Music teachers often need to be creative in finding monies for programs that go beyond the basics and reach more students. Grant-writing skills can bring both funding and other types of donations to enhance music programs. Researching the funding sources, looking at successful proposals, carefully following directions, seeking the opinions of…

Music educators can nurture students' lifelong musical involvement, both as consumers and as participants. Orienting musical instructional practices around classroom elements suggested by achievement goal theory can foster lifelong musical connections. Practices related to using meaningful and challenging tasks, evaluations that decrease emphasis…

Many music educators struggle with adapting buildingwide professional development initiatives into their own curriculum and teaching practice while still maintaining the integrity of the musical experiences they bring to the classroom. One vastly popular trend in instructional strategies, differentiated instruction, is both accessible to the music…

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…

Differentiating music instruction can be done well with a bit of forethought and creativity. When strategically used, music educators can better meet students' needs and make great strides in individual and overall student achievement. A variety of K-12 choral, instrumental, and general music examples is included. (Contains 7 notes and 2 tables.)

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…

The "Three Artistic Processes" provide a powerful model for organizing standards-based music teaching and assessment as well as a vision of the musically educated student. They also clarify how student-centered music education helps children master 21st-century skills necessary for future success. This article outlines why and how music teachers…

The sound of the Native American flute seems to convey care, sadness, loneliness, longing, heartfelt emotion, a sense of the natural world, wisdom, the human spirit, and a sense of culture. It is a sound that competes for attention, dramatically punctuating messages about First Nation peoples on television and in movies. A relatively small group…

This article presents Scott Shuler's "Five Guiding Principles for Music Education": (1) An education in "all" the arts is important for "all" students; (2) Independence--music literacy in the broadest sense--is necessary to lead a life enriched by music; (3) Independent music literacy can be defined as the ability to carry out the three artistic…

Knowledge about music advocacy strategies has long been promoted as important for music educators, not only for the benefit of their individual programs but also for the specific benefit of music students and the general public. This article suggests an approach to advocacy grounded in the teacher's professional beliefs, phrased in terms…

Stereotypes about the personalities of musicians, which have evolved over time, seem to direct our perception of musical experiences that take place in different ensembles. This article presents the stereotypes often associated with musicians' personalities and examines eight personality trends of high school band, orchestra, and choir students…

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…

One of the biggest challenges that teachers of adolescents face is the necessity to motivate them. This article begins with an overview of motivational theories and then focuses on process theory and its application in the middle school and high school classrooms. An effective teacher can create motivation in students by forming relationships with…

Assessment continues to be a topic of discussion and concern for many music educators and music teacher educators. The discussion of assessment in music education can spark lively and passionate debate among music educators, music teacher educators, students, policy makers, and parents alike. This article offers a discussion of some of the…

Every new teacher soon realizes the importance of principals, those often put-upon school leaders who play a key role in determining the direction and quality of education in their buildings. In this article, the author focuses on differently spelled but equally important "principles"--the kind that guide one's decision making. While principals…