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.)

Background: Educational guidelines and reforms focused on literacy, including No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), have contributed to a music education culture and climate focused on language literacy rather than on the core content literacies inherent in music itself. Purpose: The purpose of this…

For the past century and more, music education in the United States has focused primarily on Western European music traditions. Despite considerable efforts to include music from other regions and peoples in the curriculum, traditional music from world cultures is still not greatly represented. The benefits of a curriculum that incorporates…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that education level and primary performance instrument have on the evaluation of music performances. Participants (N = 423) in the study were middle school (n = 187), high school (n = 113), and college (n = 123) musicians who performed on either a brass (n = 115) or a nonbrass (n = 301)…

The purposes of the current study were to (1) determine the relationship between the number of practice strategies students could articulate and their performance improvement scores, (2) identify trends in students' 5-minute practice behaviors, and (3) compare students' achievement based on their practice procedures. Participants were 65 eighth…

In this article, the author discusses the benefits of starting string lessons in middle school. He states that if your district does not have the resources or personnel for an elementary string program, perhaps this article will help you see that other districts have succeeded in starting orchestra programs as late as sixth grade. The author…

Rainsticks are African and South American musical instruments that recreate the soothing sounds of rain. They were originally made of bamboo or dried cacti tubes. Inside the tubes are small river pebbles and cactus thorns. The longer the tube, the longer-lasting the "music." This article gives instructions for making both a large and…

The university curriculum for an elementary education degree traditionally includes a "basics of music" and a "basics of art" course. These two courses represent a nod to the importance of the arts in the elementary school, and they may be the only formal contact with music and arts pedagogy that prospective teachers receive. One way to make these…