Curriculum Reform—A Perspective

Angela Myles Beeching

New England Conservatory

Abstract

Focuses on the goals and process of curriculum reform in college music education and discusses these from an outcomes perspective, challenging assumptions as to the ultimate purpose of a college education. Includes the results of an informal study of music school alumni reporting on what learning, from their undergraduate years, had the most lasting impact. Alumni reported that mentoring and experiential (or project-based) learning are key. What they provide and why they matter is discussed, with examples and references to approaches used at Oberlin Conservatory, The Juilliard School, University of Chicago, and Harvard University. The author offers recommendations for re-thinking the curriculum reform process, in order to help students synthesize their learning across classes, departments, and disciplines.

Keywords: music industry curriculum, music degrees, curriculum reform, mentors, experiential learning, program design, learning outcomes

Beeching, Angela Myles. “Curriculum Reform—A Perspective." Journal of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association 5, no. 1 (2005): 139-146. https://doi.org/10.25101/5.9

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