Music Education and Social-Emotional Learning

Cultivating the Whole Musician

Written by Dr. Scott N. Edgar, Music Education and Social-Emotional Learning is a groundbreaking, practical guide designed to help music educators integrate CASEL-aligned social-emotional learning (SEL) principles directly into their ensemble rehearsals and general music classes. The book highlights the unique potential of the music classroom to act as a safe, highly supportive space for student self-expression and community building.

Core Pedagogical Themes

• The Five Core SEL Competencies: Connects the five pillars of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) to everyday musical activities:
  • Self-Awareness: Helping students identify their emotions during performance and evaluate their own musical strengths.
  • Self-Management: Developing coping strategies for performance anxiety and maintaining the discipline required for daily home practice.
  • Social Awareness: Understanding diverse musical traditions and appreciating the contributions of other ensemble members.
  • Relationship Skills: Fostering collaborative music-making, constructive peer critique, and chamber ensemble communication.
  • Responsible Decision-Making: Evaluating the ethical and social impacts of performance selections and student leadership actions.
• Classroom Culture and Inclusivity: Strategies for creating a warm, supportive rehearsal environment where vulnerability is celebrated and failure is treated as an essential step of learning.
• Practical Lesson Plans: Offers complete, highly adaptable classroom reflection prompts, warm-up exercises, and performance assessments that blend SEL with core music standards.