Transformational Music Teaching

Designed as a practical resource, this book examines transformational and inclusive approaches to the teaching of music at the postsecondary level based on first-person interviews with renowned musicians and their students. At the heart of the study are musical/artistic perspectives and pedagogical approaches from leading artists and the insights of their students on the impact of the teaching and mentoring process. Through case studies with renowned musicians and their protégés, the book identifies common themes in teaching and mentoring across classical and jazz performance. Each case study is a master class with the artist that offers insight into the evolution of the individual’s musical career, their approach to teaching, and specific strategies for navigating the complexities of the music business environment. With remarkable candor, artists and their protégés share how they navigated significant obstacles in their career journeys. Including overcoming performance anxiety, disability and injury, lack of financial support, difficulty obtaining an agent and recording contracts, country location and stereotypes based on gender and nationality. The book serves as an important resource for music educators by offering concrete approaches to mentoring talented students, while also sharing specific strategies for aspiring professional musicians seeking to forge a career in a highly competitive musical market.

Edna B. Chun serves as chief learning officer with HigherEd Talent and teaches in the graduate Human Capital Management program in the Columbia University School of Professional Studies. She holds the Doctor of Music and Master of Music degrees with High Distinction from Indiana University, Bloomington.

​​George S.T. Chu is Professor of Music at Hamline University, Saint Paul, Minnesota. He received the Doctor of Music with High Distinction from Indiana University, Bloomington, and the Bachelor of Arts magna cumlaude from Yale University.