Recognizing that a robust teaching artist practice is an essential part of a 21st-century musician’s career, this concentration prepares NEC students for the field of teaching artistry and music education as an essential complement to their performance studies. Deeply rooted in real world learning opportunities and community partnership, this integrated understanding of music education will prepare NEC students to become the kind of adaptable teaching artists needed by contemporary society; artists who possess the necessary tools to impact music learning within their communities as they contribute to the public good.
The Teaching Artistry and Music Education Concentration, available to NEC undergraduate and graduate students, comprises four elements of study, adding up to the equivalent of eight credits. These elements are listed below:
- Coursework (4 credits)
- Experiential Learning (2 opportunities, equivalent to 2 credits)
- Professional Development Workshops (2 opportunities, equivalent to 1 credit)
- Self-Directed Capstone Project (1 credit)
The concentration takes a menu approach, allowing the student to choose specific offerings to satisfy the credits within each element. Each student will design their course of study and their capstone project with an appropriate faculty advisor. They will meet with their advisor initially to design their proposed program of study, followed by once per semester thereafter to design enrollment and experiential plans. They will meet for a minimum total of 7 hours with their advisor during their self-directed project semester (i.e. in their final year of study at NEC), as well as participate in a series of meetings with the cohort of other students working on capstone projects.
Undergraduate students must declare their concentration before registering for their first or second semester of their sophomore year; graduate students must declare before registering for the second semester of their first year. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 (UG) and 3.0 (G) (satisfactory academic progress) and a GPA of 3.33 in the concentration at the undergraduate level.