Studies children's use of transformation (as a cognitive process) in identifying altered musical phrases in four phrase songs. Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI) software was used to record the children's responses. Includes statistical tables. (MJP)

Provides a strategy, from the book entitled "Strategies for Teaching K-4 General Music," that addresses Standard 6A of the National Standards for Music Education. Explains that students will identify characteristics that enables them to make decisions about the form of the composition in listening examples longer than classroom songs.…

Over 80 isolated students in grades preK-7 participate in the Meekatharra School of the Air (MSOTA) in Western Australia. The "Composition over the Air" project provided MSOTA students with musical opportunities in collaboration with a composer, via two-way radio and at resident camps. (SV)

Describes the minimalist movement in music. Discusses generations of minimalist musicians and, in general, the minimalist approach. Considers various ways that minimalist strategies can be integrated into the music classroom focusing on (1) minimalism and (2) student-centered composition and principles of minimalism for use with elementary band…

Presents activities for language arts, differentiating between a variable name and its value, creating music using PILOT, and playing LOGO games. Includes the article "Take the Turtle to School: A Child's View of Programming" by Jack McLeod. (JN)

Presents a study that investigates the effect of different melodic configurations on an Orff xylophone on how children compose and on the musical characteristics of their compositions. Focuses on fourth grade students (n=48) who lacked education in musical composition and who composed a song on the xylophone. (CMK)

Presents results from a study that examined student assessments of their own musical abilities as related to compositional creativity. Focuses on nonmusic majors in a music fundamentals course for elementary education majors. Explains that the students were placed into high-,middle-, and low-creativity groups. (CMK)

Discusses how to encourage creativity in the music classroom for upper-elementary students by focusing on musical composition. Includes a description of a nine lesson unit that focuses on creativity in musical composition. States that students can continue working on compositions at home. (CMK)

Describes the use of "Recorder Teacher," a computer software program that teaches elementary students to play the soprano recorder and compose their own music. Highlights include reinforcing music concepts; using written and auditory examples in the software; and testing on fingering and reading. Sample screens are included. (LRW)

Explains that music teachers can hamper student creativity in music composition by restricting assignments. States that teachers should assign only one parameter, focusing on a broad overarching idea. Provides examples of enabling parameters. Addresses the teacher's response to student work and nurturing musical independence. (CMK)

Describes activities and exercises that develop children's music appreciation and general listening skills, preparing them for composing original lyrics and music. (RL)

Music motivator projects that enable the elementary teacher to use social science methods (known as ethnomethodology) to observe and learn about students without testing are described. Working in groups and guiding each other, students compose a musical composition and then notate it. Discovery learning is encouraged. (RM)

Focuses on the use of recorder ensembles in general music classes, discussing topics such as strategies for procuring soprano, alto, and bass recorders and ensemble activities for grades 3-8. Provides a bibliography of resources for recorder playing and information on transposition and arranging music. (CMK)

Compares a singing approach to a nonsinging approach in an elementary directed listening program to determine whether there was a significant difference in aural thematic recognition and thematic preferences between groups. Indicates that subjects who sang thematic material had a higher aural recall rate and finds no difference with regard to…

Contains abstracts of the papers that were presented at the Cognitive Processes of Children Engaged in Musical Activity Conference (Champaign-Urbana, IL, June 3-5, 1999). Covers topics such as children's melodic improvisations, toddlers' kinesthetic reactions to music, mother-infant play, a theory of multiple musical intelligences, and reflective…