We believe:

• Skillful music teaching is grounded in research.
• Music education is a partnership—teachers with students and students with teachers.
• Students possess individual learning styles and therefore learn music in diverse ways.
• Teachers possess individual teaching styles and therefore present musical experiences in diverse ways.
• Students have individual aptitudes and potentials in music.
• Teachers have individual aptitudes and potentials in music. These strengths are manifested in their teaching.
• Students learn best when they solve problems, think critically, feel critically, act critically and construct meaning on their own.
• Students remember when they learn independently and ground their learning in personal experience.
• Students should become capable of learning on their own. As a result of meaningful music instruction, students and their teachers should be able to engage verbally and musically in substantive conversation.