In 2014, the National Association for Music Education released music standards that strongly emphasized creativity, encouraging teachers to find new ways to implement creative activities into their classrooms. As such, making cross-modal associations and emphasizing divergent thinking are important priorities for teachers to consider. Synesthesia…

Writings related to the meaning and value of music establish that experiences with music influence values and beliefs. The potential impact of this influence highlights the need for sensitivity as teachers orchestrate experiences with musical resources. In a time of increasing division in society, teachers responsibly exercise their influence over…

Music, one of civil society's most important cultural treasures, is undergoing radical, inevitable transformation, especially in places like the United States. A tidal wave of new technology enables a new toolbox for music learning. This is an era of digital music streaming, online experiences, and intelligent instruments that also shape new…

This article examines the NAfME Position Statement on Sacred Music in Schools, which has not been significantly updated since it was first published in 1984. Using genealogical inquiry, the author examines the conditions surrounding the construction of this document in relation to the conditions in the present. Relationships between the history of…

The last two decades in the North America have seen a resurgence of scholarly and practitioner activities advocating for integrating more popular music in music classrooms both through repertoire and pedagogy. However, the emphasis has been on Western-oriented popular music practices, neglecting those of other cultures, even though there is a…

This article presents an approach to music listening that creates spaces for critical literacy, inviting music educators to consider critical literacy practices when listening and responding to music. We begin with a discussion of critical literacy pedagogy in the context of music education followed by a sample flexible lesson plan that uses…

Every composition created by a young composer represents a step in the student's creative path. Assessment, an intrinsic aspect of teaching, fosters learning and propels students forward on their journeys to creative self-expression. Authentic feedback and assessment strategies must be grounded both in the individual musical context of each…

A significant amount of literature exists about how to design and implement an effective assessment process for students in a music program, specifically in the classroom setting. This article suggests a framework for incorporating individualized assessment in the private-lesson setting based on effective classroom assessment practices. Many…

The interpretation of jazz style is crucial to the element of swing in any jazz ensemble performance. Today, many charts for both large and small instrumental and vocal jazz ensembles are well marked with articulations and expression markings. However, in some cases, there is nothing to guide the musician. This article addresses some common jazz…

The public education of students with disabilities in the United States is governed by federal policies that promote school improvement, protect students from discrimination, and provide those who need it with special education and related services to meet their individual needs. This article explains the legal aspects of teaching students with…

This article offers information that will allow music educators to incorporate North Indian classical vocal music into a multicultural music education curriculum. Obstacles to teaching North Indian classical vocal music are acknowledged, including lack of familiarity with the cultural/structural elements and challenges in teaching ear training and…

A primary difficulty with music performance assessment is managing its subjective nature. To help improve objectivity, rubrics can be used to develop a set of guidelines for clearly assessing student performance. Moreover, rubrics serve as documentation for student achievement that provides music teachers with a written form of accountability.…

Because there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of honor choir events each year across the United States, most choir directors will likely be invited to conduct an honor choir at one point or another. Additionally, many conductors will work with honor choirs at the city, municipal, and county levels. Still others will work with ensembles from…

A common desire among music educators is to help students develop the ability to reflect on and evaluate their own music making. To achieve this goal, music educators often provide their students with a variety of instructional activities, such as watching their ensemble's latest concert performance and writing a critical review of it, allowing…

Techniques for eliciting enthusiasm from a captive music audience are discussed. (CK)