As music educators, Assistant Professor Peter Miksza and Associate Dean James Austin of the University of Colorado at Boulder know how hard it can be to attract young musicians to the field. Both have been researching how to recruit and retain music teachers.
"It's hard to recruit teachers," said Miksza, "but it's even harder to recruit music teachers."
Low pay and the draw of what some see as more exciting jobs has depleted the number of young people moving into music education. But a grant from the National Association of Music Education is helping Miksza and Austin try to turn that trend around.
Over the past 12 weeks, the pair has been working with a group of 11 area high school students to give them hands-on experience teaching middle school students.
"We're breaking new ground in giving high school kids this experience," said Austin. "We looked at their confidence level in being a teacher. I sense in most cases they've improved."
In most cases, Miksza said, teacher education is neglected at the high school level.
"In high school music they're really just performing," said Miksza. "Typically they don't know what it's like to try being a teacher. Sometimes the best way to learn something is to teach it."
The program is also giving CU-Boulder music education students some experience in mentoring. Undergraduates help the high school student teachers, while graduate students advise the undergraduates.
Miksza said one of the program's greatest strengths is the way it combines service, teaching and research.
"By doing that we're helping to train the next generation of music teachers," said Miksza. "It's not just us sitting in the crystal palace studying things that have no impact. We're out in the community."
Although the National Association of Music Education grant expires this year and isn't available next year, Miksza and Austin hope to get a CU Outreach Grant to continue their research.
For more information on the University of Colorado Middle School Wind Ensemble, visit .