Music Learning Today

""At the beginning of Chapter 1, I quote author Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" (1984, p. 36). To me, technology has always been somewhat magical. Growing up I liked both magic tricks and electronic gadgets. When I was very young I remember being picked out of the audience by a magician to help him with a trick, thrilled with the seemingly mystical act that he accomplished with my assistance. I loved seeing magicians live or on TV, and I borrowed magic books from the local public library to learn tricks that I tried out on my family. As I became older and obtained various technological devices, they too fascinated me with the somewhat magical (to me) things they were able to do. Two items, in particular, stand out in my memory. I acquired an analog audio tape recorder that I used to play duets with myself by recording one part and then playing it back while performing the other part live. This made practicing my euphonium so much more fun and likely increased my practice time as I worked to record the perfect "take" of each line of the various duets I had in my books! I was also excited to receive a CB radio one Christmas, which allowed me to stay in close contact, at all times of the day and night, with my best friend who had received the same gift. It augmented my social network, such as it existed in those days. In addition, it was amazing to be able to use the radio to listen to and learn from the conversations picked out of the air of people from all over. Technology had magical qualities and I loved how it allowed me to do things that were otherwise not possible, as well as things that made life more interesting and enjoyable. I still feel the same way today. ""--

This text presents an approach to integrating technology into music teaching and learning that is grounded in research and best practices. It describes how connecting musical knowledge and skill outcomes, pedagogy, and technology may support development and refinement of student musicianship.

How do children learn music? And how can music teachers help children to become independent and self-sufficient musical thinkers? Author Eric Bluestine sheds light on these issues in music education.

Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing, and Responding to Music presents an approach to conceptualizing and utilizing technology as a tool for music learning. Designed for use by pre- and in-service music teachers, it provides the essential understandings required to become an adaptive expert with music technology, creating and implementing lessons, units, and curriculum that take advantage of technological affordances to assist students in developing their musicianship. Author William I. Bauer makes connections among music knowledge and skill outcomes, the research on human cognition and music learning, best practices in music pedagogy, and technology. His essential premise is that music educators and students benefit through use of technology as a tool to support learning in the three musical processes - creating, performing, and responding to music. The philosophical and theoretical rationales, along with the practical information discussed in the book, are applicable to all experience levels. However, the technological applications described are focused at a beginning to intermediate level, relevant to both pre-service and in-service music educators and their students. This expanded second edition features an all-new student-friendly design and updated discussions of recent technological developments with applications for music teaching and learning. The revamped companion website also offers a new teacher's guide, with sample syllabi and lessons for each chapter.

Experts in child psychology and pedagogy concur that how children are schooled today seriously conflicts with how they learn and develop. Children are being left behind and the promises and possibilities of childhood are slipping away. This book aims to disclose a deeper understanding of music’s importance in children’s lives and their need to know, explore, wonder, and play. Directed toward music teachers, teacher educators, and scholars, this text invites inquiries and provides insights into contemporary challenges to learning and teaching in an era of standardization. A compendium of essays, classroom voices and vignettes is supported by relevant research in music education and companion disciplines in psychology, philosophy, and sociology. Storytelling with scholarship contributes authenticity and strengthens the premise of this book.

Whether you are a pre-service, newly-hired, or veteran elementary general music teacher, Engaging Musical Practices: A Sourcebook on Elementary General Music offers a fresh perspective on topics that cut across all interactions with K-5th grade music learners. Chapter authors share their expertise and provide strategies, ideas, and resources to immediately apply their topics; guiding focus on inclusive, social, active, and musically-engaging elementary general music practices.

This work offers students a complete overview of key writings on music education, from the ancient Greeks to contemporary American thought, with emphasis on writings from the last 100 years. Designed to complement the standard music pedagogy course, the selections range from Plato's Republic through William Billing's writings on Colonial American Music Education through the 2001 advocacy for music education. In five sections, each part of the book is introduced by a brief essay giving an overview of the material covered and information placing it within the critical context of its day. Individual articles are also prefaced with informative headnotes.

Today's music teachers are caught in a conundrum about technology - while all are interested in it and told to utilize it in music instruction, a lack of equipment and funding act as enormous barriers to technology access. In fact, studies indicate that the mere perception of these obstacles may be partly responsible for the gap between these teachers' interest in technology and the lack of technology integration in the classroom. As a result, students potentially miss out on active, hands-on music technology instruction at school. In Practical Music Education Technology, veteran music educators Rick Dammers and Marjorie LoPresti help music teachers introduce technology into the classroom by providing accessible strategies to support and enrich students' musical learning. The authors highlight a plethora of free online tools at teachers' disposal, and provide options that can be flexible for all school environments and types of teachers - from those with large budgets to those operating on a shoestring, from those well-versed in technology to non-experts. Each chapter outlines pedagogically appropriate resources and strategies that facilitate, support, and enhance music learning, performance, and creation. Additionally, model lesson plans featuring classroom-tested uses of technology aim to empower student engagement while also keeping music learning goals at the forefront. All teaching ideas presented can be tailored to individual teachers' needs and preferences, making Practical Music Education Technology an essential guide to music technology for the everyday music teacher.

If you ever want to start a fight in the staffroom then bring up the question of the use of music in the classroom. And if you want to settle that perennial dispute then this is the book to do it with. Nina's groundbreaking research has proven how music can be of direct benefit for learning and motivation in classrooms across the school and this book , simply and effectively, tells you what music to use, when and why. So, put away your whale song CD and your James Last box set and explore how real music can transform your classroom.

In this new edition of their groundbreaking Kodály Today, Mícheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka offer an expertly-researched, thorough, and -- most importantly -- practical approach to transforming curriculum goals into tangible, achievable musical objectives and effective lesson plans. Their model -- grounded in the latest research in music perception and cognition -- outlines the concrete practices behind constructing effective teaching portfolios, selecting engaging music repertoire for the classroom, and teaching musicianship skills successfully to elementary students of all degrees of proficiency. Addressing the most important questions in creating and teaching Kodály-based programs, Houlahan and Tacka write through a practical lens, presenting a clear picture of how the teaching and learning processes go hand-in-hand. Their innovative approach was designed through a close, six-year collaboration between music instructors and researchers, and offers teachers an easily-followed, step-by-step roadmap for developing students' musical understanding and metacognition skills. A comprehensive resource in the realm of elementary music education, this book is a valuable reference for all in-service music educators, music supervisors, and students and instructors in music education.