The excitement of playing an instrument is one of the greatest motivating forces in teaching general music to students. The autoharp, which may be long forgotten in the general music classrooms of the 21st century, is an ideal instrument to "re-introduce" to students. The teaching of a traditional folk instrument provides advantages for…

Expressive movement, created by students to demonstrate musical elements and artistry, provides a valid assessment opportunity for general music teachers. This purposeful movement, "plastique animée", was developed by Swiss composer, Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, in the early 20th century. "Plastique animée" can serve as a useful…

Sound tracks serve a valuable purpose in film and video by helping tell a story, create a mood, and signal coming events. Holst's "Mars" from "The Planets" yields a coincidental soundtrack to Eric Rohmann's Caldecott-winning book, "Time Flies." This pairing provides opportunities for upper elementary and…

The following article provides strategies and suggestions for integrating creative drama into the general music classroom. Various learning theories and basic theatre concepts will be discussed. Integrating music and drama can be an engaging tool for various types of learners. The author provides a sample process drama lesson on Civil Rights…

Performance assessment does not have to be a time-consuming ordeal; it is a great way to assess our students' skills. It is essential to create a rubric that is simple, quick, and objective. This article discusses the process of creating a rubric as well as showing a rubric used by the author in her general music classroom for several years.…

Nancy White Carlstrom's children's book, "Northern Lullaby," conjures through poetry the beauty of the Alaskan landscape in the evening. The book provides an opportunity for music teachers to help their students transform text and visual images to music. The author describes connections for reading comprehension in the general music classroom and…

Listening to music from a variety of national, ethnic, and historical traditions may help adolescents develop respect for individual differences, particularly when they are challenged to confront music that has little immediate musical appeal for them. This article outlines strategies for two sample listening lessons, using Serbo-Croatian gusle…

Middle school general music programs can be vibrant, exciting places, where students are inspired to learn more about music and themselves. In this article, the author discusses how to work with rather than against adolescents' age-appropriate characteristics when planning "content", "process", "assessment", and "classroom environment". Then, she…

This theory-to-practice article focuses on interdisciplinary classroom activities based on principles of collage in modern music, art, and poetry. A two-lesson sequence was designed for an inner-city Grade 4 and 5 general classroom of English language learners, where the unit was taught, assessed, and documented by the authors. Included in the…

In this article, the historical roots of tablature for stringed instruments are noted, and the use of tablature is explained. Modern guitar tablature is then shown and explained, and the author leads the reader through the basics of using Guitar Pro 6, a guitar tablature program that simultaneously displays standard Western staff notation. The…

The middle school general music class is a course that holds many possibilities and challenges. In this research-based article, teachers are encouraged to "teach for transfer," to create worthwhile learning activities that prepare students for music making in the adult community. Three needs of the middle school music student are discussed:…

Music ensemble teachers use informances as means of illuminating less visible student rehearsal experiences that serve as cornerstones for the ever-visible musical performances. How might teachers apply this tool of advocacy and education to the general music classroom? In this article, the author provides a description of action research that she…

General music teachers have a technology tool that not only helps students sing better, it helps them read better! Carry-a-Tune or Singing Coach--the technology that received a rave review from former "General Music Today" technology columnist Kirk Kassner in 2005--is now being offered in an enhanced version called TUNEin[TM] to READING. The…

The article presents activities that tap into elementary and middle school children's multiple ways of knowing by having them visually express impressions and thoughts about music, and conversely, express their impressions of visual art by creating music. Because most children learn through both visual and auditory senses, they may foster deeper…

Presents an article on strengthening the educational value of the elementary musical presentations. Importance of the theories of constructivism and multiple intelligence in improving student learning; Factors which should be considered in planning a music program for elementary students; Suggestions for music educators who are developing music…