This curriculum and instructional plan for Canadian schools is based on a study of the tradition of steelbands of Trinidad. The primary aim of the study was to move toward understanding how Trinidadian people view, experience, explain, and order specific elements of their musical world. The study proposed a curriculum and instructional plan for…

Conducted during the Institute for Steelband Playing held in 1988, this study's aim was to understand how Trinidadian people view, experience, explain, and order specific elements of their musical world, with the goal of providing an information base for establishing steelband programs in Canadian schools. The study focused on (1) How did the…

The three approaches of Carl Orff, Zoltan Kodaly, and Shinichi Suzuki to early childhood education can be successfully fused to provide a foundation for a total music curriculum from the nursery to secondary school. Basically, Orff suggests that rhythmic patterns should be experienced in children's natural language as they improvise melodies and…

Reports on a study of an improvisation curriculum used with 66 fifth-grade music students. Finds that students who received instruction emphasizing improvisation performed at significantly higher achievement levels than students who did not receive such instruction. (CFR)

Recommends adding electronic keyboard to vocally based music curricula for elementary students. Argues that the keyboard provides a graphic representation for musical understanding. Suggests teaching keyboard in small, manageable, hierarchically structured steps. Offers suggestions from finger placement and creating sound effects in first grade to…

Describes a Montessori music program consisting of vocal music education, instrumental education, and a classical musical appreciation at the Montessori Elementary School of San Leandro, California. Describes educational opportunities provided by the in-house music room and through field trips. Argues that a music program is achievable in any…