Education for Teachers

We are dedicated to training the next generation of musicians and educators. The WKU undergraduate and graduate music students are fortunate to attend a department that has state-of-the-art facilities, hires exceptional faculty, and offers first-class training through the WKU String Academy (www.wku.edu/strings). The goal of the WKU faculty is to prepare our students to educate the public about the intrinsic value of the arts. What better way to demonstrate to our students the value of music than to have them experience first-hand how to share music with students in our community from other countries?

This project is challenging everyone involved. WKU faculty continue to develop teaching methods for a diverse population, the violin pedagogy students strive to “think outside the box” while honing their teaching skills, and the Pre-College Program Students learn about other cultures.

We want to prepare our student teachers to be productive, engaged, and socially responsible citizen-leaders. This project gives WKU music students, both undergraduate and graduate, the opportunity to teach community members who have vastly different cultural values and backgrounds. Our goal is to inspire them to become leaders in whatever environment they settle in, embracing cultural diversity and uniting people through the art of music.

A culturally diverse community is a stronger community. By using the language of music and a love of learning, not only are we educating our student teachers: the community benefits through the advancement of the arts and the education in music education we provide.