12/7

Concerts, Festivals, and Trips

This collection of papers is full of checklists, questions, and examples of concert programs, festival information, and trip information. Reviewing these articles could prove very beneficial when planning for any of these three events. There is great information on how to promote concerts and program concert themes as well as how to go through the process of taking your band on a trip.

These are exactly the kinds of resources that I crave as someone who doesn't know the first thing about these ideas, particularly those about travel. These concise articles that demonstrate exactly what elements go into certain processes are of infinite value to me as a future teacher. I particularly appreciate the discussion about connecting with the community.

1. How do I go about planning a trip with an ensemble?
2. How strict are the rules regarding trip location and duration?
3. How much funding comes from the administration vs. fundraising?



Instrument Purchase, Uniforms, and Facilities

These articles are also fantastic resources for any band director. It includes a list of instrument manufacturers and trustworthy model numbers that band directors could consider when buying new instruments. There is also an article outlining how to go about replacing old instruments. Additionally the article includes a repair shop price list for reference. Also included is the information needed to purchase concert uniforms. It discusses the importance and how to go about purchasing them.

I am fascinated by the last two pages of the packet. There are very specific recommendations for designing music facilities. I suppose it makes sense to be that specific when it comes to acoustics but a lot what I am reading has to do with the psychology of the music room. I wish that there was more information and persuading the administration that instrument, uniform, and facility purchase is important.

1. How likely is it that I will have any say in how much money we spend on new instruments?
2. Why is concert uniform considered important? Are we too deeply rooted in tradition?
3. What are some forms of alternative uniforms that could be utilized?

11/30

Latten, James E. "Chamber Music for Every Instrumentalist." Music Educators Journal 87.5 (2001): 45. Web.

This article by Latten outlines the extreme importance of chamber ensembles in a school setting. Students learn an entirely different skill set than they do in large ensembles. The goal is to provide students with as many musical opportunities as possible because a large ensemble is not enough to give students a holistic music education. Ideally, schools will create time for chamber music or private lessons in a student's schedule, but this is not realistic, particularly in Colorado. 

I am a huge proponent of chamber ensembles in secondary schools, so this article is excellent to me. The things that Latten says seem like they take place only in an absolutely ideal situation, however. An article on the implementation of chamber ensembles in a small school would be more beneficial to me as a future educator since it is a trickier subject.

1. How can chamber ensembles be implemented without having a separate class for them?

2. 2. How common are chamber ensembles in CO?

3. 3. What's the average participation percentage for chamber ensembles?

Patterson, Glenn W. "Modifying Block Schedules to Salvage Music Programs." The Instrumentalist (1997)

Under the traditional block schedule in which students only sign up for four classes per semester, it can be difficult to make room for a music class. Music teachers experienced a significant drop in enrollment when this schedule change occurred. Although this type of schedule appeals to administrators and other teachers, it is detrimental to music programs. 

In my experience, the block schedule has been revised to include eight classes that alternate by fours every other day. This still allows for a normal number of classes while maintaining longer class periods, however it takes away 50% of the time that teachers previously had with each class. I preferred this schedule in high school over a school day that consisted of all eight class periods. Block schedule meant longer band rehearsals which I enjoyed.

1. Could this schedule change depending on age? i.e. Younger students have shorter classes.

2. How common are block schedules?

3. Despite the decrease in numbers, can a block schedule increase ability level?

Trimis, Edward. "Year-round Music: A Pattern for Success." Music Educators Journal 83.4 (1997): 17. Web. 

Year-round schools have been established in many places around the country. These types of schools eliminate the loss of knowledge that occurs each summer by taking shorter breaks more often through out the entire year. Under this schedule, music programs have the opportunity to break away from the typical rehearsal model. Additionally, teachers may also see a salary increase.

I'm intrigued by the idea of year round schools. I've always wondered if they were effective or not. It seems like a music program has the opportunity to operate more smoothly as opposed to having a three month gap with no music making. Student growth could be constant and more measurable than ever before. 

1. How do students feel about this schedule?

2. How about teachers?

3. Is this equally more effective for other content areas in terms of a smoother curriculum?

11/9

Bauer, William I. "Your Personal Learning Network: Professional Development on Demand." Music Educators Journal 97.2 (2010): 37-42. JSTOR. Web. 08 Nov. 2015.

Bauer's article is about professional development and the role that this topic plays in a music educator's  career. The content that an educator finds important in the arena of professional development changes as the educator matures and spends more time in the classroom. Younger teachers typically want to develop more in the realm of classroom management, while more experienced teachers will work to learn more about musicianship and musicality. Whatever the focus, professional development can come in many forms; conferences, online resources, etc. This article covers PLN (Personal Learning Networks), RSS (Really Simple Syndication), blogs, podcasts, wikis, social media, and more. Bauer is sure to emphasize that working on professional development is an active process that every educator should continue doing all the time. 

I like this article a lot because professional development is an important topic to me. All the educators I've had in my life that are worth their salt have understood the importance of professional development and have actively worked to better themselves as teachers. I have also had teachers who did not attempt to further themselves in the professional world, and that was apparent in their teaching. The varied sources for enhancing professional development presented in this article are very useful and practical for the everyday teacher.

1. Can social media also be a danger to professional development/reputation?
2. Can professional development be enhanced to the same degree without technology as it can with it?
3. Can a PLN expand to include others in your field without the use of the web?

10/28

Reynolds, H. Robert. "Repertoire Is the Curriculum." Music Educators Journal 87.1 (2000): 31. Web.

H. Robert Reynolds describes the importance of repertoire in the music curriculum in a way that is irrefutable. Repertoire does not make up the entire curriculum, but it is an important part of a holistic music education. In the article, Reynolds lists ways to become familiar with more music, whether it be through standard repertoire lists or new music. Attending concerts, networking with colleagues, and keeping lists are among the most important steps to knowing as much music as possible.

It is difficult for me to be distrustful of H. Robert Reynolds because his reputation in our profession is legendary. He provides some very useful ways to learn more music, but there seems to be a larger, overarching theme of this article. It seems as if Reynolds is saying that staying active in the music community and never ceasing to be curious is the ultimate tool for learning about literature.

1. How can I determine a quality piece from one that may have no value?
2. What are some resources to assist in finding quality music specifically for younger ensembles?
3. What role do transcriptions and arrangements play in the wind music world?



Music Literature and Repertoire (Selected Readings)

The readings included in this list all assist the educator in either the process of finding music, or by listing pieces that have been proven to be important and educational to students who study them. The steps involved in the process of finding music include determining the musical needs of your concert season, determining the playing skills of your ensemble, evaluating music, and matching the music to your purposes. After laying out the steps, lists are provided for educators to begin going through that process.

I really appreciate the knowledge on how to find good music, but what is really helpful for me is to see lists of pieces that have been played enough to earn the respect of educators and performers. These lists are very telling of what is appropriate vs. inappropriate. A variety of different ensembles have played those pieces, so I know that my ensemble will be able to approach the pieces on the list, despite our diversity.

1. Does it sometimes make sense to program for the audience if the piece is not helping students grow?
2. What should a concert program look like in terms of difficulty for the students?
3. How do I decide what grade level is appropriate for an ensemble? Should they be able to read it easily so they can dig into the musicality quicker?

10/26

Fant, Greg. "Motivational Ideas for the Musical Ensemble." Music Educators Journal 81.5 (1995): 17. Web.

Fant's article is about student motivation in music ensembles. Initially, he presents common reasonings for students participating in music in school, whether it be for the music or for social reasons. Questioning reasonings for doing certain things should be a part of everybody's thought process. Fant discusses a few different types of motivation that can be utilized in a classroom, including incentive motivation, fear motivation, and intrinsic motivation, or growth motivation.

Motivation is an extremely important to me as a teacher and a student of music. In different activities I find myself motivated for different reasons. Whenever I take part in something with a growth mindset, I am more driven to do well for my own benefit than if I am extrinsically motivated. This is not to say that extrinsic motivation is not effective. It can be very beneficial, but growth motivation is a stronger form of motivation for an individual and will last more long term than other forms of motivation.

1. How can I know when students need a certain type of motivation to accomplish a task?
2. Even though extrinsic motivators can be effective, does that mean they should be used?
3. How can an educator encourage a constant desire for growth motivation in students?


Kenny, William. "Rehearsal Traps." The Instrumentalist (1996): 13-18. Web.

Kenny lists and describes certain traps that directors fall into in their teaching. These traps include the dynamics, superconductor, tuning, talking, drilling, repertoire, and other traps. It seems as if the more teaching experience you have, the less likely you are to fall into these traps, assuming that you haven't become set in a routine. Getting caught in these traps can mean that your students are not getting the most out of their music experience. Too often music becomes about the conductor, but the conductor is truly the least important person in the room.

I like this article a lot because I think every educator, and every human being for that matter, has their own "traps" that they consistently find themselves falling into. For an educator, falling into these traps means the downfall of our students. The traps presented in this article are just a few examples of falling into a routine that is not conducive to student growth and can actually cause a lot of unhappiness in the educator.

1. How do these traps come to be a problem? From past experience? Past directors?
2. What are some ideas for getting out of these traps?
3. It always seems like music educators fall into these traps more than other educators. Is this true? If so, why is that?

10/19

Caldwell, Bruce. "Do We Need Chairs?" The Instrumentalist (1985): 96-97. Web.

This article discusses the utilization of the "chair" system in school music ensembles. Caldwell reveals the downfalls of that system and presents a new solution to be used by current music teachers called the rotation system. This system gives all students the opportunity to play every part. In the traditional method, the "better" players will always play first part while the less skilled players will always play second or third part. This makes it difficult for those playing second and third part to improve at the same rate as those playing first part.

I really like this method! It is my belief that we should do anything we can to educate all students equally and give everybody the same opportunities. This method also allows for peer teaching, because the more skilled players have the responsibility to help guide the less skilled players. The students don't have to rely on the teacher to learn if they can learn from each other.

1. Are there any notable programs that utilize the rotation system or something similar?
2. What other methods can be used to break away from the chair system?
3. Could this method cause issues with the more skilled players (playing easier parts) or less skilled players (playing parts that are "too hard" for them)?



Gordon, Debra G. "Classroom Management (Problems and Solutions)." The Music Educators Journal (2001): 17-20. Web.

Gordon's article presents the reader with methods that can be used to strengthen their classroom management skills, or rather, eliminate the need for classroom management. She states that preparedness is a great way to avoid lulls and removes the need for teacher intervention. One way to stay on top of things is to score study before rehearsals. Going into a rehearsal planning to improvise what you'll rehearse will not lead to effective time management and the students will take advantage of that. If an instance occurs in which a student acts inappropriately, the teacher must be consistent from case to case about how the situation is dealt with.

Classroom management is somewhat of a scary thing to me. When I think about my future as a teacher I do not often consider the possibility that my students will not be perfect humans. This is a problem. This article helps bring me into reality by providing real situations and solutions to classroom management issues. I appreciate the generalizations that Gordon makes in this article. Each instance of classroom management will be different, so generalizations are more helpful than specific scenarios.

1. How much of the stress of teaching comes from classroom management?
2. Preparation can't always defend against classroom management issues if students aren't paying attention at all. How can we initially engage students and keep them interested?
3. Does classroom management become easier as students get used to a teacher?



Manfredo, Joseph. "Effective Time Management in Ensemble Rehearsals." Music Educators Journal (2006): 42-46. Web.

This article provides insight into the process of creating effective and dynamic ensemble rehearsals. Simply playing warm-ups then repertoire for the entire class is not an effective way for students to learn concepts or understand music, they will just be better at playing specific pieces. Manfredo outlines alternate techniques for rehearsing an ensemble effectively, including the Rule of Three, proper preparation, verbal correction, and more.

I came from an ensemble that spent an overwhelming amount of rehearsal time on repertoire. That ensemble is evidence that students need a greater understanding of concepts rather than literature. Manfredo's argument resonates strongly with me for that reason. I strongly believe that concepts found in literature should be regularly isolated and rehearsed in ways that don't necessarily relate directly to the piece that it is from.

1. How can this method of rehearsing be used in a class period that only lasts 45 minutes?
2. This method would keep most students more engaged than normal, but what about the students who just want to play the music? How can we engage them equally?
3. What ratio of class time should be spent directly rehearsing the concert program? Does it change as the concert time approaches?



"Is This Working?" Audio blog post. This American Life., 17 Oct. 2014. Web.

This podcast talks about classroom management, discipline, and ethnic tendencies regarding those topics. It begins with a few teachers discussing how they would approach a specific situation in which a student refuses to take off his hat in class. A large portion of the podcast talks about Lyons Community School in New York. This school offers alternative methods of dealing with classroom management. This school "Lyonizes" students to become well behaved and conscious students.

This podcast is very informative and encouraging! It is uplifting to hear stories like those from Lyons Community School. It gives me courage and hope that no student is too far gone to be able to exist successfully in a school setting. The stories that are told in the podcast are so inspiring to me.

1. How common are stories like this in America? Other countries?
2. Do things like this happen often in Colorado?
3. Where can I find more resources like this podcast on similar topics?

10/12

Liperote, K. A. "Audiation for Beginning Instrumentalists: Listen, Speak, Read, Write." Music Educators Journal 93.1 (2006): 46-52. Web.

This article discusses the importance of learning by ear versus by rote. Liperote recognizes the importance of both but states that the order in which we teach these skills is incorrect. Similar to learning a language as a child, students should first listen to play their instrument by ear. Teaching students to rely on what they hear from themselves and others instead of from the notation is a valuable skill that is significantly more difficult to teach later in life.

I absolutely agree with Liperote on the importance of audiation and its place within the music classroom. I particularly enjoyed the connections that were made to elementary music methodologies such as Kodaly, Dalcroze, and Orff. Those connections helped relate the article to my personal experience in elementary methods. I wish I were able to see more evidence of this approach occurring in schools in my area.

1. Is it difficult to explain to an administrator that reading music is not of the utmost importance?
2. Is there a successful (yet likely hypothetical) curriculum that exists that does not involve reading music notation?
3. What potential problems stem from students not learning how to read music notation early on?



Johnson, E. "Practical Tools to Foster Harmonic Understanding." Music Educators Journal 99.3 (2013): 63-68. Web.

This article describes several tactics for teaching an elevated knowledge about harmony in primarily secondary level students. These strategies include arpeggiated singing, chunking, and students singing together. The article also includes additional applications of harmonic understanding that were not discussed within the sections describing each strategy, such as a way to address standards and increase students' understanding in other areas of music.

I believe all of the methods discussed by Dr. Johnson have the potential to be extremely effective and beneficial to the students. They are quantifiable ways to see impressive results and that seems to be a rare thing in music. The examples that were included throughout the article were very helpful in my understanding of each concept, because simply reading about a topic can make it difficult to receive all the necessary information. The synthesis of information that occurred with those examples and also with the mention of the Zone of Proximal Development really helped tie all the information together.

1. Can other learning methods like ZPD be applied to any of the other concepts?
2. Why is it easier for beginning singers using solfege to start on la for minor melodies?
3. Chunking seems like it could play a huge role in a secondary music program. In what ways could this concept be included besides as homework?


The Transformative Power of Classical Music. Perf. Benjamin Zander. Ted.com. Ted Talks, Feb. 2008. Web.

Benjamin Zander tells stories and shows his audience that classical music is not just enjoyed by 3% of the population as some figure suggests. Classical music has an application to everybody's life. He begins his talk by talking about the progression of a child's musical knowledge as they age and how it simply comes down to phrasing and understanding where music is going. He then displays this with a Chopin prelude, explains how the piece is "sad" from a compositional standpoint, and invites the audience to connect the piece with someone that they admire that is no longer with them.

Benjamin Zander's ability to engage an audience is incredible. There is something about him that is so approach, relatable, and enjoyable. I have loved this video for years and I get something new from it every time I revisit it. He makes classical music seem less like a heavy topic and more relatable to the "average" person. His enthusiasm makes everybody in the audience want to participate in his talk and that is something that I greatly admire.

1. Can a demonstration like this take place in a classroom?
2. If so, does it happen like it did in this video or does it take place over time? Like throughout an entire curriculum?
3. Even with such an amazing talk, I'm not convinced that the entire audience will take what they learned with them throughout their lives, and Zander is extremely engaging. If I am not as engaging as him, how can I expect my students to carry that enthusiasm with them?

10/7

Kerstetter, K. Tod. "Turning Notes Into Phrases." The Instrumentalist (1998): 14-17. Web.

Kerstetter breaks down the abstract process of playing with musicality into three categories; phrase endings and beginnings, marking breaths, and playing with good fundamental technique. Within these three categories he discusses how they differ in varied settings (chamber, ensemble, solo). He cites that this is juxtaposes his music education, in which he was often told to play "more musically" to which he responded by simply playing louder and faster.

Kerstetter's article could prove useful in a secondary or collegiate music classroom. The information could be transmitted from the teacher to the student or directly to the student if the teacher presents the article to be read on an individual level. Although the article seems slightly narrow in terms of Kerstetter's opinion on musicality, students can still learn and grow as musicians from reading it. If I gave this article to a student, I would add a disclaimer stating that there other ways to be musical that are equally correct.

1. At what grade level can this content begin to be understood? Can it be 6th grade or even earlier?
2. If I were to weave the exact content from this article into my band's curriculum, do you think the students would be able to reach their musical potential or would they fall short?
3. There is little mention of emotional, historical, and cultural understanding of music in this article. Can I expect my students to be truly musical if they don't understand what they're playing on a deeper level?

9/28

Ely, Mark, and Amy Rashkin. "Warm-Ups That Work: An Overview of the Latest Publications." The Instrumentalist (1999): 12-16. Print.

This article discusses various warm-up books for the band that were recently published when it came out in 1999. The authors summarize eight books that they recommend for use and discuss their unique strengths and differences from each other. The intent of the article is to simplify the task of finding appropriate warm-ups for band. The article should be used as a resource by any band director.

I'm glad that a resource like this exists for band directors.  I wonder if there is an updated version of this list and if so, how often the list gets updated. I greatly appreciate the amount of detail included in each summary. It is easy to pick out a book that works well for the classroom just by reading the summary.

1. Do updated versions of this list exist?
2. How relevant are these books today?
3. Can warm-up techniques become outdated in only fifteen years? Shouldn't most techniques be constant?


Phillips, Joseph. "Intonation Exercises for Middle School Bands." The Instrumentalist (1999): 15-17. Print.

Phillips suggests many common ways of teaching intonation and blend in a band setting. He includes methods for several specific instruments as well as techniques that could be applicable to the entire ensemble. Some of these methods allow the teacher to employ peer teaching and collaborative learning within an ensemble setting. The latter half of the article is used to show how the teacher can address intonation and blend in specific pieces.

I really enjoyed reading this article! It was very helpful to me as a percussionist who understands blend and intonation but does not have to consciously utilize it most of the time (intonation, that is). I learned several techniques that can be applied to both younger and more experienced bands, as well as individual students and small groups.

1. How early should I be teaching the harmonic series to assist with intonation?
2. Should knowledge of the harmonic series be more extensively explained to brass players outside of rehearsal or should the entirety of the instruction take place in front of the whole group?
3. How can one find a balance between rehearsing music and focusing on other aspects of music making like intonation?


Hopkins, Michael. "The Six Stages of Tuning Stringed Instruments." American String Teacher (2002): 64-69. Print.

Hopkins describes his six stages of tuning string instruments in this article and includes short blurbs about the usefulness of following these steps with beginning string players. Stage 1 involves the teacher tuning the students' instruments while also teaching the cellos and basses to tune using harmonics. Stage 2 is called Tuning Individually, One String at a Time. This implies the creation of a process used to assist students in tuning on their own. Stage 3 is similar, but this time the orchestra tunes in their own sections. Stage 4 introduces the utilization of double stops and harmonics while still tuning in sections. In stage 5 the students begin tuning cellos and basses before violins and violas. Finally in stage 6 the entire orchestra tunes at once.

I have played in orchestras fairly consistently since my sophomore year of high school, but I have never been closely involved in the process of rehearsing the ensemble. This article is extremely helpful for me in this regard. I have one criticism that may be false, but I do not understand why the low strings are not tuned before the high strings until stage 5.

1. Should all strings listen to basses whenever tuning?
2. Why do cellos and basses learn about harmonic tones before violins and violas?
3. How much of this tuning process can relate to a band setting?


Fonder, Mark. "Defining and Realizing Your Band's Ideal Tone." Music Educators Journal 85.3 (1998): 22. Web.

Fonder states that your band's ideal tone must be a combination of personal preference and convention, but must begin with personal preference. Achieving a consistent sound from the ensemble requires establishing goals, teaching the principles of tone, listening to examples, consistently practicing good tone, controlling instrumentation, evaluating seating arrangements, and choosing music to optimize tone quality. It is important to communicate your concept of tone to the ensemble.

This article grabbed me very quickly as something that I wholeheartedly agree with. The genesis of great tone begins with personal preference. Personally, I believe that picking repertoire is one of the most important aspects of developing great tone. A diverse selection of music with varying harmonic concepts will assist greatly in developing tone.

1. What kind of time frame can a teacher expect to establish to work on developing great time? Can a timeline even exist?
2. Does great tone need to begin on an individual level? This article doesn't seem to discuss that much.
3. Can great tone be taught in a way similar to the Hopkins article about string tuning?

9/23

How to Escape Education's Death Valley. Perf. Sir Ken Robinson. Ted Talk. Web. Apr. 2013.

Sir Ken Robinson discusses the state of education in America. He describes it as a mechanized system, when it should be a humanistic system. Often times, schools stifle creativity and expression in both the students and the teachers. The teachers are forced to use a standardized curriculum that leaves no space for student exploration or curiosity. He compares the problems with America's education system to Death Valley in California. Death Valley is not dead, it is dormant. Under the proper conditions, life can flourish.

Sir Ken Robinson is an incredible human being that I have admired for a few years now. He truly understands how to fix our educational system. Towards the end of the Ted Talk, he talks about Finland's educational system, which is consistently ranked one of the best in the world. They have their problems as well, but overall the system is excellent. I believe that can and should be used as a model for each state.

1. He briefly mentions that change should occur in each school and not from a district or government standpoint. How can this happen? What would it look like? How would it be different than it is now?
2. Would the American people be open to the idea of adapting an education model like Finland?
3. Hypothetically, if our system were to stay the same but the teachers were to change, how can we work around the rigid standardized curriculums?



The Key to Success? Grit. Perf. Angela Lee Duckworth. Ted Talk. Apr. 2013. Web.

Angela Lee Duckworth reveals the single element that she believes would allow any student to succeed in school regardless of IQ or GPA. After teaching for several years, she left to become a psychologist. She studied learners in a variety of settings and set out to answer the question "who is successful here and why?" She found that grit was the determining factor in all different settings that she studied. In Chicago schools, students with more grit and desire to learn were more likely to graduate. Interestingly, she found that grit is often unrelated, or even inversely related to "talent."

I absolutely agree with what Angela Duckworth says in this video, however it seems rather obvious. I wish she had presented evidence or data that showed her "grit survey" or any form of the information that she gathered while studying grit in the field. I was intrigued by a question that she asked the audience; how do we get our kids grittier? What inspires a student to push themselves and persevere through difficult times? This is where more data would be extremely beneficial.

1. How did the results about grit differ in different settings?
2. Did the results differ for different age groups?
3. Did Duckworth discover how different age groups were inspired to persevere and have grit?

9/21

Teach Teachers How to Create Magic. Perf. Christopher Emdin. Ted Talk. Oct. 2013. Web. 

Christopher Emdin talks about the magic that some teachers seem to have. This quality is often regarded as an indescribable factor that some people are just born with. Emdin denies this claim and says that the "magic" is in fact a very achievable quality and is also necessary for engaging students. He compares engaging teachers to preachers at black churches because of their ability to reel in their audience.

I really enjoy what Emdin is saying in this video. I strongly believe that anybody can be a teacher with the proper training. He says that the best way to learn this quality is to be around accomplished teachers who are skilled at engaging students in the classroom. If we can place more aspiring teachers in these classrooms, we will see an increased number of influential teachers. 

1. How can we ensure education students get placed with the proper teachers?

2. What happens if there are no truly engaging teachers near universities? (Unlikely, but worth entertaining)

3. What other professions require people to be genuinely engaging?

3 Rules to Spark Learning. Perf. Ramsey Musallam. Ted Talk. N.p., Apr. 2013. Web. 

Ramsey Musallam is a high school chemistry teacher whose teaching style and philosophy changed after recovering from a life threatening aneurism. He realized that student questions should guide the lesson, not a pre-scripted plan. He created three rules based on the confidence displayed by his surgeon; curiosity comes first, embrace the mess, and practice reflection. 

Before getting the aneurism, Musallam called his teaching style "pseudo-teaching." I think this is a great way to describe how many people teach. Everything in the classroom must be derived from the students in terms of what they need and how the class will changed their lived experience.

1. With this philosophy, how much planning should really be done for each class period?

2. Should it be more curricular or daily?

3. Can this approach affect classroom management and student behavior in a negative fashion? A positive fashion?

9/16

Hickey, Maud. "Teaching Ensembles to Compose and Improvise." Music Educators Journal 83.6 (1997): 17. Web. 

Hickey discusses the utilization of composition and improvisation in a large ensemble setting and how successful it can be. He provides the reader with several different methods that can be used to incorporate composition and improv into the classroom. Using short songs written by the students as warm ups for the rest of the ensemble is very beneficial for both the group and the individual who wrote the piece. Pieces can be written to reinforce new concepts (rhythmic, melodic, etc.). Hickey emphasizes that improvisation is not limited to jazz band. Students can even improv on a piece written by another student while the teacher accompanies on piano. 

This article is a great resource for creating new comp and improv activities for the classroom. I believe that these two concepts have a very important role in the development of musicians and should be encouraged whenever possible. I would like to expand on Hickey's ideas and have the students come up with their own composition or improvisation activities.

1. How is this received by administrators who walk in to your class and see this process occurring?

2. Will students open up to this idea or be reserved because they are afraid of writing something "bad?"

3. How can we include improvisation in our performances (excluding jazz band)?

Johnson, E. "Developing Listening Skills through Peer Interaction." Music Educators Journal 98.2 (2011): 49-54. Web. 

This article focuses on the roles that are played in the classroom by the teacher and students. Often times, feedback is one-sided; initiated by the teacher for the benefit of the students. Dr. Johnson's article asserts that feedback is often more effective when initiated by the students. It promotes critical thinking that may not occur in a "typical" classroom scenario. Student-led discussions can initiate use of the Zone of Proximal Development.

The article outlines an important, but often overlooked, aspect of teaching music. The teacher is not responsible for every single thing that happens in the ensemble. Student input is extremely valuable and even necessary to ensure that students are constantly engaged and enjoying what they are doing. 

1. Is it possible to have an entirely student led rehearsal that is still collaborative and not taken over by individuals or the conductor?

2. How can this strategy be introduced in a way that will make the "quiet" students want to participate?

3. How much monitoring needs to be done by the teacher? 

9/14

Duke, Robert A. "Feedback." Intelligent Music Teaching: Essays on the Core Principles of Effective Instruction. Austin: Learning and Behavior Resources, 2005. 121-37. Print.

This chapter from Duke's book discusses the use of feedback in the classroom with a specific emphasis on music. Duke discusses the nature and purpose of feedback, emphasizing how it is often misinterpreted by the student. Even teachers tend to think of feedback incorrectly. The perception of positive vs. negative feedback is incorrect. All feedback is intended to help the student grow, so even "negative" feedback is done out of care. Near the end, Duke writes about how feedback is given and how it could be done more efficiently. Too much time is spent sugarcoating feedback to cater to the student's feelings. When both teacher and student understand that there is nothing wrong with being "incorrect," feedback may be given in a much more truthful and genuine manner.

I thoroughly enjoyed everything that Duke had to say in this chapter of his book. In particular, the part at the end about genuine feedback resonated with me strongly. Additionally, reminding the reader that it is not an inherently bad thing to be wrong is extremely helpful from both a student and educators standpoint.
1. How can a teacher establish a relationship with the students in which genuine feedback becomes understood and not misinterpreted as mean?
2. In a large ensemble, is it possible to give feedback many times every minute like the author suggests?  
3. How can this be achieved without making the lesson seem disjunct?



Wiggins, Jackie. "Learning." Teaching for Musical Understanding. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2001. 2-13. Print.

This excerpt from Wiggins' book provides in depth detail regarding how people learn and make connections. "Schema, Metaphor, Image, and Embodied" were the four categories of understanding discussed in the chapter. Schema describes a mental construct used to organize information. It's similar to a web or a network. Metaphor states that each individual places new information into a previously existing context that they are personally familiar with as a way to connect with the information more effectively. The two sub-categories of Image are perceptual image (based on sensory information) and recalled images (that allow us to bring back past images and build on them). Embodied understanding is the actual process that happens in the brain to make information make sense.

This relatively dense chapter of reading was informative and useful but often difficult to follow. I don't believe that it reiterated as often as I understood it do so, meaning that I am not sure I interpreted it correctly all the time. Nevertheless, I particularly enjoyed reading about understanding through metaphor. I feel that this is a method used by the brain from a very early age that never ceases to be useful, making it an ideal way to promote a higher rate of understanding in students.
1. Are there more texts on this specific topic (Schema, Metaphor, Image, Embodied)? I would like to try to learn more about all of them, but particularly Embodied.
2. How can these concepts be integrated into a lesson plan effectively?
3. Is one of these methods more prevalent than the others? If so, which?

9/9

Jensen, Eric, and Eric Jensen. "11." Brain-based Learning: The New Paradigm of Teaching. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Corwin, 2008.

This article by Eric Jensen discusses a method of learning that is not based on philosophy or pedagogical research, but on the brain. Jensen guides the reader through a complete teaching cycle, comprised of five different stages: Engagement, Framing, Acquisition, Elaboration, and Memory Strengthening. Additionally, he discusses how to prepare before the class begins and how to ensure students remember the content after class.

At first glance, a teaching cycle seems like an effective way to disprove David Williams' views on the large ensemble. When I imagine going through a teaching cycle in a large ensemble setting, it is tough for me to come up with new ideas during the 'acquisition' and 'elaboration' sections that would not simply involving playing the music over and over again until the information is concrete. I know that this is not the best way, but what are some strategies to go about creating an interesting and diverse 'acquisition' and 'elaboration?'
The more I think about 'engagement' and 'framing,' the more important it seems to me. I think about when I come to class and am not in the proper mindset; how does that affect my ability to learn? Certain teachers are able to change my mindset when I walk in the room without me even knowing it. How can I engage my students in unique ways that won't become stale over time?

Waitzkin, Joshua. "Two Approaches to Learning." The Art of Learning. N.p.: Simon & Schuster, 2007. N. pag. Print. 

This chapter from Waitzkin's book discusses two different types of learners, entity theorists and learning theorists, and the outcomes of those two learning styles. While his experience is in chess, he relates this content to education in general, discussing how students gain a false sense of what they are good and bad at. 

How do we encourage students to become learning theorists instead of entity theorists? It's a difficult task because students are exposed to so many different teaching styles in their lives. At least one teacher is bound to make them feel like they have a particular affinity, or lack thereof, for a certain subject. Being music teachers may give us a leg up. Students often separate music from other subjects in school, meaning they have an entirely different mindset when they walk in to the room. 

9/2

Shuler, Scott, Martin Norgaard, and Michael J. Blakeslee. "The New National Standards for Music Educators." Music Educators Journal (2014): n. pag. Web. 1 Sept. 2015.

The New National Standards for Music Educators

This article compares and contrasts the standards from 1994 to 2014 while simultaneously explaining aspects of today's standards. There are a couple short blurbs included by the authors that discuss important aspects of music education that contribute to the creation and overall importance of our standards.

Seeing some of the 1994 standards makes me wonder how those standards were perceived by educators at the time. Were they well liked or did they seem outdated even at the present time?
Would this article from the Music Educators Journal be an effective one to share with administration if asked why music is important in our schools?
How are standards formed? Who contributes and how long does it take to finalize?

8/31

Grashel, John. "An Integrated Approach: Comprehensive Musicianship." Music Educators Journal 79.8 (1993): 38. Web. 

This article addresses aspects of music education that are commonly overlooked in our public school systems. The performance of music, while it may be the primary goal in our schools, is not the only thing to be gained from music classes.

Grashel discusses several different ways to diversify music education.

How practical are these categories?

Is it difficult to get the administration on board with this approach?

Should this style of teaching begin in elementary school or later?

Reimer, B. "Should There Be a Universal Philosophy of Music Education?" International Journal of Music Education 29.1 (1997): 4-21. Web. 

This article sums up four differing philosophies of music education; formalism, praxialism, referentialism, and contextualism. Reimer suggests that a combination of all four types is essential for a complete music education.

It seems like most music classes around the country take a praxial approach to teaching music because students perform more than anything else. Is this true? How is this different in other countries? Is there evidence of other countries being more effective in their approaches that may not be focused on praxial learning?