The question of using popular music in school and studio music programs seems to come up frequently. Although there are many arguments for and against, a few assumptions seem to arise from all of them. One assumption is that some genres of music are worth a student’s time, and others are not. The trouble with … Continue reading Popular Music in Music Education–A Perennial Debate
Everybody Now
Frequently I hear people my age talking about how much things have changed in our lifetime. These conversations inevitably arrive at a statement of how much better things were then than now. Of course, things weren’t as great then as we remember them. That’s what makes our memories nostalgic. There is one thing, though, that … Continue reading Everybody Now
Assessment in the General Music Class
There is no question in my mind that music is fun. It is fun to perform, fun to teach, fun to listen to, dance to, create, even fun to practice. It has been that way for me since my childhood, and it is that way for many, perhaps even most of the children I teach. … Continue reading Assessment in the General Music Class
Scales – Laborious to Glorious, part 2
Last Friday, I wrote about teaching scales using a technique that includes teaching sound before touch or sight. I mentioned that the functional tendencies of individual pitches in a scale should be taught first and with singing before having the student practice playing the scale. Doing so would result in the scales being more meaningful, … Continue reading Scales – Laborious to Glorious, part 2
Analysis in the Music Classroom: A New Perspective
One of the best ways to engage students in higher level thinking and greater rigor, and raise their musicianship to the next level is to have them do music analysis. Music analysis is the gateway to interpretation and substantive musical understanding. Analysis is needed for fully experiencing music; it brings those musical elements that are … Continue reading Analysis in the Music Classroom: A New Perspective
Scales–Laborious to Glorious
Scales are usually something we don't appreciate until we gain the perspective of hindsight. Students rarely say they are glad they are practicing scales, but frequently say they are glad they learned them after performing a technically challenging piece well. For many students (and perhaps some teachers too) scales are often laborious and unpleasant parts … Continue reading Scales–Laborious to Glorious
All In A Day
Having written lately about how things are meant to be when we follow the new music standards, I though it was time to write about how these standards look in my own classroom. I teach general music to 6 classes per day of children from three years old in the pre-kindergarten program to 13 years … Continue reading All In A Day
Tiering Musical Motifs like Vocabulary Words for Common Core
In the district where I teach music, the leaders have decided to roll out Common Core with an emphasis on building vocabulary. They have devised three categories for words. The first tier is for words that are learned early on. These are small words that would be known by any native speaker, and words that … Continue reading Tiering Musical Motifs like Vocabulary Words for Common Core
Process Before Product in the New Music Standards
Learning is a process. While there are signposts made of assessments and evaluations along the way, more is gained from the process of learning than from a completed summative product. When the product is valued above the process, corners can easily be cut, and valuable learning opportunities can be missed or avoided. “Teaching to the … Continue reading Process Before Product in the New Music Standards
What is American Musical Culture
I recently found myself engaged in a conversation with another musician about American musical culture. We started out talking about classical music, but soon observed that classical music was no longer at the center of American musical culture. I say at the center because early in the twentieth century when large numbers immigrated to America … Continue reading What is American Musical Culture
mister a music place 
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