Music Prep School – Unique Opportunity for MBU Pedagogues
The Experience
Whether coaching an ensemble, teaching an early childhood class, explaining theory, or teaching private lessons in band, wind, piano, or voice, MBU students gain invaluable experience while teaching at Maranatha Music Prep School. Unique to Maranatha, the Prep School experience prepares students for life-long musical success, providing them with tools to create outstanding studios, ways to build great rapport with families, and the means to develop instructional techniques that will last a lifetime.
Nearly 150 students from the surrounding community attend Maranatha Music Prep School for private lessons, ensemble classes, theory classes, and early childhood classes. Students who attend Maranatha Music Prep School receive excellent instruction from MBU music majors and minors who are currently studying at MBU. The education that community students receive reflects the experience that MBU students gain while teaching at Maranatha Music Prep School.
This kind of experience is unmatched
Dr. David Ledgerwood
More than simply hearing classroom instruction about teaching, students who work at Maranatha Music Prep School “familiarize themselves with current research literature about pedagogy, learn about business models, observe others teach, record their own teaching, and have their students play in recitals” says Dr. David Ledgerwood, chair of the MBU Department of Music. While teaching at Maranatha Music Prep School, students are able to gain a wide range of experience while still in school.
“One of the reasons I loved the prep school program was that as I was going through my college years, I was able to put to use what Tschida was teaching,” says MBU piano pedagogy graduate Angelina Kettula. “I was able to implement the ideas that she gave us during classes and meetings and see what worked and what didn’t.”
“Having the Prep School as part of our University is a huge benefit to the pedagogy program,” says Ruth Brown, associate professor and teacher in the Prep School. “Our pedagogy students experience every part of teaching and get professional evaluation and input for their weekly lessons. They also learn to communicate with parents and establish that rapport that is necessary for a healthy studio.”
Huge Benefit
“The Prep School brought many things into play: how to handle situations with parents, how to plan and execute a recital, and how to teach different ranges of students” says Kettula.
“I definitely learned much more through those three years than I possibly could have without working in the Prep School” says Kara Burgess, who taught for three years and was Prep School administrator for two years. “Ideas and concepts that would have just been facts became a practical part of every day’s teaching. I also was much [hungrier] for new information because I could see my students’ needs and my inadequacies.”
The Value
In fall 2016, Maranatha Piano Prep School merged with Maranatha String Prep School to create what is now Maranatha Music Prep School. Maranatha Music Prep School offers lessons not only for piano and string, but also for voice, winds, and brass instruments. This merge allows Maranatha to offer a wider range of lessons to the community, and offer more MBU students the opportunity to teach prior to graduating from college. “The prep school’s value comes from excellent organization, attainable goals, free opportunities to expand the foundation of their knowledge (in theory and group classes), and teachers who challenge their students,” says Brown. “It is like putting a plant in a greenhouse—all the ingredients are there for growth.”
It is like putting a plant in a greenhouse – all the ingredients are there for growth
Even more significant than the education and hands-on experience MBU students receive by working in the Maranatha Music Prep School are the testimonies of graduates who attest to the fact that working at Maranatha Music Prep School adequately prepared them for building a studio after college.
“Anyone looking to hire a music teacher for a school, music school, or private lessons wants to know where they’ve taught before” says Burgess. “Having those three years of experience really helps your resume when you graduate and provides you with the hands-on experience and confidence to begin on your own. Because I was administrator in addition to teaching, I also had a lot of experience in scheduling, billing, recital planning, and parent communication that are invaluable to me now as I establish a studio of my own.”
Invaluable Experience
Kettula has also recently established her own studio of 22 students. “I am able to communicate with my students’ parents better because of my years of MBU, and I am able to adapt to different situations that I am put in,” she states. “There is a benefit of having taught while attending college instead of just having the ‘book knowledge,’” and families of students can see it. “While attending MBU, I could see some of the benefits of the prep school; however, now that I’m out in the ‘real world’ words can’t describe how thankful I am for my hands-on experience.”
The Why
“MBU offers a ‘where the rubber meets the road’ experience in pedagogy. Students will enter the studio workforce with a thorough knowledge of how to set up their studio, how to organize recitals, and will have incremental goals to challenge their students,” says Brown.
“If you plan to use music for the remainder of your life, you will end up teaching,” says Burgess. “If you perform, you will also teach. If you compose, you will also teach. If you become a music pastor, you will also teach. Teaching is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced just like any other so get as involved as you can in the practical, hands-on environment of Maranatha Music Prep School, where there are experienced teachers to help you overcome hurdles and become the best teacher you can be.”
Be the Best You Can Be
“The Prep School is a gem. It sets you up for success when you start building your own studio. You focus on teaching and becoming a better teacher. You have unlimited resources and the ability to grow as a teacher,” says Kettula. Most university pedagogy programs offer students one or two semesters of hands-on teaching experience. “Maranatha Music Prep School, in my opinion, is better,” says Kettula. “You get 3 to 4 years of hands-on teaching rather than one semester. The experience you gain from this is incredible.”