Guitars in the Classroom (GITC) trains teachers to play the guitar, sing, and lead music making, and to use the guitar to deliver instruction in music standards while integrating music across all other areas of the curriculum. As a result of sharing music in the classroom with GITC, I believe that all the following things can and often do happen in general studies classrooms led by teachers trained in music integration:

1. The individual student’s relationship with the teacher improves because sharing music makes a more human/humane connection between two people, breaking down boundaries of age difference and cultural difference.

2. The student has a stronger emotional bond with the teacher, and holds the teacher in higher esteem. This may make the student more willing to learn from the teacher.

3. Engaging in music in the classroom may make the student more engaged with school in general, leading to improved attendance and higher motivation to learn.

4. The teacher can use music to support the curriculum, to help with memorization of facts and formulas and master phonics and vocabulary. In writing a piggyback song that integrates academic vocabulary, students reflect on what they know and make decisions about what is most important to be included in the song. They then formulate a central idea which appears in the refrain. The act of songwriting thus reinforces deep understanding of the subject matter.

5. GITC is an efficient method to restore music making to schools where music education has been lost because of budget cuts.

6. When a teacher learns to play guitar and this is witnessed by the students, the students get first hand exposure to an adult as a lifelong learner. The teacher is a model of the courage, motivation, and perseverance that is required to continue to learn new skills through life.

7. Playing the guitar in GITC class with other teachers can provide stress relief and help teachers “recharge each other’s batteries” in a musical community setting. Several heads being better than one, teachers can brainstorm and share ideas for teaching particular concepts through music and songwriting. GITC provides a forum for teachers to share information and resources to enhance all students’ learning

8. The GITC trained teacher is given a set of skills to build a positive classroom community that enables students to take risks in safety, to learn from each other, and to develop a sense of autonomy, belonging, and competence.

9. A GITC trained teacher is given a set of tools to bring to the classroom that brings opportunities for humor, community, emotional connection and creativity into the classroom.

10. GITC is making something available to teachers that in most cases, has never been available to them before. The more relevant we can make GITC instruction to the daily practice of the teacher, the more valuable it will be to each teacher.

11. GITC training provides the teacher with an enhanced set of skills for oral language development, benefiting students in English Language Development, and other at-risk students, such as students living under the poverty line, and students with language processing disorders.

12. GITC provides an efficient method to use music, rhythm, and movement in classroom learning, reaching students with many different learning modalities.

13. Participation in GITC music lessons in the classroom has been shown to improve student self-esteem, which may lead to enhanced engagement and achievement.

14. I have found in my GITC practice that training several GITC teachers in one school site increases morale, teacher satisfaction, student engagement and parental involvement in a fast and powerful way, and the effects are lasting.

15. The GITC program increases the range of resources that students at any level can use to foster their own learning and the learning of others.