“The person who seeks an education must involve herself in discovering the meaning of her own life and the relationship between who she is and what she might become. Without that vision of a personal future and a hard look at the reality of one’s own situation, the ultimate purpose of education itself — that is, to grow, to change, to liberate oneself — is almost impossible to achieve.” — Harold Taylor
Tell your musical life story in these stages:
Early childhood, from birth through preschool
Elementary school years
Secondary school years
High school graduation to the present
Tell about people, places, events that were important to you musically.
Do you remember certain songs or pieces of music that were especially meaningful?
What made them so?
Think about your formal (in-school) as well as informal (with friends and family, by yourself) experiences.
It should take at least 3 full pages (typed, double spaced, 12 pt. font) to adequately address these issues.
No more than 7 pages.
Assessment Rubric for Musical Autobiography below
Needs Improvement
1
Satisfactory-Good
2-3
Excellent
4
Musical Value (Commitment to the profession, ethics, and lifelong learning, D2.1)
Descriptions of events are characterized by personal recognition and external rewards, lacks any relationship to personal growth and vision for the future.
Tells personal story with focus on personal experiences and their meaning.
Identifies key components of musical experiences and their educational and humanistic values vis-à-vis their decisions to teach and personal philosophy of education.
Musical History (Continuum of lifelong learning, K2.1)
Focuses on current musical achievements with few links to musical past.
Acknowledges influence of key people in earlier years to current commitment to profession. Acknowledges learning as both cumulative and contextual through examples, not necessarily linked or themed.
Provides specific examples for each life stage linked by common themes; Demonstrates broad view of education beyond formal instruction.