A trained music educator accepted a band paraprofessional position and discovered some of the challenges inherent in the role. Certified for K-12 music, he was hired part-time in a large suburban instrumental music program. The job, although interesting and challenging, did not pay enough to sustain him financially. Other music educators warned…

This article offers a brief overview of the causes and manifestations of performance anxiety and suggests methods for professors to combat it in the studio setting. The topics of mentoring, physical and mental relaxation, dietary health, and imaging are explored. Primary source material is referred to throughout the article, so readers can easily…

This article encourages music teachers to consider the complexity of their students' cultural identities and the role these identities play in the formation of students' self-concept. The musical heritage students bring to the classroom may provide a rich foundation of experience for teaching and learning music. Readers are challenged to consider…

The teacher-student relationship can afford the music educator an opportunity to be the first to identify behaviors associated with epilepsy. A case of a student with epilepsy, based on the authors' experience, is described in which the music educators were the first and only individuals to become aware of a change in the student's behavior, after…

This article offers a discussion about some of the accommodations and modifications used in music instruction. The focus here is on the musical tasks and challenges faced by band students with visual impairments. Research and literature reveal an interest in the topic but a lack of accessible materials for immediate use in the classroom and…

In times of difficulty, it is easy to see what many policymakers value. It would seem that many of them view the arts as a noncrucial element of a child's school curriculum. They want to cut music because they do not value music for its own sake, nor can they see how music could possibly help students in math, reading, or science. But what do the…

An examination of the 2005-2010 online archives of major American network news stations and newspapers reveals a troubling picture for music education. News stories frequently mention the disappearance of music education. When the media mention the existence of music education, they often promote it as a means of raising standardized test scores…

This article addresses the pervasiveness of harassment in schools in the United States and presents ways to recognize and stem bullying in music classrooms. Music educators are in a unique position to recognize atypical behaviors in their students. Music educators who teach middle and high school ensembles often retain the same students in their…

There is a substantial body of literature on music education in urban settings; however, few resources are available to music educators working in other increasingly diverse school districts across the United States. This article offers a discussion of language barriers and miscommunications between music teachers and students whose cultural…

A great deal of discussion of religious music in schools has been generated in our field. As we become increasingly sensitive to the diverse interests of the multiple stakeholders in public schools, issues of political correctness and pedagogical goals are raised. The author poses questions about religion and music education. To generate a…

In recent years, popular music has become a growing area of music study and is increasingly accepted in schools and universities around the world. Despite this general enthusiasm, classically trained music teachers bring a certain hesitation to this art form, perhaps because too few have had formal hands-on experience with it. This article…

The creative music strategy is a dynamic and flexible seven-step model for guiding general music students through the music concepts of improvisation and composition, followed by critical reflection. These are musical behaviors that cultivate the development of our students' deeper conceptual understandings and music independence by helping them…

While the teacher is still the coordinator and designer of classroom musical experiences, the teacher does not need to direct every activity every moment. The teacher's role is important, but it changes to shift the focus of classroom instruction from what the teacher will do to what the students will figure out. This includes carefully crafting…

Society expects those in the music education profession to contribute to societal development by affirming and educating future generations. Historically, music educators have been fairly willing to examine and transform what they do in order to meet the changing needs of the students who walk into their classrooms. Commercial interests as well as…

Student teaching often provides prospective music educators with a guided teaching experience that they can refer to throughout their professional careers. In the words of one teacher, the author often thinks back to her student teaching experience for strategies in her current teaching and classroom. She had a great cooperating teacher who…