As the music education profession continues to adapt to the needs of an increasingly pluralistic society, scholars and practitioners have begun to concern themselves with issues of social justice (e.g., equity, diversity, inclusion, or access). For band directors, one way to address such topics is through the purposeful programming of music by…

The research is aimed to evaluate the impact of fine arts high school music department program on the piano playing skills of students. In this context, it was determined to what degree fine arts high school students thought the school program contributed to their piano playing skills and differentiation of student opinions as per their gender and…

Existing studies show the value of using visual expression as a means of teaching children to understand and create music. This study aspires to point out an additional valuable aspect, namely, the influence composing via visual expression--whereby children transform their own drawings--may have on children's subsequent compositional processes.…

Computational thinking is becoming common in K-12 curricula, and at the same time there is interest in how STEM subjects can be integrated with the Arts (referred to as STEAM). There are some obvious connections between music and computation, but the idea of engaging with genuine computational thinking while also having authentic music learning…

Approaches to teaching music notation and instrumental technique have been standardized and codified in the United States with great success in beginning instrumental programs. While these skills are important, we do a disservice to students if we do not equally develop comprehensive musicianship and creative thinking at a young age. Creating…

What can be done to re-orient a field of education like music, when far too many teachers teach the way they were taught using traditional procedures that stupefy and deaden students to the subject matter, rather than working creatively to invigorate and empower them to become thoughtfully engaged, independent music makers? The essays in this…

This pilot study focuses on the use of mobile tablets to allow secondary students to compose in class with the application "GarageBand." The empirical research has two aims: to demonstrate the possibility of using mobile tablets as a composing device, and to examine professional practices for using mobile technologies in music learning.…

Accomplished arts educator Linda F. Nathan profiles Conservatory Lab Charter School in Boston, a PreK-8 school that specializes in music education. In addition to academic coursework, Conservatory Lab students--many of whom are from low-income, minority families--learn musical instruments, play in ensembles, and compose and conduct music. Nathan…

"Music Educators Journal" is the profession's oldest continuously published journal, and it has grown to encompass the largest worldwide readership of any music education publication. It did not start that way. The journal began as an informal pamphlet known as "Music Supervisors' Bulletin" in 1914, changed its name to…

In this study we consider meaningful, emancipatory, and affirming music-making in Brazil through the lens of five case studies. Each illustrates aspects of transformative theory through music-making in music education as advanced by Mezirow, Freire, and contemporary Brazilian music educators.

The purpose of this article is to the study of music as a representative of the picture of the world nomadic culture. With a systemic organization, rich expressive means, music reflects the diversity of the world in its complex, subtle and profound manifestations being the artistic value, key world modeling element. Music can satisfy the aesthetic…

The literature of pedagogical music for the piano was the center of unparalleled critical dialogue and scholarly discourse in nineteenth-century Europe. Focusing on the theory of piano pedagogy and the merit of pedagogical music, this discourse was unique not only because of its subject matter but also because it was shared, shaped, and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate undergraduate instrumental music education majors' score study practices as they related to the effectiveness of their simulated conducting. Participants (N = 30) were video recorded in two sessions in which they completed a 20-min score study session and a simulated conducting performance. In the first…

Multicultural choral music has distinct characteristics in that indigenous folk elements are frequently incorporated into a Western European tonal system. Because of this, multicultural choral music is often taught using Western styles (e.g., "bel canto") rather than through traditional singing techniques from their cultures of origin.…

Music educators strive diligently to develop musically literate student musicians. Sight-reading new music is one way of displaying music literacy because musicians must simultaneously synthesize an understanding of music notation and technical performance skills. Teaching students to sight-read is important towards developing an independent…