This article explores the interplay between young children's spontaneous engagement in learning through their imagination, and the mind-set of the teacher when approaching planning for instruction. Perhaps by connecting with our own imaginative thinking, we can gain insights about our young learners, and find additional strategies to promote…

General music teachers might be faced with formal performance expectations placed on them by administrators. While performance expectations are common in performance-based ensembles, meeting these expectations can be cumbersome and daunting to those who serve in the realm of general music. Informances--informative presentations of student learning…

School music programs are changing. For years the music education profession has emphasized large ensemble experiences for reasons that include quality of music making, sense of community, and individual and collective pride for many of the students involved. As a high school saxophonist, I valued that experience, but other high school…

This article examines critical issues related to teacher decision-making in early childhood music classrooms. Through the story of one teacher's experience, we take a closer look at specific criteria to guide decision-making, and strategies to deepen awareness of young children's needs in the music classroom and guide instructional…

This article seeks to characterize culturally responsive teaching; consider how it differs from other pedagogical approaches in music education informed by culture, such as multicultural music education; and offer ideas for making the general music classroom more culturally responsive.

Improvisation, the third content standard for the National Standards for Music Education (Music Educators National Conference, 1994), has received less attention from music teachers. This article advocates for more improvisation specifically free improvisation in general music classrooms. The nature of free improvisation, and its evolution in the…

With the increase of preK programs in public schools, music educators are increasingly more involved in teaching 3- and 4-year-old students. Many music educators find this difficult, as teaching young children requires different--and often unfamiliar--training and experience in child development and appropriate early childhood methodologies. This…

A review of recent writing makes the case that children living in poverty (urban, rural, or other) are more in jeopardy now than ever. As teachers attest and research asserts, poverty affects children in profound, complicated, and lasting ways. However, the general music program is uniquely positioned to meet children’s needs, especially those…

Playing Orff instruments provides students with a wide variety of opportunities to explore creative musicianship. This article examines the benefits of classroom instrument study, common challenges encountered, and viable teaching strategies to promote student success. The ability to remove notes from barred instruments makes note accuracy more…

The number of professional ensembles and organizations with dedicated outreach concerts has been steadily increasing over the past decade. More recently, educational concerts pairing chamber music with young children have been documented. The work presented in this article is a study in the efficacy and feasibility of this format. Various music…

This article explores issues of authenticity related to adapting world music examples for classroom instruments and suggests ways to engage students in active, participatory music-making activities derived from diverse musical cultures. Several lesson plan segments are provided to aid general music specialists in implementing "play along"…

This column presents an account of the Homebrew Ukulele Union: an ensemble where students build their own instruments, write their own compositions and arrangements, and organize performances in the local community. One author, a member of the group, presents the student perspective on building, learning, leading, and performing, whereas the…

Minds-on engagement in active learning is explored through the experiences of Margaret Sanders, a general music teacher. Minds-on learners think about their experiences. They are actively involved as questioners and problem solvers while they complete musical tasks and reflect on their work after it is completed. Minds-off learners focus on their…

This article reviews best practices for young children's music experiences in light of developments in brain research. The first section reviews research music and brain topics including neuromyths, effect of music on structural brain changes and general intelligence, plasticity, critical and optimal periods, and at-risk student populations. The…

We are just at the beginning stages of applying neuroscientific findings to music teaching. A simple model of the learning cycle based on neuroscience is Sense [right arrow] Integrate [right arrow] Act (sometimes modified as Act [right arrow] Sense [right arrow] Integrate). Additional components can be added to the model, including such concepts…