Brittany l. barrus
Welcome to my website and thank you for visiting! My professional teaching portfolio contains personal philosophies and thoughts on music education as well as assignments and projects I have completed during my time at Ball State University in the Music Education curriculum. Before you begin to explore the site, I would like to take a moment to share my musical background and goals for the future.
As a child I never liked to sing in general music class, but I was fascinated with instrumental music. I remember seeing the high school marching band during the summers and always knew I wanted to be in band. I did not grow up in a musical family, but there was always something about band that struck me. I decided to join band in middle school on trumpet. After my first two years of playing I began to really practice hard and continued to become a better musician. By the time I transitioned to high school music was my world.
I joined every ensemble possible in high school and worked very hard to stand out. One of my band directors noticed me and suggested/offered private lessons. With this gift I began practicing several hours a day in preparation for my private study. Because of my hard work, I was able to play in a large quantity and variety of ensembles. These experiences helped to push me towards music as a career.
Music Education was not my first career choice. I actually wanted to become a professional performer, but that dream did not pan out as I had hoped it would. Upon entering college I did not want to become a teacher. Medicine was always fascinating to me and I excelled academically so I decided to attend Purdue University to major in Health Sciences. While at Purdue University I struggled to let go of music and consequently became a member of as many ensembles as possible. I was not enjoying my classes and ended up spending most of my time practicing. I knew very quickly that music was where I wanted to be and decided to give education a try. Since Purdue University does not offer a major in Music Education I had to transfer and I chose Ball State University.
Transferring to Ball State University was the best decision I could have made. Within the first semester I knew I had made the correct choice. While at Ball State University, I have gained experience in multiple areas including: music history, theory, music pedagogy, instrumental techniques, performance, band repertoire, and many more. I have also had multiple opportunities to work in the public schools surrounding Ball State University to observe and teach students. I feel strongly that my experience at Ball State University has provided me with the necessary tools to become a successful and effective music teacher.
Upon graduation I hope to find a middle or high school where I can begin building my career as a music educator. I would like to implement a comprehensive musicianship approach to Music Education that I have learned at Ball State University so that my students actually learn concepts in music class that are applicable to everyday life. Beyond this, I am excited to let life naturally unfold as it will. Before all of those goals can be reached I must first complete student teaching at Lawrence North High School and Fall Creek Valley Middle School.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the rest of my website!
As a child I never liked to sing in general music class, but I was fascinated with instrumental music. I remember seeing the high school marching band during the summers and always knew I wanted to be in band. I did not grow up in a musical family, but there was always something about band that struck me. I decided to join band in middle school on trumpet. After my first two years of playing I began to really practice hard and continued to become a better musician. By the time I transitioned to high school music was my world.
I joined every ensemble possible in high school and worked very hard to stand out. One of my band directors noticed me and suggested/offered private lessons. With this gift I began practicing several hours a day in preparation for my private study. Because of my hard work, I was able to play in a large quantity and variety of ensembles. These experiences helped to push me towards music as a career.
Music Education was not my first career choice. I actually wanted to become a professional performer, but that dream did not pan out as I had hoped it would. Upon entering college I did not want to become a teacher. Medicine was always fascinating to me and I excelled academically so I decided to attend Purdue University to major in Health Sciences. While at Purdue University I struggled to let go of music and consequently became a member of as many ensembles as possible. I was not enjoying my classes and ended up spending most of my time practicing. I knew very quickly that music was where I wanted to be and decided to give education a try. Since Purdue University does not offer a major in Music Education I had to transfer and I chose Ball State University.
Transferring to Ball State University was the best decision I could have made. Within the first semester I knew I had made the correct choice. While at Ball State University, I have gained experience in multiple areas including: music history, theory, music pedagogy, instrumental techniques, performance, band repertoire, and many more. I have also had multiple opportunities to work in the public schools surrounding Ball State University to observe and teach students. I feel strongly that my experience at Ball State University has provided me with the necessary tools to become a successful and effective music teacher.
Upon graduation I hope to find a middle or high school where I can begin building my career as a music educator. I would like to implement a comprehensive musicianship approach to Music Education that I have learned at Ball State University so that my students actually learn concepts in music class that are applicable to everyday life. Beyond this, I am excited to let life naturally unfold as it will. Before all of those goals can be reached I must first complete student teaching at Lawrence North High School and Fall Creek Valley Middle School.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the rest of my website!