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    Welcome to the Program in Music and Music Education Website!




"I chose to study music education at Teachers College because the faculty afforded me the opportunity to develop as a researcher in an organic way, not in a contrived or pre-defined manner. The focus of my work is examining how the field of music education has functioned, what it does well, and what it needs to do better. Teachers College prepared me well for this work by providing a solid grounding in research and inquiry while emphasizing the importance of philosophy and theory. Research only matters if it can contribute to the musical experience of our students.”    -Patrick Freer, Ed.D.

   

“The music program shaped my focus on the learning process with my current cello students. I look back on experiences during my classwork that taught me to not be as concerned with the final product as with the act of learning and the progression of my students. I believe this has helped make me a more understanding, patient teacher.” –Suzanne Hughes, MA


 
“My time at Teachers College was the most rewarding and fun experience of my academic career. While there I feel that I really learned to appreciate how music can be a lot of fun. The courses I took and the people I met helped me to gain more patience with my students and a sincere appreciation for where their curiosities about the instrument or music took them - and our lessons.” – Victoria Lebron, MA



"'The child is the curriculum.'  I learned this teaching philosophy from Dr. Lori Custodero while at TC and have put it to practice for the last decade. While exposing my students to a wide array of musical styles, I'm constantly learning from them as well.”   -David Haiman, MA 2001

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Questions about the program?
Please contact the prospective student liaison, Nate Olson, at his email: njo2108@columbia.edu or his phone 212-678-6649. He can answer any questions and help arrange visits to campus and with faculty members.