Abstract:

Personal qualities of an educator may influence either positively or negatively in the learner. Many authors have emphasized on the relevance of key traits in a good educator. In fact, good educators can encourage their learners to go beyond their expectations. Years ago, one of the authors of this research had the privilege of studying with a good violin teacher that nurtured him in such a way that, along with the technique, a great passion for violin and its music flourished. Evoking this experience, an inquiry arose: What did that teacher do to awaken such a positive attitude in her student? Hence, the question guided the authors to explore the attributes of an authentic music educator-pedagogue. Based in Max van Manen’s conception of pedagogy which is focused in the teacher-student relation, as well as in other authors’ with an analogous notion, we have found that pedagogical hope is a relevant disposition that every authentic teacher must have to significantly and positively influence their learners. Focusing on this core attitude, this qualitative single case study aimed to analyse and show the practical consequences of pedagogical hope lived by a great violin teacher, Dorothy DeLay. Using secondary sources such as biographies, doctoral thesis and academic articles, we have analysed in depth significant fragments of DeLay students’ experiences in the violin teaching-learning context and beyond the educational setting. We found the fragments within a discrete sample gleaned among more than 200 students that attended her class in the Juilliard School of the United States. These students became outstanding violinists under the positive influence of DeLay who had a great pedagogical hope during the years she taught them. Findings lead us to the conclusion that pedagogical hope possessed by DeLay was one of the essential ingredients when promoting technical-interpretative improvement as well as personal enhancement of these remarkable violinists. Hence, considering this case of embodied pedagogical hope, we could say that this attitude is very important for educators in the musical world and every teaching-learning context.

Keywords:

Pedagogical hope, music education, educator’s influence, Dorothy DeLay, violin, Max van Manen.