Music Education

Few aspects of daily existence are untouched by technology. Learning and teaching music are no exceptions and arguably have been impacted as much or more than other areas of life. Digital technologies have come to affect music learning and teaching in profound ways, influencing how we create, listen, share, consume, and interact with music--and conceptualize musical practices and the musical experience. For a discipline as entrenched in tradition as music education, this has brought forth myriad views on what does and should constitute music learning and teaching.

Conducting and Rehearsing the Instrumental Music Ensemble is the most comprehensive guide on the rehearsal process for conducting instrumental music ensembles. Ideal for the advanced instrumental music conductor seeking to look beyond basic conducting technique, this work breaks the multidimensional activity of working with an ensemble, orchestra, or band into its constituent components. Advanced students of conducting will find within the full range of conducting activities: - Chapters on the infrastructure of the rehearsal, the rehearsal environment, 10 rehearsal essentials, score study, music imagery, inner singing, and rehearsal procedures (with an emphasis on an integrated approach to rehearsing) - The technical priorities of intonation and tuning, rhythm patterns, ensemble sonority (tone, balance, blend, color and texture), and articulation - The musical priorities of tempo and ensemble precision, phrasing and the musical line, style and interpretation, dynamics and musical expression - Emphasizing the expectations of 21st-century conductors, the challenges of conducting and rehearsing contemporary music, preparing conductor profiles and self-evaluations, and moving from the rehearsal process to concert performance Conducting and Rehearsing the Instrumental Music Ensemble is a great resource for teachers and students of conducting, as well as current conductors wishing to further hone their skills.

Irma Collins's Dictionary of Music Education is more than just a lexicon. It is a journey through time and the story of the evolution of music education, including entries on notable individuals, crucial terms, important events, and key organizations--a broad survey of the field. Collins includes information about a variety of English-speaking countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, emphasizing the impact music education researchers and organizations have had on one another across the globe. Biographical entries profile musicians and music educators who were among the founders or first implementers of significant pedagogical tools and methods. Terms include standard concepts in the field of music education. Event and organization entries are those crucial to the advancement of music education regionally, nationally, and internationally. Dictionary of Music Education also includes a timeline, cross-references, and a significant bibliography. This work will interest anyone involved in the field of music education, from students and faculty to administrators and private instructors.

Middle school general music may be a student's last encounter with school music. A practical book with accessible pedagogical resources on middle school general music is needed for methods courses and music practitioners' use. The book Engaging Musical Practices: A Sourcebook for Middle School General Music presents numerous ways to engage adolescents in active music making that is relevant to their lives so that they may be more apt to continue their involvement with music as a lifetime endeavor. Structured in twelve chapters, the book begins with perspectives on adolescent development and working with students with special needs. Five chapters are devoted to the pedagogy of teaching students practical musical skills such as singing, playing the keyboard, guitar, drums and percussion. Chapters on starting a steel band, using informal and formal music learning strategies, incorporating technology, implementing world music techniques, composing in the classroom, and the use of music-based learning centers lead the reader into implementing musical approaches focused on the doing of making music. The book is filled with musical examples, sample rubrics, and resource lists that take the reader beyond the book's content. Engaging Musical Practices provides exciting and classroom-tested content that connects in and out of school music making for adolescents, generating excitement for musical participation. This book is a necessity for any practitioner who teaches students in the middle grades or as a text for secondary general music methods courses.

No matter the excellence of a musician's performance achievements, upon entering the professional world, it is unlikely that any musician will depend solely upon performance for income. Those who distinguish themselves as both skilled teachers and skilled performers will have a significantadvantage. From the Stage to the Studio provides the tools and information necessary for musicians to become effective teachers in terms useful to both pedagogy teachers and applied music instructors, and young music students learning to teach while perfecting their performance skills.Premised on the integral partnership between pedagogy and performance, authors Cornelia Watkins and Laurie Scott offer in depth explorations of the essential components of instrumental performance, the nature of student-teacher interactions and the manner in which knowledge, skills and musicianshipare most effectively conveyed. In so doing, they illuminate the profound resonance between music performance and education and show how musicians benefit as much from teaching as their students do from being taught. Included is a wealth of information and concrete examples on everything from settingup a studio, to writing a lesson plan, to soliciting constructive feedback from students. From the Stage to the Studio serves as an essential resource for music pedagogy teachers, college performance majors who will want or need to teach and established musicians looking to add music education totheir professional repertoire.

When the artist moves into the classroom or community to educate and inspire students and audience members, this is Teaching Artistry. It is a proven means for practicing professional musicians to create a successful career in music, providing not only necessary income but deep and lastingsatisfaction through engaging people in learning experiences about the arts. Filled with practical advice on the most critical issues facing the music teaching artist today--from economic and time-management issues of being a musician and teacher to communicating effectively with students--The MusicTeaching Artist's Bible uncovers the essentials that every musician needs in order to thrive in this role. Author Eric Booth offers both inspiration and how-to, step-by-step guidance in this truly comprehensive manual that music teaching artists will turn to again and again. The book also includescritical information on becoming a mentor, succeeding in school environments, partnering with other teaching artists, advocating for music and arts education, and teaching private lessons.The Music Teaching Artist's Bible helps practicing and aspiring teaching artists gain the skills they need to build new audiences, improve the presence of music in schools, expand the possibilities of traditional and educational performances, and ultimately make their lives as an artists even moresatisfying and fulfilling.

Music education thrives on philosophical inquiry, the systematic and critical examination of beliefs and assumptions. Yet philosophy, often considered abstract and irrelevant, is often absent from the daily life of music instructors. In The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy in Music Education,editors Wayne D. Bowman and Ana Lucia Frega have drawn together a variety of philosophical perspectives from the profession's most exciting scholars.Rather than relegating philosophical inquiry to moot questions and abstract situations, the contributors to this volume address everyday concerns faced by music educators everywhere, demonstrating that philosophy offers a way of navigating the daily professional life of music education and provingthat critical inquiry improves, enriches, and transforms instructional practice for the better. Questioning every musical practice, instructional aim, assumption, and conviction in music education, The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy in Music Education presents new and provocative approaches to thepractice of teaching music.Bowman and Frega go deeper than mere advocacy or a single point of view, but rather conceive of philosophy as a dynamic process of debate and reflection that must constantly evolve to meet the shifting landscapes of music education. In place of the definitive answers often associated withphilosophical work, Bowman and Frega offer a fascinating cross-section of often-contradictory approaches and viewpoints. By bringing together essays by both established and up-and-coming scholars from six continents, Bowman and Frega go beyond the Western monopoly of philosophical practice andacknowledge the diversity of cultures, instructors, and students who take part in music education.This range of perspectives invites broader participation in music instruction, and presents alternative answers to many of the fields most pressing questions and issues. By acknowledging the inherent plurality of music educational practices, the Handbook opens up the field in new and importantways. Emphasizing clarify, fairness, rigor, and utility above all, The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy in Music Educationwill challenge music educators all over the world to make their own decisions and ultimately contribute to the conversation themselves.