This is the second in a series of success stories about how arts organizations, states, schools and other entities are using funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) to support arts education. Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is one of the nation's 20th largest…

Recognizing that music teachers may struggle to implement songwriting activities in a classroom, and that iconic notation provides an opportunity to increase access to school music for all students, the purpose of this article is to share one model of songwriting activities in a music technology class using chord diagrams, beat grids, and keyboard…

Many researchers have discussed the feasibility of teaching and learning practical skills, such as playing a musical instrument, through distance education. One of the central issues considered in music education is that of motivation, leading educators to wonder how students might remain motivated when learning music at a distance. In this…

Students come to the music classroom with varying degrees of skill, interest, and comfort toward making music, yet educators must consider how to meet the needs of all students regardless of ability. Using differentiation as a framework, we examine how participatory music making (PMM) might meet these needs. We offer strategies for implementing…

Music is universally pleasurable and important, and no known society is without it. Flutes have been found around the campfire in Neanderthal cave sites in artifacts that date back 53,000 years (Leutwyler 2001). Young adults in particular listen to music almost nonstop, and their playlists form an important part of their identities. It only makes…

Producing a deep bass tone by striking a large 3 m (10 ft) flexible corrugated drainage pipe immediately grabs student attention. The fundamental pitch of the corrugated tube is found to be a semitone lower than a non-corrugated smooth pipe of the same length. A video (https://youtu.be/FU7a9d7N60Y) of the demonstration is included, which…

What follows are several investigations involving string musical instruments developed for and used in a "Science of Sound & Light" course. The experiments make use of a guitar, orchestral string instruments and data collection and graphing software. They are designed to provide students with concrete examples of how mathematical formulae, when…

Each day, dozens of new pieces of technology are released to gadget-hungry consumers. While many of these devices are geared toward the general public, a number of them are finding their way into the music classroom. Certain new products, such as the Apple iPad and iPod, have caused a major stir among music teachers of all grade levels and content…

One computer, one class, and one educator can be an effective combination to engage students as a group in music composition, performance, and analysis. Having one desktop computer and a television monitor in the music classroom is not an uncommon or new scenario, especially in a time when many school budgets are being cut. This article…

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…

Faced with meager enrollment in band, orchestra, and choir programs, schools are using digital technology to excite students about creating music on today's terms. This article discusses how music educators reinvent their profession by acknowledging and incorporating the way students interact with music today--digitally. Bill Evans, a music…

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. Autism does not discriminate; it occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. It can impair a person's ability to communicate and relate to others, and symptoms can range from very mild to…

Most music educators are unaware that one of the earliest known electronic music keyboards for children dates back to 1952. It was unsophisticated in appearance, but much like the inventions of today, the mid-century electronic musical toy piqued the interest of children, and they begged their parents to buy it for them. The invention was named…

This paper synopsizes a series of nine tutorials investigating how various chemical processes can be shown to have musical aspects. Both chemistry and music share a common language: mathematics. Interesting music can be created as chemical reactions--mediated by instrumentation and mathematics (e.g., spectrometry and discrete Fourier…

This article presents technology tips and ideas for music educators. To keep current with music technology, you will need to spend time with it regularly, just like you would practice a musical instrument or voice. Basic office software programs can help you with administrative tasks and duties. Your computers are important tools for your program,…