A musical christmas play designed for assembly presentation or as a traveling production played from classroom to classroom. (Author)

Photographs and descriptions are provided of 19 early European wind, string, and keyboard instruments. (SJL)

The evolution of the drum is presented in both pictures and prose, from its beginning in Africa and the Far Eastern world to its introduction to the Western world where it is now fully accepted as a serious instrument. (KC)

This second and final article on new music notation deals with some general as well as a number of specific innovations in the field of instrumental music. (Author/RK)

The search for band and orchestra repertoire is a quest for quality. It is easy for band or orchestra directors to find lists of music; in fact, the quantity is often overwhelming; professional magazines, free miniscores and CDs, and the constant stream of offerings from publishers bombard the music teacher with the message "buy me." The sheer…

In this article, the author discusses how a trumpet player can develop a strong embouchure. Many players practice lip slurs, which are exercises to strengthen a player's muscles while building flexibility Since there are only seven valve combinations on the trumpet--open; 1, 2, 3; 1, 3; 2, 3; 1, 2; 1; and 2 (the third valve alone is the equivalent…

Certain aspects of European art music occupy a middle ground between the two cultures described by C. P. Snow almost fifty years ago. Analogies exist not only between mathematics and the ratios underlying musical notation and intervals (i.e., the distance between pitches) but also between computer science and counterpoint (simultaneous melodies):…

A thorny problem faced by many middle school band directors is teaching a large ensemble of students who have a wide range of rhythm-reading abilities and who have studied music using a variety of rhythm-reading methods. Since school schedules usually allow very little time for working with students in small groups, the director must try to bring…

This article describes middle school mathematics activities that relate measurement, ratios, and geometric sequences to finger positions or the placement of frets on stringed musical instruments. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)

This article discusses a number of techniques that can help teachers attract and keep general music students in their music program. These include: (1) a piano lab; (2) a chime group; and (3) intensive contact with the community.

Professional knowledge in teaching is broadly based on personal knowledge. Hence, it is important to build teachers' development out of their initial knowledge. The idea of a sociogenesis of educational knowledge, teacher knowledge and training models as well as teaching models are the basis of this study. It aims to diagnose the knowledge…