Showing papers in "Music Educators Journal in 2008"
TL;DR: Learning by Doing Student-centered instruction is a form of active learning where students are engaged and involved in what they are studying as discussed by the authors. But it does not guarantee that students will learn more by doing and experiencing rather than by observing.
Abstract: Learning by Doing Student-centered instruction is a form of active learning where students are engaged and involved in what they are studying. In the United States, this concept was first described around 1900 in the context of con structivism. As a teaching method, construc tivism goes back to at least the work of edu cation reformer John Dewey and Russian developmental psychologist Lev Vygotsky. According to one definition, constructivism states that students learn more by doing and experiencing rather than by observing.1 If, for example, one wants to learn about the saxophone, he or she will learn more by play ing the saxophone than by listening to and reading about the saxophone. Educators Jacqueline Grennon Brooks and Martin G. Brooks describe the value of allowing student responses to steer lessons and create instruc tional strategies. They recommend asking questions and leading students to solutions rather than simply giving answers, with the goal of nurturing students' natural curiosity.2 Put simply, student-centered instruction is when the planning, teaching, and assessment revolve around the needs and abilities of the students. The teacher shares control of the classroom, and students are allowed to explore, experiment, and discover on their own. This does not mean that the students are in control of the classroom, but rather that they have some influence in the deci
126 citations
TL;DR: College-age music students and even students in middle and high school are experiencing many of the same types of overuse syndromes and similar levels of performance anxiety as professional musicians.
Abstract: here is increasing recognition today that professional musicians aren't the only ones vulnerable to performance-related injuries and high levels of stress. College-age music students and even students in middle and high school are experiencing many of the same types of overuse syndromes and similar levels of performance anxiety. Indeed, many aspects of musical activities are probably more stressful for a student than they are for an accomplished professional. Students may find practicing more taxing mentally and emotionally than professional musicians do. The mastery of complex skills takes years of hard work, requiring patience and a capacity for delayed gratification. Lessons and rehearsals mean hearing a lot of criticism. And then, performing may carry more emotional challenge for students who have not yet fully consolidated their technique or developed the kind of confidence in their abilities that professional musicians rely on. We should be concerned about the longterm effects of elevated stress in students.
31 citations
TL;DR: For example, the authors argue that the further removed the cultural context of the music from the cultural experience of the learners, the more difficult it is for them to make meaningful connections to the new experience.
Abstract: M ulticultural musics offer a wealth of rich musical works for students to explore. Through active engagement with new musical ideas, students learn about the music and about other people. They also often find commonalities with their own music and within themselves as musicians. Teachers know this, and many have a genuine desire to successfully embed multicultural musics into their music curricula, but they may struggle to find ways that engage their students in meaningful ways with music that may sound unfamiliar or strange. One reason it can be difficult to engage students with unfamiliar music in ways that are culturally meaningful to them is that we also endeavor to present unfamiliar music in a cultural context that is as authentic as possible. The further removed the cultural context of the music from the cultural experience of the learners, the more difficult it is for them to make meaningful connections to the new experience. When teaching music of one culture to members of another, whose culture should be honored? Our teaching practices must be authentic to the people whose music we are teaching, but it is also important that it be authentic to the students we are teaching. This is further complicated by the fact that, to learn, students must make a connection to prior experience. We must seek a delicate balance between honoring and respecting the cultural context of the music and honoring and respecting the culture and the learning processes of students in our classrooms.
29 citations
TL;DR: A recent study as mentioned in this paper showed that musicians may suffer physical difficulties nearly as often as football players' though they seldom have to be carried off the stage! Between one and two-thirds of secondary school students suffer performance aches, pains, and woes, whether or not they study privately.
Abstract: rehearsal, a young viola player puts down her instrument, grabs her shoulder, and begins to cry because it hurts. A high school band director, able to hear only some of the ensemble instruments without pitch distortion, fears he might have to make a career change-at the age of thirtyeight. A high school freshman participating in a junior community music theatre group is told that if she wants to get on Broadway, she needs to forget about head voice and learn to belt out a song. Her regular voice teacher and her school choir director are alarmed, and her parents are confused. A college music major stops playing her cello when it becomes too painful. She continues with her major instrument, piano, until she is diagnosed with fibromyalgia-a syndrome associated with musculoskeletal tenderness and fatigue. She drops out of school but returns a year later, happy and healthy, and finishes her degree. She reveals that, when finally diagnosed with and treated for depression, her other symptoms disappeared. As music educators, we are well aware of the many benefits music involvement brings to children's lives. Though these far outweigh the cost, the above scenarios-all true, and all having taken place within the last five years-demonstrate that there are risks associated wi h music making that have yet to be fully addressed by our profession. Studies reveal that musicians may suffer physical difficulties nearly as often as football players,' though they seldom have to be carried off the stage! Between oneand two-thirds of secondary school students suffer performance aches, pains, and woes, whether or not they study privately.2 Certainly music educators, much like health professionals, need to commit themselves to "do no harm." The good news is that risk-reducing, health-inducing strategies are relatively simple, are not time-consuming, and tend to enhance performance. Articles in this special issue will not only identify these risks, but also provide prevention strategies that can be easily implemented by music teachers in the classroom and rehearsal hall.
25 citations
TL;DR: A recent exploration of past issues of the Music Educators Journal (MEJ) provides a view toward the collective wisdom of the profession, a sense of perspective, and a glimpse into the challenges and opportunities that have shaped current conditions as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Since 1914, the Music Educators Journal (initially titled Music Supervisors' Bulletin and then Music Supervisors' Journal) has served the music education profession by providing a platform for the broad dissemination of philosophy, practice-based techniques, research implications, and reports of MENC's efforts. Exploration of past issues of the Music Educators Journal (MEJ) provides a view toward the collective wisdom of the profession, a sense of perspective, and a glimpse into the challenges and opportunities that have shaped current conditions. Middle school choral teachers have many available resources outlining teaching strategies, pedagogical approaches, and repertoire developed to address the needs of young adolescents and their changing voices. Many of these resources come from established experts, and they contain practical information that can be readily employed within the choral classroom. However, few of these resources convey the breadth and longevity of related discussions within the profession. This article is intended to highlight words from the past so that choral teachers can more fully participate in current discussions about working with adolescent singers. This particular exploration is of the boys' changing voice and how it has been portrayed in MEJ over time. Much of the research and resulting pedagogical techniques concerning the boys' changing voice developed in America during MEJ's existence. An initial search for MEJ content mentioning the matter revealed in excess of 400 items from 1914 to 2007. The content
22 citations
TL;DR: The National Standards for Music Education (NMSE) as discussed by the authors have been widely used in the music education community. But the NMSE standards have not yet been implemented in the United States.
Abstract: implementing them? A decade after the release of the National Standards for Music Education in 1994, Bennett Reimer suggested a reconceptualization of the standards.1 He proposed that change was still needed, saying, "Music offerings in United States schools have remained largely the same for well over half a century."2 In addressing the standards specifically, Reimer stated his belief that "we have succeeded magnificently in Standards 1 and 2, singing and playing, for those students who have elected to pursue those areas ... Comparatively, we have accomplished dismayingly little with the other seven standards."3 Reimer went on to provide strategies for including more students in music programs through diverse ways of interacting with music. A few months after the Reimer article appeared, MENC editor Lisa Renfro interviewed Paul Lehman regarding where we have come as a profession since Lehman's involvement with the creation of the 1994 standards document.4 Lehman expressed pride in how the standards have led the profession to better clarify instructional goals, although he suggested that the assessment of these goals was still a challenge. He also expressed concern about professional-development support of teachers in some of the content areas. At the conclusion of that interview, Lehman suggested that the improvement of instruction is one of the greatest challenges still facing the profession:
20 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reported that repeated exposure to loud music can lead to hearing damage, reinforced by reports of hearing problems among musicians and the potential intensity levels of sound that musicians are capable of producing-even within the context of music education.
Abstract: and problems with academic and cognitive performance, and can even be prone to hypertension as they struggle to understand others' words.1 Physicians and scientists who study hearing believe that loud music heard over extended periods is contributing to increasing rates of NIHL. Based on national data from 1988 to 1994, researchers estimate that NIHL affects 12.5 percent of children in the United States ages six to nineteen.2 These rates are now allegedly rising even higher among these and older populations because of the high output levels and use rates of iPod and other sound-producing technologies (whose earbuds bring the sound very near both eardrums).3 In April 2007, Apple announced that it had sold its 100 millionth iPod, making the system the fastest-selling music player in history. The belief that repeated exposure to loud music can lead to hearing damage is reinforced by reports of hearing problems among musicians4 and the potential intensity levels of sound that musicians are capable of producing-even within the context of music education. A 2005 report based on a survey of young people averaging 19.2 years old concluded that 61 percent experienced tinnitus or hearing loss as a result of attending music concerts.5 Another recent report demonstrated that college music students in a marching or pep band were exposed to levels up to 17,000 percent of allowable exposure (dose) for one day.6 Data for this 2007 study were derived and analyzed using standards developed by the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). One hundred percent of the allowable dose for a day is equivalent to an average sound of 85 decibels (dB) for eight hours. (For reference, 85 dB is the volume of a common household blender.) A succession of studies conducted through the University of North Carolina-Greensboro revealed similar concerns for the health of some public school music students and teachers.7
20 citations
TL;DR: Wieczorek as discussed by the authors used choral department outcomes as proof of the benefits of single-sex education in public schools and proposed a new curriculum for music classes to accommodate a variety of learning styles.
Abstract: student learning. ur choral program set the standard for a dramatic change in curriculum offer ings at our high school. When administrators decid ed to incorporate a new approach to educa tion, Gregg Wieczorek, our principal, knew of our department's successful reorganization of music classes to accommodate a variety of learning styles. He used choral department outcomes as proof of the benefits of single sex classes. In the United States, the opportunity in recent years for single-sex education in public schools has existed since a provision was added to the No Child Left Behind Act. To
17 citations
TL;DR: The history of women's participation in wind bands can be traced from the 1870s through the 1970s as mentioned in this paper, with women playing instruments, uniforms, events that influenced the development and documentation of these bands and women's emerging roles in society.
Abstract: women, too, have a long legacy of participation. This article helps to establish women's legitimacy as a part of the American wind band tradition by tracing a century of participation from the 1870s through the 1970s. This overview should spark interesting class discussions with your students about instruments the women played, uniforms worn, the events that influenced the development and documentation of these bands, and women's emerging roles in society. In American towns during the midto late nineteenth century, bands were an important part of the social fabric. They were an early form of popular music medium that provided entertainment long before the advent of radio and before phonographs became common in homes. Bands often performed free concerts, marched in parades, supported military troops, and even played for the sick in hospitals. Their music would draw the local populace to the center of town and, if the band had established a positive reputation, would even draw people from neighboring communities who would travel by horse and buggy to enjoy a free band concert and support the local commerce (see Photo 1). Having a band was a status symbol for a community, and it helped promote a town's quality of life and encouraged others to move there. One historian emphasized their ubiquitous presence: "Bands were the most important musical organizations in nineteenth-century America. ... There were even a few ladies
14 citations
TL;DR: In 2006, the MENC Task Force on National Standards, which had published a set of voluntary National Standards for pre-K-12 music instruction, was asked by MENC's National Executive Board to review the 1994 standards as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: suggestions. n 1994, MENC published a set of voluntary National Standards for preK-12 music instruction.1 These standards, along with standards in theatre, dance, and visual arts, were developed by a process of unprecedented breadth and depth that sought to produce a national consensus of artists, educators, the public, and other stakeholders in education. In 2006, the MENC Task Force on National Standards, which had drafted the original standards, was asked by MENC's National Executive Board to review the 1994
14 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe an initial large-group approach to chamber music and related activities that support minds-on learning based on the concept of cognitive apprenticeship, where specific strategies on a continuum from more to less assistance are used by the teacher to help students become independent musicians.
Abstract: www.mej.sagepub.com C hamber music provides myriad opportunities to develop students' ability to think like professional musicians while engaged in the authentic task of working closely with and learning from peers. Unfortunately, the potential for musical growth inherent in chamber music participation is often unrealized due to either a lack of teacher guidance and support or by too much teacher involvement in decisions about rehearsal content and musical interpretation. As a result, students are engaged in "hands-on" rather than "minds-on" learning.1 This article includes a description of an initial large-group approach to chamber music and related activities that support minds-on learning based on the concept of cognitive apprenticeship. Specific strategies on a continuum from more to less assistance are used by the teacher to help students become independent musicians. Four of these strategies are modeling; coaching or giving guided practice and immediate feedback; scaffolding or structuring practice and giving periodic suggestions; and fading, whereby the teacher gives increasingly less assistance with the ultimate goal of students working independently.2 These activities can help maximize student learning and engagement when playing in a chamber music ensemble and at the same time foster an interest in lifelong chamber music participation. Initial Large-Group Chamber Music Experience
TL;DR: In recent years, portfolios in paper or digital form have become a requirement for teachers and many university teacher education programs throughout the United States, including music education, require a portfolio as a graduation requirement.
Abstract: In recent years, portfolios in paper or digital form have become a requirement for teachers. Many university teacher education programs throughout the United States, including music education, require a portfolio as a graduation requirement. For practicing teachers interested in National Board Certification, a portfolio is part of the assessment process required by the National Board for Professional Standards. Portfolios can be extremely valuable for all teachers, particularly in the field of music, to chronicle professional accomplishments. Much has been published about portfolios, describing every element from the purposes portfolios serve to the content, design, and methods in which they should be distributed. The choices can be daunting. The goal of this article is to examine what a portfolio is and how one can be developed, as well as to provide a portfolio template specifically suited to the music educator.
TL;DR: This article found only nine examples of Korean music out of a total of ninety-seven entries under the category "Asia: East and Southeast" in the master index of a major music textbook publisher.
Abstract: www.mej.sagepub.com Not so many years ago, most of the music taught in classrooms in the United States originated in America or Europe. In recent years, there has been an explosion of multicultural materials for use by the general music educator: African, Latino, and South Asian musical resources immediately come to mind as readily available. American students can drum authentic African rhythms, play Javanese gamelan or Caribbean pan, partner in Japanese hand-clapping games, and sing songs from places as diverse as Polynesia and Poland. Music catalogs offer a veritable smorgasbord from which to select music from various cultures to whet our students' musical appetites. However, in my search for Korean music, I found few examples available for classroom use. In fact, in the master index of songs of a major music textbook publisher, there were only nine examples of Korean music out of a total of ninety-seven entries under the category "Asia: East and Southeast."
TL;DR: In the context of ensemble conductors, the quality of the programs performed by ensembles depends heavily on the sequencing of the repertoire we select as mentioned in this paper, which is the most impor-tant and difficult task that an ensemble conductor can face.
Abstract: Selecting the music that our ensembles perform throughout the course of a school year is one of the most impor-tant and difficult things that we do as ensemble conductors. Programming is not only the act of assembling a set of pieces to perform at a concert but also (and even more important) the establishment of a long-range vision for what our students will accomplish. These two aspects are inseparable, because successful concert programs are a result of a conductor’s programming philosophy and pedagogical vision. Thus, the task of choosing repertoire forces a conductor to make decisions based on the current situation while looking ahead to the future. While we each work in unique situations and our students have different needs, a basic rule still applies: The quality of the programs performed by our ensembles depends heavily on the sequencing of the repertoire we select.
TL;DR: Peter R. LaPine is a professor in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders and is director of the Vocal Tract Performance Laboratory at Michigan State University, East Lansing.
Abstract: Peter R. LaPine is a professor in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders and is director of the Vocal Tract Performance Laboratory at Michigan State University, East Lansing. He can be reached at lapine@msu.edu. n this music health and wellness special M focus issue of Music Educators Journal, vocal health is a particularly meaningful M topic. Singers and performers rely on ~t their voices for both their art and personal fulfillment; they must be constantly aware of how their voices are functioning, both in terms of breathing and vocal fold action. In studying vocal function, the human voice can be analyzed both subjectively and objectively. Its subjective traits include pitch, loudness, and quality, and its objective traits include frequency, intensity, and amplitude. Because objective measurement is usually limited to environments that have the neces-
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that the responsibility of educators to impart a sense of social and global consciousness is overwhelming, and that it is essential that we as educators develop the capacity of our students to reflect critically and take action.
Abstract: and leaders. en en years from now, I don't just want my orchestra students to be able to perform Aaron Joy Kernis's Second Symphony with flawless technique-I want each one of them to take part in shaping the world. We are teaching in an age where the responsibility of educators to impart a sense of social and global consciousness is overwhelming. Ours is an age marked by domestic and global confrontation, a media explosion, and the increasing influence of marketdriven values. Whether our young people will grow into passive consumers or active citizens has become a question fundamental to education in the twenty-first century, and it is essential that we as educators develop the capacity of our students to reflect critically and take action. Even as music educators-and perhaps especially as music educators-we must foster in our students the
TL;DR: In this paper, a teacher tried again to focus her grade 9 band class on the phrasing of a particular passage of music, but they repeatedly gave up, abandoning their soli passage without the appearance of giving an honest effort.
Abstract: www.mej.sagepub.com It was 2:30 on a Thursday afternoon, and my patience was wearing thin. In frustration, I tried again to focus my unruly grade 9 band class on the phrasing of a particular passage of music. Why couldn't they seem to understand the simple idea I was promoting? The supporting chords were being played too heavily and too loudly. The trumpet section was supposed to have a soaring legato melody, but despite the players' skills and the fact that the music was not too difficult for them, they repeatedly "choked" and gave up, abandoning their soli passage without the appearance of giving an honest effort. The supporting sections were not playing with the light tongued style I wanted, and the trumpets were tonguing everything that was supposed to be slurred. Over and over again, I explained what I wanted, analyzed the tonguing and slurring, and implored the trumpets to carry the melody, because no one else in the band had that line. What was wrong with this picture? My students were experienced with the techniques I was requesting. I had no doubt that they had the skills necessary to accomplish the goal that I intended for them. Teacher-educator and researcher Daniel L. Kohut suggests in Musical Performance: Learning Theory and Pedagogy that there are many problems that result from the way teachers often teach. Most teachers focus on the process, not the goal. Like many teachers, I was thinking too much, talking too much, and analyzing and explaining, rather than letting students learn through a natural learning process. Our school system is "essentially a visual, scientific, verbal and cognitive society."' But music is anything but visual, verbal, or scientific. Music is "an aural, aesthetic, nonverbal, perceptual-motor skill."2 My problem was that I was telling the students what I wanted, rather than allowing them to learn it naturally, and the goals were my goals, not theirs. According to Kohut, teachers should begin with a clear mental image of the musical goal and should concentrate on trying to reproduce it, by using the natural learning process that all children are born with.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe American music and music in America in a time of demographic diversity and what a teacher does to represent the pluralistic character of America in music selected for study in the classroom.
Abstract: www.mej.sagepub.com They're as American as apple pie: Ballads, blues, bluegrass, Broadway, and jazz. But why stop there? Add to the American music list the sounds of gospel, polka, salsa, and stomp dances. How does one describe American music and music in America in a time of demographic diversity? What does a teacher do to represent the pluralistic character of America in music selected for study in the classroom? The answers to these questions require reflection and an examination of resources that are credible, accessible, and feasible for use.
TL;DR: The authors found and used similarities among music and two or three other subjects to foster a deeper understanding of music and its cur rent and historical roles in society, and found that the arts help make conceptual learning more visi ble, therefore deepening instructional strategies and making the educational process more meaningful.
Abstract: of New York's Harlem in the 1940s. s a music educator and team player in urban schools, I have often felt the burden that many teachers who teach in underachieving schools feel-the challenge of teaching children so that they will learn. My strate gy involves an interdisciplinary approach to music teaching and learning. My goal is to find and use similarities among music and two or three other subjects to foster a deeper understanding of music and its cur rent and historical roles in society. The arts help make conceptual learning more visi ble, therefore deepening instructional strategies and making the educational process more meaningful.I
TL;DR: In conducting workshops, attention is sometimes drawn to the relationship between conducting and the art of mime theatre as discussed by the authors, where professional mimes lecture on fundamentals and provide feedback on participants' conduct ing. Although I always found mime concepts compelling, my attempts to transfer them to my own conducting were frustrated by a very superficial understanding of the art form.
Abstract: their gestures. n conducting workshops, attention is sometimes drawn to the relationship between conducting and the art of mime theatre. At some, professional mimes lecture on fundamentals and provide feedback on participants' conduct ing. Although I always found mime concepts compelling, my attempts to transfer them to my own conducting were frustrated by a very superficial understanding of the art form. This frustration led me to study mime theatre myself, hoping to develop an understanding that would enhance my own conducting and teaching. My brief studies have taught me that mime can assist us both physically and artistically as we strive to bring clarity, economy, and expression to our musical leadership. With the help of mime techniques, we can talk less and conduct more, allowing our students to make better music. There are some obvious parallels between the two art forms. Mimes and conductors both refine silent techniques to maximize clarity and optimize their message. There is a great deal of similar vocabulary: Mimes talk about phrasing, unison, counterpoint, and canon. They also deal with issues of pacing, shape, style, articulation, and dynamics many of the same things that define and ani mate music. What follows is a selection of mime concepts that have inspired the most reflection on my approach to conducting.
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TL;DR: Turner as discussed by the authors provides a very brief history of gospel music, look at religious music in schools, share my experiences, and discuss how you can prepare to teach gospel music in America's classrooms.
Abstract: Patrice E. Turner is a doctoral candidate in music and music education and serves as a student teaching supervisor at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City. She can be contacted at patriceeturner@gmail.com. T he word gospel means “good news,” and gospel music is the good news of the message of Jesus of Nazareth in song. African American gospel is a style that is growing in popularity. The number of twenty-four-hour gospel radio stations in the United States is increasing, and sales of gospel music recordings are on the rise.1 Gospel music award shows are televised nationally, and elements of the gospel style are being used more in commercials on television, radio, and the Internet. People are becoming more aware of gospel music, including students in America’s classrooms. Some students have considerable experience with gospel music, whereas others have little or no knowledge of it. Faced with the need to teach to populations with diverse backgrounds, many choral music educators are taking notice of gospel music and are considering teaching it in their classrooms. In addition, gospel is a popular music style, and including it in the choral music education curriculum reinforces several of the National Standards (1—singing a varied repertoire of music; 3—improvisation; and 9—understanding music and its relationship to history and culture).2 How does one teach gospel music, particularly if he or she is not familiar with the gospel style and did not grow up having experiences with it? In this article, I offer a very brief history of gospel music, look at religious music in schools, share my experiences, and discuss how you can prepare to teach gospel music.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the importance of active over passive learning, the role of purposive listening and appreciation, the impact of learner autonomy, the difference between group and peer-directed learning, and how classical music can be learned through informal practices.
Abstract: Music, Informal Learning and the School: A New Classroom Pedagogy bridges the divide between research and practice by providing a detailed description and analysis of how informal learning practices of popular musicians were implemented in British secondary music classrooms in a project that took place from 2002 to 2006. Author Lucy Green, a professor of music education at the University of London, suggests that “such learning practices could possibly enhance motivation and increase a range of musical skills in ways that [are] largely missing from pedagogy and from the school curriculum” (p. 4). She challenges readers to consider the place and significance of popular music and informal learning practices in the musical lives of adolescents. Although this book may be especially pertinent to secondary general music teachers, any music educator could benefit from reflecting on Green’s findings. The book includes seven chapters. The first two introduce the book and the author’s research methodology, describe the informal learning approach, and present the role of the teacher and teachers’ initial reactions to the approach. The remaining five chapters discuss the major findings of Green’s investigation, including the importance of active over passive learning, the role of purposive listening and appreciation, the impact of learner autonomy, the difference between group and peer-directed learning, and the way classical music can be learned through informal practices. Readers interested in adopting Green’s approach may find the five principles of informal learning to be particularly relevant (p. 10). These principles are based on Green’s earlier research, described in How Popular Musicians Learn (2002), and include the need for learner-selected music, skill development through copying recordings, and learning that occurs through self-directed, peer-directed, and group processes. Green places these principles at the core of the pedagogy and concedes that they stand in opposition to how many music teachers are trained and to the way many music classrooms typically function in Western culture. However, she maintains that the principles resonate with the authentic practices of professional musicians and were “developed by learners, through learning, rather than by teachers through teaching” (p. 22). Paradoxically, it may be both a strength and a potential weakness that Green chose to integrate descriptions of the pedagogy with the voices of teachers and learners. Her approach allows the reader to acquire an understanding of the pedagogical processes as well as their positive and negative impact on actual classrooms. At times, however, the sheer number supporting interviews and observations may feel overwhelming to some readers. It may thus be helpful to read the cogent yet succinct chapter summaries first and then explore specific topics of interest as desired. Informal music learning in schools can be controversial, particularly when teachers are accustomed to controlling the learning environment. Green acknowledges this tension and in no way advocates that music educators abandon all of their existing practices and traditions. Rather, Green contends that including these principles in schools can connect the musical worlds of young people to school music, making learning more relevant, deep, and enjoyable.
TL;DR: The concentrated nature of the rehearsal schedule gave me pause; few professional orchestras have a schedule as rigorous as the one that was before me as mentioned in this paper, and when I inquired about the format of the event, I learned that the schedule had been deterministic.
Abstract: upcoming high school district festival, I opened the thick envelope eager to get started with the task of organizing the event. While I had a great deal of excitement anticipating the event, I was struck by the amount of work the students would have to accomplish in a very short time. The concentrated nature of the rehearsal schedule gave me pause; few professional orchestras have a schedule as rigorous as the one that was before me. When I inquired about the format of the event, I learned that the schedule had been deter-
TL;DR: In this article, Tejeda and Avelardo Valdez described a similar conjunto event, where couples of all ages shuffling and gliding side-to-side to the music.
Abstract: www.mej.sagepub.com With the evening engulfed in the Texas heat, the arena was filled with the scents of fajitas and tortillas. It was enveloped by the sounds of the dancer's feet shuffling side to side; the musicians playing accordion, guitars, and drums; and with singing, laughter, applause, and gritos (loud shouts and hollers) made by the audience, which included family and friends visiting and reconnecting. Near the stage, a crowd of Tejanos' stood singing, moving, and listening to the conjunto group housed in an outdoor arena. In the arena, an expansive dance floor contained couples of all ages shuffling and gliding side to side to the music. They were spinning and twirling each other to the music as they all flowed seamlessly in a community circle that was propelled by the musical performance. Juan Tejeda and Avelardo Valdez described a similar conjunto event:2
TL;DR: The centennial of the founding of the National Association for Music Education (MENC) provides an opportunity to reflect on some of the qualities that have contributed to the effectiveness of the organization.
Abstract: The centennial of the founding of MENC: The National Association for Music Education provides an opportunity to reflect on some of the qualities that have contributed to the effectiveness of the organization. The Music Educators Journal (MEJ), known in 1914 as Music Supervisors' Bulletin, has served as the voice of MENC since the early part of the twentieth century. A number of articles from past issues offer historical perspective on decisions and events that helped to shape the values, beliefs, and goals of MENC members and the association. These articles provide the historical context needed to understand how MENC responded to a national crisis and how educators used music to provide healing and comfort to a nation facing unprecedented challenges. An important goal of MENC has always been to maintain a commitment to the preservation of the American culture and traditions through music. The National Anthem Project is a current program that supports this goal. Recent notices in MEJ encourage educators to peruse the MENC Web site (www .menc.org) to discover ways to engage their communities in celebrations that include the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." This encouragement to music educators is not a new endeavor for MENC but is an extension