Music education in the United States aims to be for every child, yet many students become less interested in school music as they mature. Although previous research reveals activities that upper-elementary students may prefer, much of this research may not represent 21st-century students, the instruments and activities that have enhanced curricula…

The elementary music program is often most likely to include all students in the United States. As such, teachers have an opportunity to encourage lifelong musicianship and musical engagement. Researchers have reported, however, that children's interest in school music activities declines over the elementary years, and general music teachers…

In this second of three in the series, we explore methods for incorporating instrumental ensembles into your music classroom. Experiences such as performing on ukulele, bucket drums, and in modern popular music ensembles are excellent ways to provide meaningful, relevant music education to students of all ages. Using both research-based…

Secondary general music is hard to define. For some, this denotes an accelerated version of elementary general music or a decelerated version of a college music appreciation course. Others view this as any nontraditional ensemble geared for middle or high school students, such as guitar, keyboard, or steel pans. Still, for others, secondary…

As music teachers, part of the job description involves the detection of student errors and the use of our experience and education to eliminate them. This article is an exploration of the role of error in the learning process, with the goal of recognizing mistakes not as an enemy to be vanquished but as a friend with much to teach us. Carol…

This study aimed to explore the personal music listening choices of music teachers. Specifically, in which formats do teachers listen to music for personal pleasure, how do they obtain the music they choose, and how frequently do they choose to listen to certain genres of music. Using an online survey, music teachers answered questions about their…