At a time when many music teachers are critical of the training they received at the college level, there are some who truly enjoy acquiring their education and find it relevant and even uplifting.

MENC member Liza Zumbrunnen is a sophomore at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas. She’s currently a music education major with emphasis in trumpet. There are three things she finds particularly beneficial at her institution:

• Willingness of professors to help students succeed.  “The university years can be an extremely stressful time for any student, and professors can make all the difference. At MNU, if I have a problem (musical or not), I am able to seek help and advice from my professors,” says Zumbrunnen.
   
• Attractiveness and usefulness of the music building.  Last year, MNU added a new performing arts building to the campus, the Bell Cultural Events Center. Zumbrunnen calls it her second home. She attends classes there, practices in the soundproof practice rooms, and plays in the performance halls. The Mabee Performing Arts Hall has received glowing reviews from professional musicians.
   
• Fellow students who act as colleagues.  At MNU, musicians are not rivals but colleagues. Zumbrunnen finds that, “as a trumpeter, I think it’s amazing to not find rivalry within your section, but instead a shared interest in making music.” Musicians at MNU can expect to be supported by their colleagues, not held back by competition, to reach their own musical potential.
   

Zumbrunnen believes that these principles apply to any good music school or department.
 

--Ella Wilcox, January 14, 2009, © 2009 by MENC: The National Association for Music Education (www.menc.org)
 

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