To put it in its most simple terms, music education is the study of music and how to teach it. However, music education is far from simple. It is the combination of a mastery of the foundational materials of music like theory, harmony, history, composition, and performance; As well as the pedagogical practices needed to effectively teach these things. With the depth of knowledge that music educators must accrue, they are traditionally well-equipped to handle any education-specific job that may be needed in the field. The term “music educator” is primarily used in reference to someone who holds a position as a band director at an elementary, middle, or high school; But, it can also be used to refer to music historians, theorists, private teachers, and music-pedagogy scholars. Essentially any teacher who works with music is a music educator. No matter what specified field of study you might find a music educator in, they are all experienced in two major learning domains: the psychomotor domain and the cognitive domain.
The first is the psychomotor domain, or to put it in layman's terms, the development of skills. All music educators must declare a primary instrument of study in order to pursue a degree in a college of music. This means that each future teacher who pursues a degree in music education develops a deeply personal experience with the process of learning a specific instrument. On top of that, we also learn the basics of every other instrument in the modern orchestra. Therefore, every music educator you may encounter is well-equipped to help you develop the skills necessary to succeed at an advanced level on your instrument.
The second learning domain is the cognitive, or the acquisition of knowledge. Not only are music educators lifelong performers, we are also lifelong learners. A music educator never stops learning; From the second we set foot in a school of music we are all constantly looking for new and interesting ways to learn different instruments or experience other aspects of music. Music educators are always in a constant internal and external dialogue, reflecting on the experiences of others, as well as their own learning experiences, in order to provide students with the most streamlined, easy, fun, and overall best possible music learning experience.
But why does all of this matter to you? What if you don’t want to continue with music as a career? Well, learning to play an instrument provides benefits that extend beyond your band room. Learning to play an instrument grants you a unique and fun way to develop the discipline and regimented mindset needed to grow proficient at any individual skill you wish to pursue. It also provides you a fun source of physical exercise; Practicing an instrument for an hour burns the same amount of calories as weightlifting or jogging for 30 minutes (500 calories!). That's an entire Big Mac's worth of calories! Musicians are also known to have stronger abs, greater stamina, better dexterity, and better coordination with their hands and feet compared to most non-musicians. Playing an instrument will also help you perform better on standardized tests and learn languages easier. Finally, those who play instruments long after their time with them in school have higher IQs and sharper brains later in their lives. So even though it might not be what you want to do professionally, you should keep practicing, it will serve you well in all facets of day-to-day living.