St. Mary's School is a training ground for prospective music teachers enrolled at the Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam. Students from the Crane School taking the Practicum in Teaching Elementary General Music course teach half-hour collaborative lessons twice each week to children at St. Mary's. In the fall of 2003,…

Classroom music lessons are not usually a forum for addressing philosophical issues, but they can be. Through music and visual media, music teachers can discuss music with middle and high school students in a way that expands how they think about music and their environment. In other words, music teachers can open up space in their music classroom…

Identifies keyboards as effective vehicles for long-term and in-depth music instruction. Recommends using keyboard instruction as a centerpiece for meeting the National Standards for Music Education. Describes a number of instructional activities supporting this goal. (MJP)

Reports on interviews with three music educators about interdisciplinary teaching methods. Asserts that students' musical curiosity must be satisfied to help create well-rounded musicians. Includes a teaching example demonstrating the three basic physical characteristics of sound. (CFR)

Offers three strategies from "Strategies for Teaching: Guide for Music Methods Classes," that was developed under the leadership of MENC's Society for Music Teacher Education. Gives guidelines for methods teachers to prepare their students for incorporating the National Standards for Music Education into music instruction at all grade…

Provides three samples of assessment strategies to be used in conjunction with the "National Standards for Music Education" from the recently published, "Performance for Standards, Grades Pre-K12: Strategies and Benchmarks for Assessing Progress Towards the National Standards." The samples include assessments for grades K-4,…

Provides suggestions for encouraging elementary students to join and continue participation in school choral music groups. Recommends focusing on male students because they are the most difficult to recruit. Also suggests having a high school choral group come to the elementary school to help with recruitment. (CFR)

Maintains that there are many possibilities to help students make connections between music and other disciplines. Reports on teaching methods and course content used by two music teachers. Includes a teaching example in which student identify ways in which literature and music can create a series of related events. (CFR)

Maintains that music technology growth can assist teachers in implementing interdisciplinary approaches involving history, culture, and music. Presents suggested classroom strategies utilizing CD-ROMs and other interactive media technology. Discusses downloading music education resources from the Internet. (CFR)

Presents ideas and suggestions from three music educators about interdisciplinary approaches to music education. Recommends using techniques frequently included in elementary methods on this topic. Outlines strategies for collaborative planning with subject-matter teachers. (CFR)