Written by Eliza Simikian
For music educators balancing full-time classrooms, busy families, and the demands of their ensembles, pursuing a master’s degree can be difficult to fit into an already full life.
The Natalie L. Haslam College of Music is meeting those educators where they are with a fully online master’s program designed specifically for practicing music teachers. And for the inaugural cohort, the benefits are already reaching beyond the virtual classroom.
Rather than separating graduate coursework from the realities of teaching, the program pairs educational theory with strategies educators can apply immediately in their own classrooms. Its focused seven-week courses explore the skills and challenges music teachers encounter every day, from conducting and rehearsal techniques to classroom management, responsive pedagogy, and general music instruction.
Putting Theory into Practice
Rebecca Tate, orchestra director at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Virginia, teaches students in grades 6 through 8. With a household of seven children ages 9 to 22, relocating or taking a leave of absence to pursue a degree wasn’t an option. An online program offered a way to continue teaching while advancing her education.
After seeking advice from Professor Angela Ammerman, director of online graduate studies in music education, Tate decided to enroll.
Usually, we forget what we learn in professional development within a day, but this is putting everything into practice. I thought I would teach school, then go home and do my own schoolwork with separate topics to think about. But so far, my teaching and my coursework have been so integrated. It is literally making me a better teacher every day,”
Rebecca Tate
Online Master of Music Inaugural Cohort
That integration has already influenced the way Tate teaches. After learning about novelty and play in her coursework, she introduced five new bow-hold games to her sixth-grade students. By turning fundamental skill-building into play, her students mastered proper bow holds faster than they had in previous lessons.
For Tate, the experience demonstrates the value of a graduate program that connects directly to the classroom.
Growing as an Educator & Leader
Tim Koly, band director at Robert E. Ellis Middle School in Hendersonville, Tennessee, is in his 14th year of teaching. Like Tate, he wanted to pursue a master’s degree without stepping away from his students or his ensemble. Koly first learned about the program after Ammerman adjudicated his wife’s orchestra. The opportunity to pursue graduate study while continuing to teach immediately caught his attention.
Being a part of the inaugural cohort is a special feeling because I know it is going to catch on with so many other music educators. What stands out most is how relevant the content is to our practice as educators… Plus, I feel like I can relate so easily to them. I feel very seen, although it’s through a screen!”
Tim Koly
Online Master of Music Inaugural Cohort
His coursework has also influenced his approach to leadership. Reading Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as part of the program prompted Koly to rethink how he uses the first five minutes of his band rehearsals and encouraged him to trust his own leadership style.
That kind of immediate application is central to the program’s design. Courses such as MUED 515: Habits of the Master Music Educator, MUED 540: Advanced Conducting and Rehearsal Strategies, MUED 590: Classroom Management and Responsive Pedagogy, and MUED 560: Advanced Studies in General Music are designed to help practicing educators connect graduate study to the work they are already doing every day.
And because the program is fully online, educators can bring those ideas directly back to their own students without putting their careers, or their lives, on hold.
Koly’s advice to other educators considering the program is simple:
“Do. It.”
Ready to Apply?
The inaugural cohort is already putting coursework into practice, and applications are officially open for Spring Enrollment, with a priority deadline of Nov. 1.
Practicing music teachers looking to deepen their expertise, collaborate with peers, and advance their careers on a schedule that respects their classroom are encouraged to apply.
Learn more about the online Master of Music in Music Education by visiting Vols Online: