The presence of popular music education in schools has expanded significantly in the past two decades within the United States in part due to the expansion of modern band programming. Initially developed and propagated by the non-profit organization Little Kids Rock (LKR), modern band is a term used to describe school-based ensembles that use…

Anthony Johnson Showalter (c. 1853-1924) was a music educator, gospel composer, publisher, and considered a pioneer in gospel music and education in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Showalter is notably mentioned in numerous texts and studies related to gospel music; however, little data has been collected regarding the…

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…

Dances and drum rhythms from African traditions have been integrated into summer camp activities in the United States as a response to the ever-globalized environments in which these camps are located and the diversity of the campers and teachers that they attract. This reflective article draws on critical reflections, observations and experiences…

Thanks to the efforts of music teachers in arranging concerts, young musicians develop a multitude of skills when performing with others. Music teachers are notoriously time-poor with the pressures of various curricular and co-curricular demands. To find time to provide performance opportunities for students that involve other schools adds layers…

The investigation of targeted competencies and respective learning environments in two cases of piano teacher education aimed to identify themes for higher music education programme development. Application of the model of six instrumental/vocal music teacher roles resulted in the conceptual understanding of these roles in four permeable spheres…

The Naval School of Music was founded in 1935 in response to the poor performance level of the U.S. Navy's bands at that time. The school evolved from an adjunct operation of the U.S. Navy Band into a tri-service institution serving the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps with dedicated facilities, courses for musicians and band leaders, and courses to…

The "Mbyá" culture forms a part of the Guaraní ethnic group that mainly inhabits the territories of south-eastern Brazil, in the Province of Misiones--Argentina, and the Republic of Paraguay. This article will focus mainly on field observations I have made in different communities in these countries, and which will try to synthetically…

In this article, David Forrest probes Ahmad Sarmast (Founder and Director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, Ministry of Education, Afghanistan) about the development of the Institute, its sponsorship, the range of local musicians and music educators that work there, and the student population.

After getting her master's degree from UCLA, Nancy Wills dreamed of starting a school-based guitar program so she could teach students to make music on the instrument she'd loved since she was a kid growing up outside of Yosemite, California. She had a strong belief that guitar was perfect for schools, ideal for individualized playing but also…

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…

The rewards of band membership may be clear, but in tough economic times, with schools, teachers, and students facing new obligations around every corner, it is not always easy to keep a band on track. And so a question arises, one that has relevance both for teachers who want to start a band program from scratch and for veteran band directors…

Unlikely as it might seem, a simple request from music teachers to borrow musical instruments can be the beginning of a productive teaching and learning experience for students at their school. With a set of stringed and band instruments from their local music store, every student at a given grade level can have the chance to perform on an…

In this article, the author discusses the benefits of starting string lessons in middle school. He states that if your district does not have the resources or personnel for an elementary string program, perhaps this article will help you see that other districts have succeeded in starting orchestra programs as late as sixth grade. The author…

It is suggested that a secondary school vocal or instrumental music director, even one with a limited background in early music, can establish a successful early music consort, but before establishing such a consort, the director should review thoroughly the main historical sources. These sources are listed. (KC)