living an integrated life as a music educator

Dr Christopher J Smith

Associate Professor & Chair of Musicology; Director of the Vernacular Music Center & the TTU Celtic

Ensemble

gatha: a set of practices

gatha exercise

Who do you want to be as a teacher?

What life do you want to

live?

How do we lead a life:in which teaching, research, and service;

in which body and mind; in which work and play;

in which solitude, friends, colleagues, and family, all occupy a healthy, integrated, constructive, fully-realized

continuum?

In which we make positive impact in the world?

Integrate: action and contemplation,

effort and intuition, listening and speaking,teaching and learning.

Recognize the value in creating constructive mental, psychological and

even spiritual spaces.

Emphasize processes over results.

Transmit skills over data.

Develop focus & concentration: single-

tasking

Trusting the old ways: demonstration-imitation-critique,

memorization, teaching with the body

Model a way to be in the world: conduct, integrity,

focus, mutual respect,

boundaries, effort,

precision

Balance work dynamics: leader/sideman/collaborator

, Group/individual,

the 5% rule

Accept responsibility: space,

excellence, leadership,

conduct, empathy,

rigor

the gatha exercise

Thank you!

Dr Christopher J Smithhttp://ttuvmc.org