Sufficient space is integral to high-quality music instruction, but what makes our space "sufficient"? This article provides historical and theoretical background about the role of space in learning and the use of movement as a tool for learning music. When their input is sought, children order space as a high priority within a school…

In times of difficulty, it is easy to see what many policymakers value. It would seem that many of them view the arts as a noncrucial element of a child's school curriculum. They want to cut music because they do not value music for its own sake, nor can they see how music could possibly help students in math, reading, or science. But what do the…

Music educators are part of a team charged with nurturing the development of the whole child. This includes instilling in students cognitive keys to essential life values that will be drawn on through adulthood. To help music educators attain this goal, this article encourages the inclusion of contexualized music units--immersive studies of…

An examination of the 2005-2010 online archives of major American network news stations and newspapers reveals a troubling picture for music education. News stories frequently mention the disappearance of music education. When the media mention the existence of music education, they often promote it as a means of raising standardized test scores…

During two decades of observing and leading middle school choral rehearsals, the author has observed that teachers frequently repeat exactly the warm-ups they present to their young adolescent choirs at every rehearsal. If teachers know one thing about middle school students, they know that they are constantly changing--physically, intellectually,…

Through simple and pleasurable movement experiences a very young child can be led to an understanding of the intricate craft of music and the signs and symbols of the music "language", while developing at the same time an increasing appreciation and perception of music as an artistic expression. (Author)

Article stressed the need for a music teacher in an open school to have an openness to people and ideas. It also described the educational objectives at the Olive School in Arlington Heights, Illinois. (Author/RK)

This article on open education and the direction it is taking is a kind of "state of the wave (movement)" message-a necessary caution not only for those moving along nicely with the current, but also for those who may already be over their heads and those who have yet to test the water. (Editor/RK)

Article examined the difficulty of teaching music in an open classroom with children of different ages and where some children did other things. (Author/FK)

Contends that children in the early childhood years do not compartmentalize knowledge and that the typical school curriculum presents artificial barriers to learning. Discusses the link between music and language acquisition and the significance of the home environment on music skill development. (CFR)

The author outlines music education and instruction in the Soviet Union. He points out the accent on group rather than individual performance. (RK)

Discusses using audiation and music aptitudes as teaching tools to allow students to reach their full music potential. Describes music audiation and aptitudes and focuses on the importance of early music experiences for developing music vocabularies and musical aptitude. (CMK)

Presents an example of how a teacher can incorporate "play" into the music classroom. Describes play in general, discusses musical play, and considers the benefits of play for children. Addresses the teacher's role and how teachers can enter into children's play. (CMK)

Children's natural endeavors that enable them to attain self-realization and fulfillment were given the name "self-activity" by the German philosopher Friedrich Froebel. Discussed are components traceable to the self-activity principle that appear in early childhood song materials published around the turn of the century. (RM)