Music students, their teachers, composers, and school communities experience deep, long-lasting growth in music-making and artistic perspective when provided with opportunities to engage in the commissioning of new musical works in conjunction with composer residencies. Through consideration of relevant literature and case-study examination, the…

Scott Joplin (1868-1917) was an African American composer and pianist of singular merit and influence. Academic interest in Joplin has increased in recent years, leading to new discoveries about the composer's activities, yet teaching materials have not been updated at the same pace as 21st-century findings. Joplin was an entrepreneur, a…

Before our current notation system was widely adopted by musicians, improvisation was a key component of music throughout the Western world. One of the fundamental elements of the baroque style, namely, using improvised embellishment, offered musicians great artist liberty. During the baroque period, improvisation spread across Europe and beyond.…

It is vitally important for students to be creating music from the youngest age, and in all general music class settings. Now that the National Standards have been revised (renamed the National Core Arts Standards) and creating has been elevated to one of three artistic processes, the creative activities of composing, arranging, and improvising…

Joel Krosnick, a top performer of avante-garde music, urges students to recreate the fantasy that the composer visualized in creating the music through gestures, expression, and coloration. (AM)

Describes the structural similarities inherent in musical and linguistic compositions and how they reflect basic human impulses and principles of effective composition. Uses Bach's "Passacaglia" to illustrate the characteristics of good composition. (JMF)

Discusses how Holst's composition can be used in high school band classes. Background information on the composer and his work is included. The themes of each movement in the Suite are analyzed for problems they might pose for student musicians. (AM)

This book provides both new and experienced music educators with much-needed advice drawn from credible research and established approaches, but also includes practical application for the incredible variety of music classrooms that teachers face today. Kevin Mixon adapts research-based theories to fit typical situations that are not always ideal.…

The author explores some of the possibilities and problems involved in teaching musical composition, describes three approaches to songwriting, and offers suggestions for ways teachers can reinforce efforts of student songwriters. (KC)

Asserting that children are particularly open to novelty in music, the author analyzes four examples of twentieth-century avante-garde music and suggests how they can be presented in a children's music class. (SJL)

This article presents a rationale for using songwriting in the elementary grades and outlines a plan by which a whole class of fifth- or sixth-graders can work together to write a song. (SJL)

Explains that quality refers to those attributes of sound and silence that give music its expressive character. Explores quality in four areas of music (dynamics, articulation, texture, and tone color) by tracing the research behind each of these areas. Provides different ideas for teaching quality in secondary general music classes. (CMK)

Describes how a student teacher used the Comprehensive Musicianship approach to introduce high school choruses to contemporary music. Choir students participated in the entire composition process from text selection to musical analysis of a choral work. Student discussion of the completed work reinforced their understanding of musical principles.…

Provides a selected list of contemporary performance literature suitable for middle school and junior high bands. Considers both quality and consistency, as well as the ability of a composition to remain interesting and challenging throughout rehearsal, as selection standards. Groups the 100 works according to difficulty level. (LS)

The author states that in a melody/harmony/rhythm sense, improvising on a synthesizer is no different from improvising on any other instrument. The capabilities of synthesizers are described, and exercises and methods to be used with synthesizers are outlined. (KC)