When beginning music teachers enter a new classroom for the first time, they start a journey toward understanding a new context and community. Place consciousness develops as they become embedded in their community and begin to recognize how its culture and environment interact with their teaching practices. By mapping the objects, people, and…

According to the Austin-based Amati Foundation (a nonprofit group that supports programs for the stringed arts), over the past several decades the number of public school districts offering instruction for violin, viola, and cello has plummeted, from as high as 80 percent in 1960 to less than 19 percent today. Lack of public funding for stringed…

This book is the first comprehensive resource devoted to steel band pedagogy, it is a must-have for anyone involved in the steel band idiom today. Written primarily for educators, the book addresses a wide variety of topics, including instrumentation, personnel, basic pan technique, repertoire, and rehearsal strategies. This informative text…

This publication provides orchestra teachers with techniques for conducting, choosing repertoire, program development, recruiting, playing styles, and preparing for competitions. It is the latest in MENC's popular Spotlight series, comprising articles that have appeared in state MEA journals. It is made up of 9 sections, and has a total of 53…

MENC has recently, recapitulated its vision of "Music for All" in its strategic plan, which warns that "30 to 50 per cent of new teachers who work in urban areas leave the field in their first three years of service.'' This undoubtedly affects instrumental music instruction for urban children. Collegial sharing is one solution to problems…