Teachers of general music are tasked with the challenge of locating high-quality repertoire for classroom use and to incorporate that repertoire into meaningful music learning encounters for children and youth. This task may become all the more difficult when seeking out repertoire of substance from traditional sources, finding songs of folk…

“Let’s do it again,” shout the children as they complete an activity in music class. A casual observer would be aware that the children are fully engaged but may not be sure of the lesson focus. Is it to help children learn a new orchestra piece? To teach about the beat? To teach form? To teach rhythm? To teach children to read a music score? To…

Inquiry-based learning is shown as an effective methodology to reach diverse student populations. It aligns with the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems and their methodology of culturally responsive teaching. (Contains 2 resources.)

Language and music literacy share a similar process of understanding that progresses from sensory experience to symbolic representation. The author identifies Bruner’s modes of understanding as they relate to using narrative in the music classroom to enhance music reading at iconic and symbolic levels. Two sound stories are included for…

This article presents steps toward gaining knowledge of world music pedagogy for K-12 general music educators. The majority of the article details steps that invite engagement within everyday contexts with accessible resources within local and online communities. The steps demonstrate ways general music teachers can diversify and self-direct their…

This article highlights a group ballad project which is a part of student experiences in Sing and Shout!, a course that integrates academic study with singing and song writing to develop a deeper understanding of problems in society. Students explore the intricacies of song composition and social consciousness drawn from past events that reflect…

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…

To be culturally responsive teachers, we must first have an understanding of other cultures and how students from these cultures differ from one another. As we consider the many cultures represented in our classrooms, we might also consider students with disabilities as a cultural group. Within any main culture are subgroups differentiated by…

This column "comes clean" about secondary general music, admitting some common wrongs, looking briefly into some reasons for the current state of affairs, and finally moving onto a redefinition of secondary general--a redefinition that perhaps may be the best hope for responsive and respectful music education. (Contains 4 notes.)

The main adaptations that will be made for music students with physical disabilities are those that make the classroom accessible and those that make classroom instruments accessible. There are a number of principles to guide one when selecting instruments for students with physical disabilities. These principles can assist one in determining the…

Stacy McKenzie is challenged to find new ways to involve students in their learning. She begins this journey by developing a lesson planning framework based on constructivist principles for learning. The perspectives Stacy applies in her program are shared in this article: First, by examining how she crafts a lesson framework that provides…

In Geoff Edgers's biography of the Beatles, "Who Were the Beatles?", young readers learn of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison's youth and growth as musicians, the band's formation, and their contributions to music in popular culture. "General Music Today" columnist, Cardany provides music teachers with related music…

The principles of Hungarian music educator Zoltan Kodaly can be particularly useful not only in teaching children how to read music notation but also in creating curiosity and enjoyment for reading music. Many of Kodaly's ideas pertaining to music literacy have been echoed by educators such as Jerome Bruner and Edwin Gordon, as well as current…

Effective music educators often recognize that there is more than one way to teach a musical objective and understand that a specific approach may be more appropriate than another in a given setting. To meet contemporary demands, music educators need to be smart--understanding the nuances of various theories of learning, savvy--understanding their…

This article explores ways for music teachers to influence music making in the home. Often preschool music programs include parents in the music education process, but when children enter school, the parent connection is not usually continued with the same intensity. This article will serve as a catalyst for further conversations on ways to…