Music education has many "elephants" in its classrooms: obvious major problems that go unmentioned and suffered silently. Two of the larger, more problematic "elephants" are identified, analyzed, and critiqued: (1) the hegemony of university schools of music on school music and the resulting focus in school music on…

This response by Thomas A. Regelski was solicited to complement the lead article in this issue, "Toward Convergence: Adapting Music Education to Contemporary Society and Participatory Culture" by Evan S. Tobias. The author notes that many interesting and vital questions and alternatives that are often studiously ignored, overlooked, or taken for…

Explores the functions of the left and right hemispheres and how they relate to aspects of our work in music education. (Editor)

Author explored the conflict of the ideal and the practical in music education. (Editor/RK)

Action learning is recommended for music educators because it has theoretical and practical merits. There are three levels of action goals for action learning. Guidelines can help teachers implement an effective action learning program. (Author/AM)

Action learning seeks to develop an active, positive attitude toward the personal benefits of musical involvement and places learners' goals and intentions at the center of teaching. But, because action learning uses activities, it can easily be confused with the activities approach. Any similarities, however, are superficial. (RM)

Music study should be construed primarily as an experience of its feeling content. Taught so, it can reach for the inner core of the early adolescent, to pierce that sometimes hard outer surface that protects the vulnerable inner life. Attempts to intellectualize music with young teens are doomed. (Author/SJL)