The author discusses getting elementary students involved in a band. The goals of an elementary band instructor should include introduction of good practice habits, working within an ensemble, and rehearsal procedures, along with the focusing on the essentials of music. Instructors should let students use the basic instruments: flute, clarinet,…

The first step in getting to know the students is learning their names. As a general music teacher, the author stresses that learning seven hundred or more names may seem overwhelming. But if teachers cannot easily identify students by name, they are falling short of their duties as professional educators and overlooking a wonderful opportunity to…

While working with music teachers in training at the university level, the author learned how helpful it can be to model a curriculum that mirrors America's changing demographics. As a Native American who grew up on the Stockbridge-Munsee Indian Reservation, in central Wisconsin, she discovered that Native history and culture were absent from…