ABSTRACT
In the context of American tertiary music teacher education programs, music education methods courses (MEMCs) are required of undergraduate and graduate students (pre-service music teachers – PSMTs) who have declared music education as their primary area of study at institutions of higher education. In these courses, university students enroll in a variety of these ‘how to teach music’ courses in partial fulfillment of the requirements that each state education office prescribes in order for PSMTs to gain official teacher licensure. Licensure, otherwise known as teacher certification, is mandatory for PSMTs wanting to teach in public, and many private, schools in the United States. MEMCs typically include learning experiences with music education pedagogies and strategies, in addition to exploring topics like curriculum, lesson-planning, assessment, and classroom management. MEMCs are required for PSMTs, in addition to courses in music theory, music history, and general education and private performance area study (e.g., voice, instrument, composition).
