Music students often encouter problems in reading sheet music, because of the complexity of Traditional Music Notation (TMN). Klavar is an alternative music notation system that is simple, intuitive, and easy to learn. Thousands of compositions from many composers are available in Klavar. In its original form, Klavar can be considered as tablature…

Music and visual art share many common elements, principles, and processes. The numerous commonalities shared between music and visual arts afford for natural, meaningful integration opportunities that create natural synergies. Synergy or syntegration is achieved when the learning outcomes accomplished through the integration of subjects are…

Gender in music has been explored over recent decades with growing recognition of the challenges that are faced by women in the field. There has been substantial work exploring the Western music canon but little that addresses the music of Australian women, and more specifically, repertoire written for the wind band genre. With thousands of…

The future of American music education may be found in its past--a time when music teachers instilled lifelong amateur music-making in their students. There are differences between amateur and professional musicianship, and the focus of American music education shifted from amateurism to semiprofessionalism in the mid-twentieth century. An…

February 12, 1924, is a landmark date in the annals of American music. The story of that snowy afternoon in New York has become almost legendary -- and the tale has undoubtedly become embellished in its telling and retelling over the past 100 years. The occasion was a concert titled "An Experiment in Modern Music," presented by Paul…

In this article, we argue that it is possible to approach teaching from a fully affirmative perspective: as an educational practice that has its own internal logic and intrinsic value. By analysing a fragment from one of the Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts presented in this article as a teaching event, we show that when starting from…

The purpose of this study was to examine the life and work of Frank William Westhoff (1863-1938), a leader in music education during the progressive era (circa 1890s-1950s). Research questions focused on his work as a music supervisor, teacher educator, pedagogue, and textbook author. I also explored Westhoff's contributions to the profession and…

In this paper, I apply John Cage's wide musical embrace of sound to the field of music education and explore its curricular and practical implications. In particular, I ask music teachers to consider themselves teachers of sound, or "sound teachers." I argue that privileging sound as our chief concern leads us to reconsider the ways we…

Music is inherently connected to sociopolitical contexts and relations. Music and politics are intertwined both historically and presently, and there is much literature exploring the relationships between music and various political movements. In considering the importance of an approach to understand these connections and relationships, I suggest…

Despite its rich heritage and enduring popularity, country music has historically been marginalized in American music education, usually in favor of more "high-brow" musical practices. This article explores potential explanations for this imbalance within the context of a general overview of cultural and social considerations and…

The praxial philosophy of music education in "Music Matters" (2015) argues that music educators should teach democratically, creatively, and ethically toward empowering students' abilities to achieve full human flourishing through critically reflective music making and listening of all kinds. Moreover, "Music Matters" contends…

Approaches to teaching music notation and instrumental technique have been standardized and codified in the United States with great success in beginning instrumental programs. While these skills are important, we do a disservice to students if we do not equally develop comprehensive musicianship and creative thinking at a young age. Creating…

"Music Educators Journal" is the profession's oldest continuously published journal, and it has grown to encompass the largest worldwide readership of any music education publication. It did not start that way. The journal began as an informal pamphlet known as "Music Supervisors' Bulletin" in 1914, changed its name to…

The literature of pedagogical music for the piano was the center of unparalleled critical dialogue and scholarly discourse in nineteenth-century Europe. Focusing on the theory of piano pedagogy and the merit of pedagogical music, this discourse was unique not only because of its subject matter but also because it was shared, shaped, and…

Seven free notation apps for iPad are analyzed and described based on their usability in the classroom.