My name
is Joe Kiernan, I live in Fairfield, Connecticut.
I was first introduced to music when I was a child. My
grandparents would have family parties and someone was always playing piano and
the rest of us were singing along.
I had been fortunate enough to have older
brothers who was trumpet players and for better or worse I
heard them
practicing, and of course I wanted one too.
When I was 5th grade I had signed up for percussion and was
given a trombone instead.
This was a blessing!
Because of the nature of the trombone it had fine-tuned my
ear, my pitch even at a young age was very good. Then the guitar came
into the picture and that picture has been an ongoing movie throughout my life.
I had studied trombone at school and played the guitar at
home.
My high school music teacher recommended I try out for the jazz band so
I could learn more about reading and playing in an ensemble. That same teacher
also gave me one of the greatest gifts ever. A brochure to the "National
Guitar Summer Workshop". I was there as a student being exposed to
all styles of music via guitar and by the some of the best players from all
over the world.
After a few years I had interned there then was hired as a
teacher.
From there I had studied Music Education and classical guitar at The Crane
School of Music at S.U.N.Y. Potsdam.
My education degree brought me to California where I had
taught high school jazz band, guitar, and beginning piano at Richmond High
School. Then I traveled to South America and taught band and guitar at
The American School of Asuncion, in Asuncion Paraguay.
I came to Connecticut in 2006 and taught privately until I
was hired by The Bridgeport Public School system.
Now I am
at The Interdistrict Discovery Magnet School where I teach band, general music
K-8, and guitar.
Currently
I am working towards my masters at the University of Bridgeport and writing a
thesis/teacher lesson plan book on multicultural music.
Philosophy
My views on
music pedagogy are very simple
I believe
students must enjoy the learning process in order to available to learning the
lesson. A teacher is the vehicle for the
student’s learning.
As there
are many great teachers out there, there are that many different way to teach, Each student is different, some learn by sight, aurally, reading,
and tactile.
Teaching
music easily incorporates all of these modalities and good teaching uses all of
these to develop an understanding of music as it is part of a community.
One book
that I often reference and is as good for a music teacher as it is for any
teacher is “Teaching Music with a Purpose” written by Dr. Peter Loel Boonshaft.
It is helpful
in reminding who and how we are teaching.
It aligns
with my teaching by understanding that the teacher is serving and nurturing the
student first.
Referring
to Boonshaft: “Drawing them in”
I find
myself often wondering how to motivate students properly and help them focus as
well as leave each class with a sense of accomplishment and success.
It’s a relationship
with the students and the enthusiasm that you have for what you are teaching
that will encourage them to go the extra mile for themselves.
Success will breed
success
Learning
music is a journey!
As
teachers we are very optimistic that what we have a passion for will lend
itself to our students.
