The authors of the national arts standards defined artistic literacy as "the knowledge and understanding required to participate authentically in the arts." It is first and foremost important to realize that when it comes to music, knowing about music, and reading and writing about music is not enough to qualify a person as musically literate. Musically literate people … Continue reading Artistic Literacy and Why It Matters
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Helping Students Audition
Now that the winter recess is over, one of the first things I will be doing is holding auditions for our spring musical. Each year I and two other teachers put on a musical, usually from the Broadway Jr. series. Our show includes students in grades 3-8, and rehearses 2-3 times per week for ninety … Continue reading Helping Students Audition
Is There Madness in the Method?
Music teachers are often concerned with method. If you go to most music education conferences, you’ll find sessions on the Kodaly Method, the Dalcroze Method, Gordon Music Learning Theory, the Orff Method, Feierabend’s Conversational Solfege, the Suzuki Method, to name a few. Music teaching methods are like Protestant denominations: there are many of them, they … Continue reading Is There Madness in the Method?
What’s All The Movement About?
Movement and music are a natural pair. When we listen to music, we naturally want to move. Researchers have found that just listening to music stimulates the motion center of the brain just as if we were actually moving. There is also an emotional aspect of movement as well. This morning, during my pre-kindergarten class … Continue reading What’s All The Movement About?
Approaches to Music Listening
In a recent discussion on social media, a music teacher asked for suggestions of materials to use in the teaching of listening. While the replies were helpful and born of experience, the kinds of replies were even more interesting. Basically, the answers fell into one of three categories: materials to use with students who listen … Continue reading Approaches to Music Listening
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