My Philosophy of Teaching                                        Bingham Vick,Jr.
September, 2003

In conducting class I teach that there are two kinds of conductors:
        A - do whatever it takes to be successful .... yell, fus, use over exagerated gestures
        B - do those things which will produce success, but be organized and efficient in the process:
                know what the music demands
                know the best way to present that music to the ensemble
        (which means) knowing the individuals in the ensemble (ability, personl baggage, aspirations, etc)
                prepare thoroughly so that the rehearsal will be productive to the max

To be a successful teacher, one must BE ORGANIZED AND EFFICIENT in the process of teaching

As a teacher, do I have a “philosophy of teaching”? ......YES
Can I articulate that “philosophy”? Yes, but I can show it better than I can verbalize it.
        I hope you can see my “philosophy” in my students and how they react and grow from what I do in the classroom and in the rehearsal hall.

In short, my teaching philosophy is:
        1 - always strive to do my personal best in whatever I am engaged to do
        2 - be fair in all decisions
        3 - be consistent
        4 - persue Excellence and Beauty through Discipline


A “Teaching Philosophy” does not just happen......it continues to happen/develop as you teach.
        It has been my experience that my “philosophy” of teaching/conducting is not something that I pre-determined, but something that has developed over the years and with experience.

A person does not decide to be a “particular kind of person” (kind, sweet, generous, caring, well-liked by others, etc.) A person becomes that kind of person through actions every day in life.

Just as one’s character is developed and strengthened slowly, experience by experience, decision by decision, so, too, a “philosophy of living” (or philosophy of teaching) comes into focus bit by bit during the teaching career.

The most important aspect of either and both experiences (living and teaching) is that a person have a PRIMARY GUIDELINE (or guidelines) which serve as the measuring stick for decision-making and philosophy-building.









        In my professional work (34 years of classroom teaching, 34 years of conducting Furman Singers, 28 years conducting a church choir, 23 years conducting Greenville Chorale, 39 years as a professional singer) these personal and professional guidelines have been my goals:

        1. our ‘life responsibility’ is to discover our God-given talents, develop them to the fullest,
                and apply         them to making ‘the world’ (our local world) a better place

        2. be fair in all decisions, look for a win-win situation, but treat all FAIRLY ,
                not taking advantage of friendship But maintaining the integrity of the organization

        3. be consistent - in expectations, in preparations, in working with people

        4. always persue excellence and beauty through discipline

        Teaching and conducting (especially choral music) means interaction with people - as a group and as individuals.
There must be some ABSOLUTE STANDARDS in the classroom and in the choral rehearsal.
There will always be INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES that must be considered to be successful.



        Be careful how you measure success.
For me, success is sharing my passion for music so that others catch fire. Successful performance means DOING THE BEST WE CAN DO at that moment.

My Personal success is measured by:
“ Did I plan and execute well enough to bring this ensemble to its best effort.”


In conducting and in life, WHAT YOU DO IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU SAY.

        “Say what you mean; mean what you say” (Practice what you preach)

        “Be clear in words and in gestures”

        “Eye contact is the most important means of communication”











        Philosophy of Teaching Choral Music - Naturalism, Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism

1. Education should be pleasant and enjoyable. N

2. Education should include the body as well as the mind. N

3. Teachers should be specialists in sharing information with the pupils. I

4. Teachers should be excellent technicians. I

5. Teachers should take a personal interest in the studensts. I

6. Teachers should be people who awaken in pupils the desire to learn. I

7. Teachers should be masters at the art of living. I

8. “What you see is what you get” R

9. Whatever works in communicating the information to the students should be attempted. R

10. Teach learning skills. P

11. Apply what is taught (and learned) to life experiences. P

12. Be consistent. P

13. Consider the students as individuals. P

14. “that which works (that which is practical) is best” P

15. Choosing what to sing is vital. THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT

16. Music of master composers that has stood the test of time should be the staple literature for choral classes. I

17. Emphasis on ‘how to sing’ rather than ‘what to sing’. P

18. Choose music that includes a variety of styles, to develop a well-rounded individual (choir) P

19. Constantly look for better ways to teach/conduct. P

20. Build respect for the teacher. R                        (must be EARNED by actions)