an accepting and functioning member of
any performing ensemble requires students to trust the people
around them to create a safe learning environment. They must do
their jobs each and every time, or success can not be achieved.
Music educators are tasked with fostering this in every
teaching moment. While we may go about this in different
ways, most often we can be leaders in our school in this regard.
Additionally, throughout history, music has been created as a
response to the world around us. In times of sorrow and joy, music
is written and performed. These moments help teach our students
about empathy and respect in a world that needs more of it.
Personal Responsibility
“Honor commitments.” Teaching students to show up to
performances may be the most obvious example of teaching
personal responsibility. But there are so many levels of such
responsibility. Each of the examples of this competency skill
speaks straight to the heart of any music educator. “Adhere to a set
of core values that are evident in choices and actions” and “Earn
trust and respect through honest, principled behaviors” are both
what makes the music classroom such a special place. It is only
through trust, respect and honesty that we create moments of
music making that last a lifetime.
Though “Portrait of a Graduate’’ is a new initiative put forth
by North Carolina, it is another living, breathing example of all
the ways music educators prepare students for post-secondary
opportunities. We have consistently proven we are the builders
of well-rounded students, ready to take on the world. As the
state focuses on these competencies, we can choose to be leaders
to other educators, all the while, continuing to give students
incredible opportunities to grow as musicians and humans.
Check out https://www.dpi.nc.gov/media/15672/open to read
more about “Portrait of a Graduate.”
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