An Open Letter To The Music Educator

Abstract

This open letter addresses the critical need for self-care and professional growth among music educators, who face significant challenges, including high occupational stress, burnout, and attrition rates. Drawing on recent research showing that 16% of teachers planned to leave the profession in the 2024-2025 school year, this article emphasizes that developing sustainable self-care practices is essential for maintaining resilience and well-being in music education.

The letter advocates for three key professional development approaches: embracing the learning curve as an opportunity for growth rather than a source of inadequacy, engaging in collaborative reflection with colleagues to stay current with pedagogical methods, and expanding one’s musical skillset to broaden educational impact. These strategies align with the BCO model and support Frank Battisti’s principle that music education should focus on cultivating music lovers rather than merely teaching performance activities.

By positioning self-care as a shareable skill and encouraging community-building among music educators, this letter argues that collaborative professional growth ultimately benefits students by creating more resilient, versatile, and passionate educators. The article concludes that when artisan educators work together and prioritize their own well-being, they harness music’s profound cognitive and moral power to transform education “one clef at a time.”

Keywords: music education, teacher burnout, self-care, professional development, collaborative learning, BCO model

Introduction – Self-Care and Skill Share for the Music Educator

How are you, really? 

I wanted to take the time to ask that question at the top of my open letter because oftentimes, music educators (as in other art forms) are masters of masking. We often become so caught up in trying to be both the master and the apprentice that we fail to make time for ourselves outside the classroom.

It’s essential to embody this as one progresses to deeper levels of musicianship and music education. Mental burnout in education (especially those in the arts) will, without a doubt, lead to a teacher who’s passionate about their field leaving due to a lack of mental clarity on next steps. A study by NEA Today (2025) found that, in the 2024-2025 school year alone, 16% of teachers planned to leave the profession, of whom 63% were teachers of color (Chambers, 2025). Studies also confirm that music educators frequently struggle with high levels of occupational stress and burnout (Varona, 2018; Ballantyne & Retell, 2020). However, developing a self-care plan is essential for maintaining resilience and well-being (Kuebel, 2019; Van Klompenberg, 2023). Mindfulness-based strategies, for instance, are recommended interventions to help music educators manage these symptoms (Varona, 2018; Lemon, 2021). This is why I believe that one skill that music educators should share, regardless of their position within the BCO model, is their self-care regimen. To avoid focusing solely on activity, music educators must remember that the subject is music, and the instructional setting (such as a band or orchestra) is merely the vehicle (Battisti, n.d.). Frank Battisti reminds us that the primary focus should be on cultivating music lovers, not merely on people who enjoy the activity (Wis, 2011).

Like my fellow music educators, we pour everything we have into our work and our students. Our lunch period often becomes a work session instead, and we bring a lot of our work home because we are passionate about helping our students to find their own passion in music. Though at times we can discern when enough is enough, there are times when we pour so much that we have nothing left for ourselves. This was often the case for me. Last school year, I was hospitalized twice due to my health conditions flaring up from no rest and pouring from an empty cup. When this school year began, I resolved to make time for self-care, even if it meant scheduling rest and “off-grid” time. 

Topic 1: Don’t be intimidated by the learning curve – embrace it!

Before we get into the proverbial meat and potatoes of this article, I want you to know that you are your only competition. Only look to the right and left when you are engaging with your peers to expand your knowledge, not for a potential inadequacy check. What I mean by that is don’t compare yourself to your colleagues, thinking that you are the weakest link among them. Instead, let those aspirations fuel your next level. There will always be things that you don’t know, and that’s okay, as long as you continue pursuing the unknown.

Know this: curves, like waves, are meant to bring beauty to the ever-flowing ocean of musical exploration. Don’t view the learning curve as a place of defeat, but rather as a potential marker for growth. Many artisan educators struggle with inadequacy and impostor syndrome; however, when you embrace the journey, the duration will fade into insignificance compared with the joy you experience as you progress.

Topic 2: When in doubt, talk to your colleagues so they can help you sort it out.

The autonomy granted to you in your musical expression is not intended to isolate you from the rest of the world. Music can sometimes feel like an island if you don’t reach out to your shipmates, even if you are the only music educator in your school. Get out there and band together. Each of you is the master (or budding master) of your area of expertise, and your colleagues have different skillsets and levels. Be open to the possibility that your approach may not be the best fit for every situation, as that is where growth happens. Engaging regularly with colleagues will help you stay up to date with new methods and refine existing ones. Research highlights that adopting a “collaborative reflective approach” among instrumental and vocal teachers contributes significantly to professional and social growth (Kruse-Weber et al., 2023).

Topic 3: “Jack/Jill of all trades, but master of none…which is often better than a master of one.” It’s okay to expand your musical toolbox.

Never let anyone tell you that you “do too much” when it comes to your musical skillset. Think of yourself as a tree; the wider the tree, the more shade it gives. The more you know, the wider you grow. As a teacher with an extensive skill set in music, I am not only more marketable but also more sought after because I can “do it all.” If a new musical arena interests you and you want to bring it into your classroom, try it out without letting the fear of being told you can’t keep you from doing it. Moments like these produce the laboratory learning Dr. Randall Allsup (2016) discusses. Through this learning experience, every person’s thoughts and actions are not only valued but also help create the musical ecosystem that fosters healthy growth. Expanding your music toolbox enables you to pursue ambitious goals in both music creation and education. This willingness broadens the student’s world, which Frank Battisti argues is the core purpose of education, stating:

“The idea of education is taking what a kid loves and [can] do, and expanding it, not taking away anything, but expanding it to a larger world, so that they can appreciate more, they can love more, they can experience more” (Wis, 2011).

Conclusion – I Grow. You Grow. WE Grow.

Music educators worldwide are linked together by a creative thread that strings through the entire expanse of the human mind. The more you grow, the more willing you are to help others succeed, thereby providing the best opportunities for all of our students.

As artisan educators, we don’t have to keep the “trade secrets” to ourselves. You don’t have to feel inadequate when others seem further along; you will get there one day, and you may arrive faster when you work together. Gather your musical colleagues and share ideas, tips, and tricks to help each other improve for the benefit of our students. When a community of united artisan educators works together, they have “the power to change the world, one clef at a time.”

This power derives from the intrinsic nature of music, a fact long recognized by great thinkers. Plato observed the profound moral impact of music, stating:

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything” (Marie, 2022).

Don McMannis further explains the educational mechanism of music, noting that it is an almost magical medium for learning and retaining information because it simultaneously activates three brain centers: language, hearing, and rhythmic motor control (Cash, 2016). You are not alone; there’s a whole village rooting for you.

References

Ballantyne, J., & Retell, J. (2020). Teaching Careers: Exploring Links Between Well-Being, Burnout, Self-Efficacy and Praxis Shock. Frontiers in Psychology, 10.

Battisti, F. (n.d.). Frank Battisti on Band Music Education. Retrieved from https://jackstamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/frank_battisti_on_band_education_urzpcl.pdf_

Cash, W. (2016). It’s Tuesday!. School Music Online. https://www.schoolmusiconline.com/central-music-highlights/2016/4/12/its-tuesday

Chambers, C. (2025). What a new survey says about teachers’ plans to leave their jobs. NEA Today. https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/what-new-survey-says-about-teachers-plans-leave-their-jobs

Kruse-Weber, S., Bucura, E., & Tumler, M. (2023). Facilitating collaborative professional development among instrumental and vocal teachers: A qualitative study with an Austrian Music School. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1096188/full

Kuebel, C. (2019). Health and Wellness for In-Service and Future Music Teachers: Developing a Self-Care Plan. Music Educators Journal, 105(4), 52-58. https://doi.org/10.1177/0027432119846950 

Lemon, N. (2021). Wellbeing in initial teacher education: using poetic representation to examine pre-service teachers’ understanding of their self-care needs. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 16, 931–950. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11422-021-10034-y#citeas

Marie, Y. (2022). 24 Powerful Music Education Quotes For Students And Teachers. Yona Marie Music. https://yonamariemusic.com/yona/blog/414/24-powerful-music-education-quotes-for-students-and-teachers

McMannis, D. (n.d.). Music is an almost magical medium for learning and retaining information because it activates three different centers of the brain at the same time: Don McMannis. Retrieved from https://www.schoolmusiconline.com/central-music-highlights/tag/Don+McMannis

Paul Carvel, Plato, & Kodaly, Z. (2022). 24 Powerful Music Education Quotes For Students And Teachers. Retrieved from https://yonamariemusic.com/yona/blog/414/24-powerful-music-education-quotes-for-students-and-teachers

Suzuki, S. (n.d.). Music Quotes. Retrieved from https://aosa.org/music-quotes/shinichi-suzuki/

Varona, D. A. (2018). The Mindful Music Educator: Strategies for Reducing Stress and Increasing Well-Being. Music Educators Journal, 105(2), 64-71. https://doi.org/10.1177/0027432118804035 

Van Klompenberg, A. (2023). Influences on General Music Teachers’ Mental Health During the Collective Trauma of COVID-19. Visions of Research in Music Education, 44(5), https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/vrme/vol44/iss1/5Wis, B. (2011). Frank Battisti: Teach Music And You Won’t Have To Sell It. PostHaven. https://teachingmusic.posthaven.com/frank-battisti-teach-music-and-you-wont-have