Showing papers in "Music Educators Journal in 1995"

Rationales for Teaching World Musics.

Abstract: of encouraging, rather than neglecting, a culturally diverse society. The long-standing claim of the superiority of Western art music (referring to the Western European tradition) has been increasingly considered problematic, as has been the manifestation of this belief in the music curriculum.2 The belief that Western art music is more natural, complex, expressive, and meaningful than other musics has come to be seen as both an intellectual and a moral

Urban Music Education: The Teachers' Perspective.

Abstract: questionnaire that was designed to collect background information on their teaching experience and responses to four open-ended questions regarding different aspects of teaching music in the urban setting. Twenty of the twenty-eight selected teachers responded, and their responses provide the basis for this article. (The participating teachers and their schools are identified at the end of the

Alternative Assessment Techniques for Teachers

Abstract: 6:00 P.M. feeling more tired and frustrated than he had all year. There had been the conversation with the principal, the three angry phone calls from parents of kids in his band, and then, at the very end of the day, his best trumpet player and set drummer told him they were dropping his class from their second-quarter schedules. All of this occurred as a direct result of the grades Phil had posted that morning after being up until 2:00 A.M. hastily \"bubbling-in\" numerical grades on the computer-generated forms that the school had adopted only the previous semester. Phil knew he should have kept better records on his students during the term. One of his recurring nightmares involved being called on the carpet over a poor grade and not having any tangible evidence to justify the mark he gave. He always felt a twinge of guilt at report-card time as he eyeballed his students' names: \"I think an 85 for Tim should do; he does a pretty good job on the bass clarinet and

Portfolio Assessment for Better Evaluation Teachers using portfolio assessment find they need not be limited to traditional standardized tests when evaluating student performance

Abstract: ew movements in educational reform have grown so rapidly or attracted so much support from all quarters of American society as that of authentic assessment.1 During the last four years, hundreds of writers have used the terms \"authentic assessment,\" \"direct assessment,\" \"alternative assessment,\" and \"performance assessment\" interchangeably, but relatively few writers recognize the specific characteristics of each. \"Alternative assessment\" is probably the most generic term that best describes those methods that differ from traditional standardized, multiple-choice tests for assessing students' achievement. This term and its variations refer to the direct examination of student performance on tasks that are relevant to life outside the school and are therefore considered more valuable than what standardized tests measure. While advocates seldom agree on the definition of terms, the concept of alternative assessment receives overwhelming support from politicians, policymakers, public school administrators, and thousands of teachers across the country. Blaine Worthen reports that by January 1994, twenty-

Interactive Television and Distance Learning.

Abstract: n September 13, 1993, a historic step was taken on behalf of music education. A master's-level course began semester-long transmissions originating from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) campus in Cedar Falls and going out to selected school sites around the state on the recently activated Iowa Communications Network (ICN). Around the same time, harp lesson transmissions began between Des Moines and Cedar Falls for local public school students. Meanwhile, performance master classes were initiated by Iowa State University music faculty to public school television classroom sites around the state.

Children's Literature as a Springboard for Music.

Abstract: ed books of every conceivable topic line the shelves of most elementary school libraries. This category of literature, with great appeal for children and adults, is often overlooked by the music teacher. Children's literature can complement lessons from other disciplines, but within the music curriculum it can encourage creativity, reinforce music skills and knowledge, enhance listening, and expand multicultural awareness. We can let the books

Interdisciplinary Projects in Music: You can design in-class and out-of-class projects to tie music to other areas of study and amplify students' musical and general knowledge

Abstract: M ususic education in the elementary school has been influenced by three important approaches to learning: the conceptual approach, the child development approach, and the activities approach.1 Although they have made their marks in curriculum design, the conceptual approach and the child development approach have had more impact on research than on instruction. The activities approach, while incorporating some elements of both the development and conceptual approaches, has been and continues to be the most influential of the three in the area of curriculum development; it is the dominant model for elementary music instruction.

Christopher Waterman on Yoruba Music of Africa: This interview with Christopher Waterman focuses on the music of the Yoruba people of Nigeria and, more generally, sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract: pologists, Christopher Waterman may have been born to be one himself. His father, Richard A. Waterman, was a jazz musician and ethnomusicologist with expertise in sub-Saharan African, Afro-Cuban, Caribbean, and Australian aboriginal musics. His mother, Patricia Waterman, a professor of anthropology at the University of South Florida, specializes in Native American, Australian aboriginal, and Irish cultures. From his birth in 1954 to his present position as one of the most dynamic members of a new generation of ethnomusicologists, Christopher Waterman has carried with him an anthropological wisdom instilled early on through his first home-andfamily culture. Waterman's father was a friend of jazz musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Al McKebban, and Cannonball

Music Technology Helps Students Succeed.

Abstract: School" have become so familiar and repetitive that the credibility of the schools involved in this educational reform effort may be weakened. Some music educators are skeptical of reform movements. Frequently having to fight against the total annihilation of school music programs, musicians sometimes view educational reform as another threat to their existence. Music educators must prepare students to be the musicians of the next century. It's important that students be technologically literate in music as well as in other areas. Computers, CD-ROMs, drum machines, MIDI keyboards, synthesizers, and video laser discs are new tools for teaching.

The Student-Teaching Portfolio.

Abstract: raduating college students often describe student teaching as the most important part of their college education. Although student teaching is only a beginning, it is vital because it is the last chance some teachers have to be observed by a fellow music educator and to receive on-thejob guidance and constructive criticism. Most student teachers grow tremendously during the experience and leave eager to share their knowledge and skills when they find a teaching job. In today's competitive job market, however, that first job may require months or even years of searching. The skills and knowledge acquired during student teaching may not be used right away, and they will slowly fade away if not exercised. Most students are still successful in finding teaching positions, but it seems to require more and more patience and perseverance. It is not uncommon for a prospective teacher to accept employment outside of education while seeking that first music teaching job. A portfolio-a written and video documentation of the student-teach-

Introducing the Music of East Africa.

Abstract: o most American schoolchildren, African music is strange and unfamiliar. The complex rhythms seem somewhat random, the tonalities are odd, and the structure seems unlike that of Western music. In addition, without substantial study, the notation is very difficult to interpret. But it is wonderful, exciting music and well worth trying to understand.l With so much emphasis currently being put on multiculturalism in education, the importance of studying the music of other cultures is gaining currency. The exploration of products of other cultures (including musical products) can help students better understand the people of those cultures, and this should be a highly valued educational goal. Having students listen to, experience, and sing traditional music of various African peoples can result in students gaining new insights into that music. This experience might begin with the identification of important musical elements, such as melody,

Keyboards Launch Students into Music.

Abstract: roup keyboard instruction provides a positive and motivating environment for elementary school students. Each student has the opportunity to explore the keyboard and to discover his or her musical talent, as well as to be part of a team that succeeds in meeting class goals. By providing opportunities for both individual and class practice and achievement, the teacher can encourage students to cooperate with and to help their peers. The teacher can also nurture self-esteem by helping each student succeed at his or her own level of

Why Not Start a Steel Band

Abstract: he steel band, one of the most innovative and exciting percussion ensembles to reach music education in recent years, came to life in Trinidad in the 1930s and 1940s when craftsmen began fashioning steel drums out of discarded oil barrels. Each steel drum, or pan, is made through a process that involves pounding the head down into a concave shape, grooving the position for each note, tempering the metal, cutting the barrel to the desired height, and tuning (adjusting pitch areas with a small hammer).1 The steel band is just now gaining popularity at all levels of music education in this country. It can help create an interest in music that fits well with the multicultural theme developing in all aspects of education. The steel band can also serve as a means of

Mellonee Burnim on African American Music: As part of the “Music in Cultural Context” series, this interview with Mellonee Burnim focuses on the gospel music of African Americans

Abstract: ntil her senior year of high school, Mellonee Burnim attended all-Black schools and churches in rural Teague, Texas. The allBlack Methodist and Baptist churches of her hometown provided her with firsthand knowledge of the music that was to become an important part of her life's work. She was singing gospel music in elementary school and, by the age of twelve, was pianist for three choirs in the three churches. Because Black-based sacred music was \"in the air\" of her African American community, she learned by ear its essence and power and her own musicianship was firmly established from her childhood onward. Burnim enrolled in North Texas State University as a music education major, with a piano concentration and a secondary emphasis in voice. There she studied classical repertoire and technique, while on Sundays she would play piano for services in a small Black Baptist church some thirty miles away. She was utilizing the

Exploring Aesthetics Focus on Native Americans: Using the example of Native American music, Natalie Sarrazin suggests ways of introducing the music of other cultures into the classroom

Abstract: convey it to students objectively. * The classroom is an artificial setting. We are taking material out of context and re-creating and re-representing it in our own classroom environments. This creates artificial circumstances and learning situations (something of which all teachers are well aware). * Different cultures have different ways of conceptualizing music and art. Apart from the difficulties that arise when using Western language and interpretation, the basic fact is that some cultures do not necessarily express, perceive, utilize, or conceptualize art and music in the same way that we do. Therefore, when implementing a multicultural curriculum, teachers who have Western backgrounds and training are attempting to present an unfamiliar culture within the confines of an artificial setting, while taking into account that the culture under study might not conceptualize its music and art in the same way Westerners do.