When I learned Bloom's taxonomy as an undergraduate, I always thought that the arts were short changed. Sure, there was the affective domain, but it just didn't have the depth to it that the cognitive domain had, and the affective domain was often presented as a sort of afterthought. When the taxonomy was revised, this … Continue reading Music Teaching and Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
Instrumental Music
Teaching How To Learn
If you are a frequent reader of this blog, then you know that I am a strong proponent of goal and objective setting, and of the National Core Arts Standards (NCAS). But just like the chocolates and cookies I've been enjoying this week, too much, even of a good thing, is rarely best. In teaching, … Continue reading Teaching How To Learn
Musical Fractions That Make Sense
The nomenclature for durations we have (except for those who use the quaver family of names) really is not very useful. Whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note, and sixteenth note are the terms by which teachers, both of music and of other subjects, connect music to fraction arithmetic. As far as it goes, … Continue reading Musical Fractions That Make Sense
Rubrics Aren’t What They Used To Be
For music teachers assessing students, rubrics are usually the most effective means. Rubrics can be used to assess pretty much anything. That's good for music teachers, because we assess a host of items in our students' performances, ranging from accuracy, to tone and overall musicianship. Aspects of music making that were once thought to be … Continue reading Rubrics Aren’t What They Used To Be
Piano Instruction Cannot Be at the Center of General Music Education
Recently I have read the proposition that music education centered on singing as a means for teaching music literacy is ineffective and obsolete. The author maintained that the methodologies of Kodaly and Orff were products of a time when nothing better was possible, and that now with the availability of technology, keyboard centered music education … Continue reading Piano Instruction Cannot Be at the Center of General Music Education
Common Core Words in Music
Lately, I've noticed an increase in web searches related to curriculum writing and common core. I'm supposing this is because many school districts engage in curriculum writing or revision during the summer, and educators preparing to do this kind of work are looking for resources to draw upon. Music educators are increasingly aware of common … Continue reading Common Core Words in Music
Articulation on Reed Instruments
One of the areas of wind playing that students seem to have difficulty with is articulation--using the tongue to start and provide separation between notes. This is often referred to as "tonguing." There are many varieties of articulation, and each one has its own challenges, but a player must master the fundamental technique of using … Continue reading Articulation on Reed Instruments
A Tie To The Past: Cantus Firmus and Improvisatory Drumming
If you remember your music history, you will recall that beginning around the 10th century, an existing melody, often a Gregorian chant, was written into one voice of a contrapuntal vocal composition, and then the other voices were composed around it. This chant or anchoring melody was eventually called the cactus firms. The technique was … Continue reading A Tie To The Past: Cantus Firmus and Improvisatory Drumming
A Learning Sequence for Music Rehearsals
Beginning rehearsal on a new musical work is always a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, it is exciting to begin a new piece, and I look forward to starting work on it, foreseeing the day when my ensemble arrives at the point where the audiated performance in my imagination meets or exceeds … Continue reading A Learning Sequence for Music Rehearsals
Strengths and Weaknesses of Orff Schulwerk
Today I will discuss the advantage and disadvantages of the Orff Schulwerk Approach to music education. At the outset, I should mention that no single method of teaching music is sufficient for meeting the needs of all children, or for teaching all aspects of music. Each method bring valuable perspectives into the music classroom, and … Continue reading Strengths and Weaknesses of Orff Schulwerk
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