About the Program

Program Coordinator Welcome

Welcome to the program in music and music education at Teachers College, Columbia University, one of the oldest and most distinguished programs of its kind in the country. The rich heritage and legacy provides a foundation upon which current faculty and students engage with contemporary issues in music education, especially those associated with our urban setting.

At Teachers College we value music as human activity, as a way of knowing and relating to the world that serves individuals throughout their lifespan in personally relevant and culturally significant ways. We see music as a core component to schooling, and are committed to preparing teachers ready to embrace the rewards and challenges of public school teaching and to creatively seek new opportunities to address the persistent need for an education in music within the changing structures of our society.

The student experience embraces this vision by engaging students in meaningful music making and learning. We aim to deepen the capacities of each student in their approach to pedagogy, research, and performance through creative explorations and systematic inquiry from both individual and collective perspectives. Each degree program includes core courses in these areas, along with a breadth of courses from across the College meant to empower graduates to shape and lead their educational communities in musically meaningful ways.