MENC has recently, recapitulated its vision of "Music for All" in its strategic plan, which warns that "30 to 50 per cent of new teachers who work in urban areas leave the field in their first three years of service.'' This undoubtedly affects instrumental music instruction for urban children. Collegial sharing is one solution to problems…

Although the National Standards include achievement standards for improvisation for elementary school students, music teachers sometimes are reluctant to pursue improvisation study with young students. First- and second-year instrumental students, often older elementary or middle school students, may have difficulty studying improvisation because…

Many Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH) individuals have successfully participated in instrumental music programs for over 100 years. In spite of proven success, however, many directors are reluctant to involve students with hearing loss in school bands and orchestras. Reasons may include a lack of knowledge regarding the needs and capabilities of these…

This article profiles the Fabulous Leopard Percussionists and its creator, Dianne Downs, a teacher at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary in Louisville. Dianne Downs' ensemble has earned her Kentucky's highest arts education award among other accolades. The Leopards, which was named for the class mascot, consist of Downs' elementary students. When…

Beginning a community youth orchestra can be one of the most rewarding--and draining--experiences in music education. Forming a group requires administrative expertise, interpersonal skills, expert musicianship, and a lot of elbow grease. The author used all these attributes and skills when he founded the Spanish Fork (Utah) Chamber Players…

Despite recent moves toward a more collaborative relationship between the academic pursuit of music analysis and the practical pursuit of music performance, there remains a gulf between the two disciplines. This is partly because attempts at collaboration have generally focused on the use of music performance as a way of teaching music analysis…

Paul Lehrman mentioned in Mix Magazine that school music programs, which traditionally have given students the precious opportunity to hear what real instruments sound like from both player's and listener's perspective, are in the toilet. Some within the profession have voiced similar concerns. K-12 music teachers have historically have had very…

Nontransient 6th- and 8th-grade urban middle school students' achievement test scores were examined before (4th grade) and during (6th or 8th grade) enrollment in a performing ensemble. Ensemble participation (band, choir, none) and subject variables of socioeconomic status (SES) and home environment were considered. Fourth- and 6th-grade…

Discusses an elementary school Design Lab in which students construct musical instruments with little intervention from the instructor. Describes some problem solving situations which arose during the activities, and which provided experience in developing computational and reasoning skills. (MLH)

A classroom guide is designed for use with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra's Young People's Concert program. Following an introduction to teachers and students, the guide is divided into six sections. Section one, "The Orchestra and Its Instruments," provides teaching activities to introduce the sections of and instruments in an orchestra.…

This forty-five item annotated bibliography dealing with available materials about instrument making is comprised of 39 books, five catalogs, and one newsletter. These resources are divided into the following categories: instrument making books: children; instrument making books: written on an adult level, but include projects suitable for the…

The curriculum guide provides lesson plans on the use of music and drama as a means to develop language skills in handicapped children. The approach is based on theories of music educator, C. Orff. Lesson plans list objective, materials, and procedure information along with time requirements and directions. The first section details activities…

The purpose of this study was to characterize the behavior of 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children engaged in improvisational musical tasks. Ten subjects from each of the four age levels participated in the 4-year investigation, which lasted until the 2-year-olds reached 5 years of age. Children met individually with the investigator for 15 minutes…

Music activities are an important part of the preschool experience, yet these activities are often guided by teachers who have had little musical training. Lack of formal music training can be greatly compensated for by access to quality equipment and materials. These resources include a basic accompanying instrument, toy instruments, a durable…

GRADES OR AGES: Grades 7-12. SUBJECT MATTER: Instrumental music. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide is divided into four sections, one each for grades 7-9, 10, 11, and 12. Each section contains units on strings, woodwinds and brass, percussion, and specific instrumental problems. The guide is straight text extensively illustrated with…