Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
We are still accepting applications for Summer 2013. Please contact us at admissions@longy.edu to express your interest, and begin working on the online application as soon as possible.
With the belief that effective music teachers must themselves be active performers, the intensive 12-month MAT curriculum integrates advanced studies in musical performance and education with the daily demands of the classroom. Designed for musicians with a desire to respond to today’s educational needs, and who aspire to participate in the growing El Sistema movement in the United States, the program leverages Bard’s experience in developing renowned academic and socially based teacher training programs with Longy’s role as a leader in progressive and rigorous training for performing and teaching musicians. Housed on the grounds of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s premier El Sistema-inspired teaching site YOLA at Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), the program offers candidates access to MAT faculty including Los Angeles Philharmonic musicians and leading scholars in music and education.
MAT graduates are awarded California single-subject K-12 teacher credentialing in music. The average MAT class size is 12-15 students.
Admission Info 2013-2014 (PDF)
Financial Aid
Level: Graduate (conservatory diploma, bachelor’s degree, or demonstrated equivalent required).
Normal Program Length and Credits: 1 year, 63 credits required for graduation.
Apply Now: http://longy.slideroom.com
COURSE HIGHLIGHTS
Writing and Thinking: MAT students gather for a weeklong intensive introductory course modeled after Bard’s signature Writing and Thinking workshop. Here they examine core beliefs and assumptions about music and education and begin to build the sense of community integral to the MAT.
Core Courses: MAT students are required to take four graduate-level courses in music and four graduate-level courses in education. These courses are
thematically designed to answer essential questions about teaching and learning and are framed by practice-based research.
Teaching Laboratory: MAT students, joined by resident faculty and outside guests, convene for weekly sessions that examine the practical applications
of concepts and ideas they encounter in their core courses.
Teaching Practicum: As teaching interns, MAT students design and teach classes, assess student understanding, and modify practices to adapt to
students’ needs. MAT students teach in school classrooms, community music centers, and El Sistema-inspired nucleos.
Private Lessons: Students enrolled in the MAT take private lessons on their major instrument, voice, composition or conducting.
Research Projects: MAT students work closely with faculty mentors to prepare two final research projects: a performance-based
presentation, as well as a scholarly inquiry focused on teaching and learning in the classroom.
MAT and TAKE A STAND
The powerful message of El Sistema, Venezuela’s revolutionary music education program, is spreading across the United States and igniting a movement that engages thousands of children and families in music making and community building. To support this pioneering field, the Longy School of Music of Bard College, Bard College, ant the Los Angeles Philharmonic have formed TAKE A STAND, an innovative national initiative that supports social change through music. Together, we seek to change the face of music education in the United States.
