The ambiguity in the first half of the paper's title--"Engaging music and media"--is intentional. Music is engaging in the sense that it implicates our hearts and minds. Music can also be engaged by and with media. And, of course, engagement is core to effective learning. The role of music education is always in flux. Aesthetic aims sometimes take…

This essay on graduate music education is in response to an article by David Hebert on challenges and solutions in online music teacher education that appeared in the online journal, "Research and Issues in Music Education," 5(1). The author found the article stimulating because so little has been written on the topic of music teacher education at…

Music education organizations achieved a huge success in Texas several years ago when legislation declared music as a part of the core curriculum. Similarly, more recent national education legislation like No Child Left Behind has recognized music as a core curricular subject. Since that time, little has been done to assess music students to…

Assessment has become inseparable from formal education--and it's probably here to stay. The problem for many educators is that the term, "assessment" is full of paradox, and has taken on different meanings for different people. Assessment has become a driving force and factor in the funding of schools, teacher evaluation, curriculum development,…