A Creative Duet

A Creative Duet: Mentoring Success for Emerging Music Educators offers new insights into music education mentoring. This book shows pre-service and early career music educators how to be proactive, innovative partners in the mentoring process. Author Jamila L. McWhirter gives expert guidance and practical tools to encourage emerging music educators to shape their own careers.
Grounded in research and nearly three decades of experience as a music educator and music teacher educator, the book examines the collaborative and creative nature of the mentoring process and guides readers to the importance of informal, organic mentoring partnerships. Based upon an innovative approach, A Creative Duet is a book on how emerging music educators may gain the most from mentoring experiences while sharing and finding their own voice. Dr. McWhirter guides the reader through creative strategies, real-life examples and experiences, as well as introducing the thoughts and feelings of several emerging music educators concerning their mentoring experiences. She leads the reader through proactive preparation steps such as developing a personal mission statement, setting a course of action, examining the importance of establishing a time commitment to the mentoring relationship, as well as other aspects of self-exploration.
A Creative Duet is an important book not only for the pre-service and early career music educator, but also for those involved in guiding future music educators.

Jamila L. McWhirter is Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music Education at Middle Tennessee State University. She is active as a presenter, clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator throughout the United States. Her music education research has been published in the Journal of Research in Music Education and presented nationally on numerous occasions for the National Association for Music Education, Society for Music Teacher Education, and Music Teacher National Association. She serves the profession on a national level as a member of the American Choral Directors Association Education and Communication Committee as well as the National Association for Music Education Music Educators Journal Advisory Committee. McWhirter is nearing three decades of teaching as a music educator and music teacher educator.

- CONTENTS
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- INTRODUCTION
- Chapter 1 Foundations of a Creative Duet: Qualities of Inspired Music Education Mentors
- Formal and Informal Mentors
- Iron Sharpens Iron: Qualities of Inspired Music Education Mentors
- Open and Affirming Learning Climate
- Support and Challenge
- Roles of Informal and Formal Mentors Who Are Assigned
- Chapter 2 Preparing for a Creative Duet: Becoming an Innovative Music Education Mentee
- Questions and Goals
- Problem Solving
- Realistic Expectations and Being SMART
- Alternative Approaches
- Real Life 101: Emerging Music Educator No. 1
- Chapter 3 Knowing Your Part: Examining Your Thoughts on the Mentoring
- Process
- Know Thyself
- As a Person
- As a Musician
- As a Teacher
- Honesty: Areas of Strength and Improvement
- Views of Mentorship
- Real Life 101: Emerging Music Educator No. 2
- Chapter 4 The Duet Begins: Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
- The Initial Meeting
- Building Trust
- Voicing Your Hopes and Expectations
- Overall Objectives
- Real Life 101: Emerging Music Educator No. 3
- Chapter 5 Developing Technical Accuracy: Proactive not Reactive
- Action Plan
- Stumbling Blocks
- Perception versus Reality
- Motivation
- Application
- Real Life 101: Emerging Music Educator No. 4
- Chapter 6 Developing Musicianship Skills: Creativity in Time Management
- Time Management Matrix
- Time Management during Mentoring Sessions
- Time Management outside Mentoring Sessions
- Satisfaction and Needed Changes
- Real Life 101: Emerging Music Educator No. 5
- Chapter 7 Creative Responses to Your Duet Partner: Creating a Positive Environment
- The Power of Words
- Visualizing Proactive Responses
- Focusing on the Solution
- Real Life 101: Emerging Music Educator No. 6
- Chapter 8 Cultivating Active Listening: Creativity in Interactions
- Courage and Consideration
- The Art of Negotiation
- Role Reversal and Empathetic Listening
- Differing Viewpoints Leading to Alternative Solutions
- Open Lines of Communication
- Discovering Underlying Reasons
- Creative Resolution
- Real Life 101: Emerging Music Educator No. 7
- Chapter 9 Intensifying Aesthetic Aspects: Expanding Perspective Using the Right Side of the Brain
- Visualize, Synthesize, and Transcend for a Holistic Picture
- Emotions and Feelings in the Action Plan
- Right-Brain Thinking as Guidance for the Mentoring Relationship
- Proportion and Balance
- Real Life 101: Emerging Music Educator No. 8
- Chapter 10 A Creative Musical Collaboration: Co-Creating Opportunities
- Musical Co-Creating Opportunities
- Creative Daydreaming
- Developing an Outsiders Perspective
- Creativity as a Thought Process
- Creativity as a Collaborative Process
- Real Life 101: Emerging Music Educator No. 9
- Chapter 11 Challenges of a Playing a Duet: Coping and Flourishing with Constructive Criticism
- Developing a "Tough Skin"
- Criticism of Musicianship
- Criticism of Teaching
- Criticism of Persona
- Benefitting from Constructive Criticism
- Real Life 101: Emerging Music Educator No. 10
- Chapter 12 The Finale: The Duet Concludes
- Stalling of a Mentoring Relationship
- Evaluate Original Learning Outcomes
- Acknowledge Achievements
- Evaluate Personal Learning
- Transfer to Other Relationships
- Seeking Out a New Mentor
- Chapter 13 The Encore: Giving of Yourself
- Progressing from Mentee to Mentor
- Preparing to be a Mentor
- The Secret to Longevity in the Profession
- Sharing with Others
- CODA Lifelong Mentoring Relationships
- APPENDIX A Personal Mission Statement and Mentoring Mission Statement
- APPENDIX B S.M.A.R.T. Worksheet
- APPENDIX C Music Educator Time Matrix
- APPENDIX D Action Plan Worksheet
- APPENDIX E Inspired Reading for Music Teaching
- APPENDIX F Inspired Reading for Motivation and Organizing Your World
- APPENDIX G Inspired Reading for Creativity and Relationships
- REFERENCES
- INDEX