The Music Educator's Personal-Professional Webpage

by Yvonne R. Dechance

The online version of the article published in the April/May 1999 "InterNos," a publication of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

copyright 1999 Yvonne R. Dechance all rights reserved

[Introduction] [Preparing Materials] [Elements of Success] [Putting it Online]

Before you run screaming from this article....

This is not as scary as it sounds, and could be useful to you or your students. No computer experience is necessary, and the technical language will be kept to a minimum. That's a promise.

In this article I will explain what a Personal-Professional webpage is, why you might wish to have one, suggest a method of preparing materials Without Even Having to Use a Computer, and outline the Elements of a Successful Website. An introduction to putting your materials online will be provided, as well as some advice for testing your site and keeping it current.

Throughout this article I will refer to examples from the website of the fictional music educator "Susan Green," part of a sample website and tutorial I have created and placed online for you to explore if you want to see Susan's website in action. I suggest you read this article first, then visit The Personal-Professional Website.

What is a Personal-Professional Webpage?

Webpages are any combination of text, graphics and media that are stored and displayed on computers via the Internet. They can vary from the sacred to the profane in tone, content and ease of use for people viewing and interacting with the information. Some blatantly sell, some subtly persuade. Some merely waste Space.

Much is said about the Web, but few people or websites truly take advantage of the medium. The Personal-Professional webpage is my own term for the kind of webpages I find most useful as a creator of websites for Music Educators and other professionals. The Personal-Professional webpage is not only about you as a person, but also about you as a professional. It represents you as a musician and educator, and as a representative of your school or studio. It can sell. It can persuade. It should never waste Space.

Why the Web?

Global Impact: Global Contact

Think about how many roles you personally play: Do you teach at a school or studio? Give masterclasses, speeches or workshops? Perform or direct? Research or write? All of these can be featured and shared with the world on the Web. If you provide contact information on your webpages, you may make acquaintance with others who share your research or performance interests, or even be approached by employers or publishers in your field of expertise.

A Resource for Recruitment

Prospective students often tour a school's website before they tour the campus, and singers frequently investigate and evaluate singing programs, studios, and teachers based on information provided online. Take charge of that information, and make sure prospective students receive the right kind of "first impression" before you even know They exist.

Paper, Prowess, Publication, and Publicity

Still need motivation? Try these: web-based documents save you endless printing and copying of resumes, handouts, biographies, schedules and other frequently-requested papers. Interested people can print their own copies (using their own paper) directly from your webpages. Struggling to cope with the new computer literacy and technology issues? Having a website makes you appear technologically up-to-date even if you need significant assistance setting up the site. Looking to publish ideas and research? Information you share via the Internet is now generally considered "web-publication," and is rapidly gaining the the same respect and attention as book and journal publication. Best of all, while you're teaching, performing, or taking a deserved break between activities, your webpage is on-call and available 24 hours a day, announcing your activities, ideas and skills to everyone who visits your site.

Next...Preparing Materials