This article presents the composer Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) as an historical educator in the context of the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures on Poetry at Harvard University (1939-1940), published as "The Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons." As music professors at North American institutions of Christian Higher Education, the…

Work produced during a course of study in the creative arts may differ from assessment in other disciplines in the following ways: (1) it is non-text-based: work may consist of a performance, video recording, digital or interactive work, music composition, audio recording, or physical artefact; and (2) it is creative: works demonstrate individual…

What can be done to re-orient a field of education like music, when far too many teachers teach the way they were taught using traditional procedures that stupefy and deaden students to the subject matter, rather than working creatively to invigorate and empower them to become thoughtfully engaged, independent music makers? The essays in this…

Greater diversity and inclusivity in music curricula are goals that permeate discussions in education. Achieving these goals, however, is complex and presents inherent difficulties as music not only values tradition but also promotes the past. Many music traditions were exclusionary and unintentionally cultivated a culture in which many people…

This annotated resource guide presents 133 pieces of music inspired by astronomical ideas, discoveries, or history, organized in 22 subject categories. Both classical and popular music are included, but only when a clear connection to astronomy could be established. Depending on your musical tastes, you are likely to find some pieces resonating…

The article is based on a phenomenological way of thinking about knowledge and learning and will treat the concepts of response and critical friends as ways of sharing experience in higher music education. The problem area I want to illuminate is how teachers, who educate musicians, can use and facilitate development of their students' skills…

This article describes a collaborative clinical field experience initiative conceived to provide meaningful fieldwork for preservice music educators, musically engage underserved students in a high-poverty school, and include instruction on composition and improvisation. The author chronicles the planning, implementation, and subsequent revisions…

The paper considers the innovations and impacts of technology on the fine arts. It explores the effect of technology on how music is taught, studied, performed and created. There is a brief historical account of the recent advances in personal computers, MIDI, synthesizers and music software. The standard of technology competency, set by the…

The Music Information System for Theorists (MIST) allows musicians to find pedagogical music excerpts with ease and speed. Users may search for excerpts using as keys composer, date, and/or musical concept exhibited. The desired excerpts are printed in conventional music notation or output in MUSTRAN code via the Indiana University Computer Music…

Waulking is the process of shrinking tweed into a tightly woven cloth by rolling the wool into a tube and pounding it on the table in a rhythmic pattern. In the Outer Hebrides, off the western coast of Scotland, this process is traditionally done while singing. During waulking, the songs that were sung gave information about the social structure…

In 1959 the Ford Foundation made its first grant to support young composers teaching in high schools. Despite setbacks, this resulted in advances in thinking and attitudes in the music education world. Since then, the Music Educators National Conference has taken an active role in the expansion of this project. (CS)

Discusses how microcomputers can aid in higher-level creative processes, enabling students to experience the joy/fulfillment of spontaneous creative expression. "The Magic Melody Box" (Atari) program, in which users choose a rhythm and draw a melody line, is used as an example to illustrate the computer's potential in this area. (JN)

Four commercially available music programs are reviewed: "Music Games,""MusicMaster I,""Notes and Keys, " and "Music Tutor." These and other programs enable secondary/college students and adults to study music theory and acquire music training without the aid of an instructor. (JN)

Discusses the importance of teaching improvisation. Defines improvisation as the spontaneous generation of melody and rhythm without specific preparation or premeditation. Answers reasons for not teaching improvisation. Suggests training the ear, providing models, allowing for imitation, developing performance facility, guaranteeing success, and…

The centennial year of Edward K. "Duke" Ellington's birth has inspired many American colleges and universities to convene tribute concerts and conferences. However, few schools offer majors in jazz-related studies; those that do often maintain strict separation between jazz and classical music instruction. Many in the jazz-education…