Offered are suggestions to teachers for introducing improvisation into the classroom. Improvisational activities include movement, vocal, and related arts projects. (KC)

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…

Article presents a list of musical activities as a guide for students to explore musical concepts. (RK)

Music educators in many countries have attempted to close the gap between two musical worlds: that of pupils' musical culture outside school and that of the classroom. However, while the former musical world, represented by various popular musics, now makes up a major part of curriculum content, the informal learning practices of the musicians who…

This article challenges choral teachers to motivate their choirs to a new level of choral singing and harmonic creativity and outlines a sequential process for introducing improvisation into the daily warm-up. It argues that students can learn to harmonize and improvise by ear as part of each day's warm-up period. Sections include: (1) Chord…

Presents eight ideas for making your music classroom visually attractive. (Editor/RK)

The dichotomy between research and creative activity is a false one. Most creative activity does produce knowledge and should be considered as research. Through a hypothetical case study this argument attempts to justify creativity as research. It also describes two projects as possible examples of how creativity might be explored in a research…

Discusses ways that elementary music teachers can design class activities which will meet individual needs of mainstreamed special students. Activities described encompass a wide range of difficulty and provide opportunities for individualized, small-group or out-of-class instruction and for creative response. (AM)

Described are improvisational activities based on the Orff-Schulwerk teaching technique which include: sound and movement; sound and movement plus visuals; interpretation of designs from nature, architecture, paintings, rotating rondo, singing hands, and moving from words to song. Pictures of children participating in these activities are…

The author describes the three-phase process of musical creativity (exploratory, invention, organizational), identifying activities in each of the creative phases. Included are vocal impression, picture sounds, chord tones, and name improvisation. Selected readings and recordings are included. (KC)

Presents a cross section of musicians and music of many peoples and countries who all share one common need - to express themselves with music. (RK)

Creativity is largely an outgrowth of attitude rather than an activity, a set of predispositions rather than a production line. Author traces the concept of creative development and the role music plays in illustrating the creative process. (Author/RK)

Maintains that the need for music educators to provide services for adult learners is increasing. Discusses modifying music teacher education programs to meet this need. Reviews theories of developmental education and the special needs and concerns of older learners. (CFR)

The Hebrew Arts School in New York City teaches music, dance, art, and theater to children four through eighteen. Founded in 1952, its emphasis is on choosing instruments and programs suited to the individual, and on preserving the instinctive joy of music making. (CS)

Describes a middle school program in which students create and produce an original opera. Describes the interdisciplinary learning acquired as students created music, dialog, sets, and costumes. Contends that the project was an exciting and rewarding experience for students and teachers. (CFR)