Mr. Darren Dutton
Educator
Photography by Hayden Aron
Mr. Dutton as an Educator
My personal teaching philosophy centers on giving students their own musical voice. I believe in a learner-oriented approach to teaching: acting as a guide and mentor rather than solely an instructor. I hope to forge personal connections with each of my students, recognizing them as people first and students second.
I am a staunch advocate for chamber music and other small performing ensembles in the grade school band classroom. Small-ensemble experiences give students the chance to engage in peer leadership and communication, along with allowing freer selection of repertoire, including music from places other than the western "classical canon."
My elementary pedagogy is based largely around John Feierabend's First Steps in Music and Conversational Solfege. These curricula encourage students to develop as well rounded musicians, becoming "tuneful, beatful, and artful" in their performance of and engagement with music.
The Four Pillars of Music Education
The Crane School of Music's Education department lays out Four Pillars of the Contemporary Music Educator. These Four Pillars are: the Flexible Musician, a musician who is diverse in what they do, understanding and engaging with many ways to make music; the Innovative Leader, one who thinks creatively and innovates in the teaching profession within their own school and elsewhere; the Principled Practitioner, a professional who has a set of well thought-out principles by which they operate their classroom; and the Critical Thinker, someone who comes up with creative solutions to problems and always engages critically with their own teaching. I strive to embody these traits in my personal approach to teaching.
Educational Artifacts
Throughout my time studying education, including classes at the Crane School of Music and student teaching in Half Hollow Hills Central School District, I accumulated a series of artifacts which demonstrate competency in many areas of teaching. These artifacts were compiled and analyzed for a final degree presentation in December of 2023. Click the button below this paragraph to view those artifacts.
"Do what you love, love what you do, and make a difference in someone's life."