This practical resource for music educators provides 15 fully-developed and classroom-vetted instructional plans with assessments that are aligned to articulate learning from kindergarten through grade 12. With these instructional lessons and adaptations for K-12 music and STEM classes, pre-service educators, in-service educators, and administrators can better understand and immediately use tools for planning, assessing, and the practical integrating of STEM with Music. As authors Shawna Longo and Zachary Gates demonstrate, the arts bring creativity and innovation to the forefront in STEM learning. This book helps music teachers make natural connections between science, technology, engineering, math, and music. To do so, the book frames twenty-first century learning skills and career-ready practices so that the creativity and innovation necessary to succeed in STEM content areas and careers can be directly addressed by the educational community. The connection that the book makes between STEM content areas and music stimulates inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.

Achieving Musical Success in the String Classroom describes a fully pragmatic pedagogical approach toward developing complete musicianship in beginning through advanced level string players by incorporating the ideas of Mimi Zweig, Paul Rolland, and Shinichi Suzuki. Author Karel Butz's philosophical assumptions are explained regarding the structure and purpose of string teaching contributing to a high level of musical artistry among students. Introductory through advanced string concepts relating to instrument set-up, posture, left and right hand development, music theory, aural skills, assessment procedures, imagery in playing, the development individual practice and ensemble skills, and effective rehearsal strategies are explained in a sequential approach that benefit the classroom teacher and student. In addition, several score examples, sample lesson plans, grading rubrics as well as videos of Butz demonstrating his pedagogical ideas and techniques with musicians are included.

Do you find it challenging to integrate technology into your elementary music classroom? Do you feel that it could enhance your classroom experience if you could implement it in an approachable and realistic way? In Using Technology with Elementary Music Approaches, author Amy M. Burns offers an all-in-one, classroom-vetted guide to integrate technology into the music classroom while keeping with core educational strategies. In this book, you will find practical lessons and ideas that can be used in any elementary classroom, whether that classroom has one device per educator or a device for every student. Written for a range of experience levels, lessons further enhance classrooms that utilize the approaches of Feierabend, Kodaly, Orff Schulwerk, and project-based learning. Experts from each field-Dr. Missy Strong, Glennis Patterson, Ardith Collins, and Cherie Herring-offer a variety of approaches and project ideas in the project-based learning section. Complemented by a companion website of lesson videos, resource guides, and more, Using Technology with Elementary Music Approaches allows new and veteran educators to hit the ground running on the first day of school.

Creating Sounds from Scratch is a practical, in-depth resource on the most common forms of music synthesis. It includes historical context, an overview of concepts in sound and hearing, and practical training examples to help sound designers and electronic music producers to effectively manipulate presets and create new sounds from scratch. The book covers the all of the main main synthesis techniques including analog subtractive, FM, additive, physical modeling, wavetable, sample-based, and granular. While the book is grounded in theory, it relies on practical examples and contemporary production techniques to illustrate how the reader can utilize electronic sound design to maximize and improve his/her work. Creating Sounds from Scratch is ideal for all who work in sound creation, composition, editing, and contemporary commercial production.

In The Beat Stops Here: Lessons on and off the Podium for Today's Conductor, master conductor Mark Gibson addresses the technique of conducting as an extension of intimate knowledge of the score to the hands and arms. He employs a variety of everyday activities and motions (brushing the dog, Tinkerbelle, the "door knob") to describe the physical aspects of the role. He advocates a comprehensive, detailed approach to score study, addressing major works bar-by-bar in terms of both musical analysis and conducting method. Finally, Gibson explores the various roles a conductor plays, as a teacher, a scholar and a member of the musical community. His writing is highly focused, with an occasionally tongue-in-cheek, discussing everything from motivic development in Brahms to how to hold a knife and fork in public. In short, The Beat Stops Here is a compendium of style and substance in the real world of today's conductor.

Increasingly, guitar study is offered alongside band, orchestra, and chorus in school music programs. This development has drawn a new population of students into those programs but has left music educators scrambling to developing meaningful, sequential courses of study that both meet the needs of these new students and align with state, county, and national curricula. Few available guitar methods are designed with the classroom in mind, and fewer still take a holistic approach to teaching and learning the instrument. In short, teachers are left to navigate a vast array of method books that cover a variety of styles and approaches, often without the confidence and experience necessary to know 'what to teach when.' The Guitar Workbook: A Fresh Approach to Exploration and Mastery addresses the needs of these educators. Throughout the book's 20 lessons, students are encouraged to explore the ways various guitar styles and notation systems differ, as well as the ways they support and complement each other. Lessons cover myriad topics including pick-style playing, basic open position chords, finger-style technique, and power chords. Suggested 'Mastery Activities' at the end of each lesson support higher-order thinking, contextualize the skills and concepts studied, and provide a jumping off point for further exploration. Additionally, suggestions for further study point teachers and students to resources for extra practice.

This book is designed to support K-5 classroom teachers as they integrate music throughout the elementary curriculum. It contains detailed, practical ideas and examples, including full lesson plans and over 100 teaching ideas and strategies for integrating music with visual art, language arts, social studies, science, and mathematics. Following an overview of the interdisciplinary approach, the remaining chapters explore connections between music and other areas of the elementary curriculum. Each chapter also includes a section addressing national standards with tables showing the specific standards that are included in each lesson and activity. This text utilizes the most recent National Core Arts Standards (2015) as well as the most recent standards in mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts. All the lessons in this book are designed to be fully taught by classroom teachers; the content is accessible to those who lack formal music training, yet is solidly rooted in research and best practices. While classroom teachers can teach these lessons on their own, this book may facilitate partnerships and collaboration between classroom teachers and music specialists. All the lessons and activities included in this text have been reviewed by practicing teachers and most have been field tested in elementary classrooms. Throughout the book, there is an emphasis on interdisciplinary lessons that demonstrate valid connections between disciplines while maintaining the integrity of each discipline involved, including a teacher-tested model that allows teachers to successfully create their own interdisciplinary lessons.

Making quality moving pictures has never been easier or more affordable, and the proliferation and ease of access to digital recording devices has prompted scores of amateurs to record and post videos to YouTube and the like. Paradoxically, however, scoring and arranging music for motion pictures is, in many ways, more complicated now than ever before, requiring extensive knowledge of notation, arranging, recording, and mixing software and multi-component DAW workstations. In Composing for Moving Pictures: The Essential Guide, author Jason Gaines offers practical tools with which to navigate the increasingly complex environment of movie music composition. He addresses both the principles of composition for moving pictures and the technologies which drive music composition, performance, and recording in an integrated and comprehensive fashion. The guide takes readers from square one - how technology can facilitate, rather than hinder, creativity in scoring - and then moves into the basics of working with MIDI files and on to more advanced concepts such as arranging, mixing, and integrating surround sound. Gaines illustrates each step of the process with screen shots and explanations in the form of program tutorials. Later chapters offer tips on budgeting out studio sessions, hiring music copyists, and presenting one's work to (and negotiating contracts with) clients. A section of appendices includes a glossary, a guide to keyboard shortcuts, and references to official software program documentation, as well as interviews with industry veterans. Composing for Moving Pictures fills a hole in literature on film scoring in the digital age and will prove to be an invaluable resource for music educators at the university and secondary level. Amateur composers will also delight in this easy-to-use guidebook.

Buzz to Brilliance engages students personally, technically and musically as they begin their study on the trumpet. The book journeys with students from the moment they first open their trumpet case to years later as they prepare for college auditions. It abounds with technical information and practical tips including buying a new trumpet, mouthpiece selection, adjusting to braces, and marching band.
Chapters on practice skills, sight-reading, and performing are a must-read for any musician, while special features give students a window into diverse worlds, from the workbench of a master repairman to the French horn studio of a master teacher. Drawings, diagrams and pictures invite students into each page, making even advanced technical concepts easy to understand.
Following the written portion of the book, a comprehensive set of scales and technique-building exercises address topics including breathing, high range, pedal tones, lip slurs, accuracy, articulation, and pedal tones. With practice schedules, mouthpiece comparison chart, pitch tendencies and more, this book is a treasure for any trumpet player.
Buzz to Brilliance is the perfect companion for any beginning method book, and the first text on the market that provides a comprehensive set of essential studies selected specifically for beginning and intermediate players.

In our era of financial uncertainty and disruptive technological change, the music industry is in crisis. One career path that holds great promise, however, is independent music teaching. For a host of reasons, demand exists in every corner, providing one of the most stable, promising career options available to musicians regardless of instrument, genre, or background - at least, in the hands of a savvy music teacher. In this book, author David Cutler offers hands-on advice for creating a music career that is meaningful, artistically fulfilling, and financially self-supporting. The book's overriding goal is to ensure a steady income for its reader and to give the reader tools to use that income to provide financial independence. Cutler walks the reader through the process of setting up a profitable and sustainable career plan, and then through the practical aspects of getting out of debt, spending responsibly, investing, and saving for retirement. Cutler also sheds light on the logistics of running a teaching studio, providing helpful documentation and tips for everything from bookkeeping to time management. Lastly and most importantly, Cutler explores situations for increasing a teacher's impact. Rather than simply creating wealthy teachers, the overriding goal of their book is to cultivate leaders who add significant value to society through their teaching. A must-read for private music teachers of all levels, both beginning and those with established studios, as well as the music performance graduates who so often become private studio teachers, The Savvy Music Teacher provides practical advice in down-to-earth language that includes real-life experiences from successful teacher-entrepreneurs, a focus on large-scale income streams not usually covered in books for studio teachers, and sample documents (including contracts and marketing materials) on the book's comprehensive companion website.

The Band Teacher's Percussion Guide: Insights into Playing and Teaching Percussion is an essential practical resource for instrumental music teachers and band directors. Author Stewart Hoffman, a Juilliard-trained percussionist, performer, private instructor, and former classroom teacher, offers comprehensive yet accessible and clearly written handbook to help set teachers and students alike firmly on the road to classroom success. In this book, he offers a thorough foundation in snare drum, timpani, keyboard percussion, drum set, and auxiliary and Latin percussion techniques. More than this, he provides practical advice on curriculum and methodology, packing page after page with teaching tips developed through the decades of experience. For educators and band directors who want to learn more about percussion instruments and playing techniques, refine their percussion-teaching skills, or set the classroom stage for a more effective and rewarding teaching experience, The Band Teacher's Percussion Guide: Insights into Playing and Teaching Percussion will be a valued resource for discovering: -keys to effective and relevant evaluation -how to plan a percussion program, organize a band room and select percussionists -lists of recommended instruments and mallets, and guidelines for instrument maintenance and repair -"lifts and levels", a system that leads students to greater control and a more relaxed snare drum technique dozens of practical exercises for the development of techniques on all the main and accessory percussion instruments -easily referenced lists summarizing important points to focus on when practicing -guidelines for teaching jazz, Latin and rock drumset -numerous suggestions and tips to help teachers bring out the best in their students' playing

Written by an expert in the field who is both a teacher and a teacher-educator, this book is an in-depth and practical resource for educators and parents who wish to introduce music to children with hearing loss. Author Lyn Schraer-Joiner makes a compelling case for offering music education to children with hearing loss before presenting a series of important and up-to-date teaching strategies meant to inform their educational experience, including preparations for the classroom, communication strategies for parents and teaching staff, and tips on more specific or technical matters such as conducting musical audiograms. These resources provide a solid background for hands-on instructional materials such as music lessons, supplemental activities, educational resources, discussion points, and journal samples for the classroom and home. Schraer-Joiner goes to great lengths to offer detailed, purposeful suggestions for specific classroom settings such as general music, choral ensemble, and instrumental ensemble as well as a set of recommended listening lessons that take this potential variety of settings into account. Furthermore, Schraer-Joiner provides suggestions for incorporating music into everyday activities and also presents an overview of recent research which reinforces the benefits of music upon social and emotional development as well as speech and language development. Each chapter concludes with a section entitled For Your Consideration which features review questions, ideas, and instructional activities that teachers and parents can accomplish with deaf and hard of hearing children. The book's "Kids Only" online component provides deaf and hard-of-hearing children with descriptions of the many opportunities available to them in the arts, inspirational case studies and stories, as well as important ideas and topics for deaf and hard-of-hearing children to consider discussing with the teachers, family members, and healthcare professionals that they work with. The message of this book is a powerful one particularly in this day and age. As hearing aid and cochlear implant technologies improve and become increasingly widespread, all teachers-especially music teachers-should expect to see more deaf and hard-of-hearing children in their classrooms. Awareness and preparation are not only vital in aiding these children in the classroom, but are in fact required of teachers by federal law. This book is a comprehensive resource for teachers and parents who wish to gain a better understanding of the emerging field of music education for students with hearing loss.

Anthony Jahn, MD, internationally-acclaimed for his work as an "opera doctor" with some of the most prestigious opera companies in the world, offers a thorough and comprehensible guidebook on all aspects of health and disease that affect the voice. A vital tool for singers, voice instructors, and choral directors without formal medical training, The Singer's Guide to Complete Health empowers vocal performers to take charge of their own minds and bodies. Along with a full range of experts, Jahn provides advice about the various health disorders that affect professional well-being as well as remedies to the most important and common health problems that singers face in their careers. Jahn has invited a diverse group of health care specialists and music professionals to share their expertise and tips with singers and instructions. The chapters cover a broad range of topics, including psychological well-being, age-related changes, travel, diet, and exercise, accompanied by easy-to-follow illustrations, diagrams and charts. Each chapter provides a clear explanation of the relevant vocal anatomy, as well as detailed descriptions of the most troublesome disorders for singers. The book enables singers to make informed decisions about their own health, and gives guidance on seeking appropriate professional help and self-remedies. It includes numerous suggestions on ways to maintain a healthy vocal lifestyle, not only with traditional methods such as diet, exercise, and Alexander technique, but also holistic approaches such as yoga, tai chi, acupuncture, and Chinese herbs. The book also features assistance for singers who are interested in osteopathic, chiropractic, and craniosacral therapies. A comprehensive blend of professional voice expertise and medical science, The Singer's Guide to Complete Health is an essential addition to bookshelves and medicine cabinets of all professional and aspiring singers and instructors.

Many practical books for music educators who work with special needs students focus on students' disabilities, rather than on the inclusive classroom more generally. In Including Everyone: Creating Music Classrooms Where All Children Learn, veteran teacher and pedagogue Judith Jellison offers a new approach that identifies broader principles of inclusive music instruction writ large. As she demonstrates in this aptly-titled book, the perceived impediments to successfully including the wide diversity of children in schools in meaningful music instruction often stem not from insurmountable obstacles but from a lack of imagination. How do teachers and parents create diverse musical communities in which all children develop skills, deepen understanding, and cultivate independence in a culture of accomplishment and joy? Including Everyone equips music teachers with five principles of effective instruction for mixed special needs / traditional settings that are applicable in both classroom and rehearsal rooms alike. These five guidelines lay out Jellison's argument for a new way to teach music that shifts attention away from thinking of children in terms of symptoms. The effective teacher, argues Jellison, will strive to offer a curriculum that will not only allow the child with a disability to be more successful, but will also apply to and improve instruction for typically developing students. In this compelling new book, Judith Jellison illustrates what it takes to imagine, create, and realize possibilities for all children in ways that inspire parents, teachers, and the children themselves to take part in collaborative music making. Her book helps readers recognize how this most central component of human culture is one that allows everyone to participate, learn, and grow. Jellison is a leader in her field, and the wealth of knowledge she makes available in this book is extensive and valuable. It should aid her peers and inspire a new generation of student teachers.

Though incomplete at the time of his death in 1849, Chopin's Projet de methode was nonetheless revolutionary in many respects. But with his Fundamental Pattern, Chopin announced the recognition, if not discovery, of the keyboard's extraordinary topographical symmetry and postulated a core formulation for a new "pianistic" pedagogy. More than a hundred years later the now-legendary Heinrich Neuhaus would passionately plead for this pedagogy and a pianism rooted in it. Natural Fingering explores this remarkable symmetry, significantly as it sheds light on fingering matters for the now vast catalogue of repertoire. It also examines the revolutionary impact of equal temperament on compositional key choice as well as the liberating influence of Charles Eschmann-Dumur's unique discoveries regarding symmetrical inversion. Principles for a topographically-based fingering strategy are developed that reflect a surprising compatibility of this fixed symmetrical organization with the most efficient biokinetic capabilities of the pianist's playing mechanism. Previously neglected or overlooked technical aspects of pianism are addressed as they relate to movement in keyboard space generally as well as fingering specifically. Symmetrical fingerings for all the fundamental forms are presented in innovative, instructive format. The reader will also find an unusually extensive, in-depth discussion of double note challenges. Answering Neuhaus's call for the reappraisal of a certain pedagogical status quo, several chapters are devoted to the relevant implications of Chopin's Fundamental Pattern. The author also advances guidelines for a progressive implementation of natural fingering principles from the very start, as well as "retooling" for teachers and students alike. Of special note are the cross-hand major and minor scales for the earliest stages, in which the necessity of thumb under/hand over pivoting actions is eliminated. Natural Fingering is the first comprehensive discussion of fingering solutions for pianists since Hummel's monumental treatise of 1828. The book is complemented by a companion website where readers can access excerpts from the repertoire with fingering solutions, read extended discussions, and download comprehensive lists of scales with appropriate fingerings.

Music teacher education is under heavy criticism for failing to keep pace with the changing needs and interests of 21st century learners. Technological innovations, evolving demographics in the school age population, and students' omnipresent access to music and music making all suggest that contemporary teaching and learning occurs in environments that are much more complex than those of the 19th century that served as music education's primary model. This book surveys emerging music and education landscapes to present a sampling of the promising practices of music teacher education that may serve as new models for the 21st century. Contributors explore the delicate balance between curriculum and pedagogy, the power structures that influence music education at all levels, the role of contemporary musical practices in teacher education, and the communication challenges that surround institutional change. Models of programs that feature in-school, out-of-school and beyond school contexts, lifespan learning perspectives, active juxtapositions of formal and informal approaches to teaching and learning, student-driven project-based fieldwork, and the purposeful employment of technology and digital media as platforms for authentic music engagement within a contemporary participatory culture are all offered as springboards for innovative practice.

Teaching Music to Students with Autism provides a comprehensive study of the education of students with autism within the music classroom. The book is designed for music educators, music teacher educators, and all those who have an interest in the education of students with autism. The authors focus on the diagnosis of autism, advocating for students and music programs, and creating and maintaining a team approach when working with colleagues. A significant portion of the book is focused on understanding the communication, cognition, behavior, sensory, and socialization challenges inherent in working with students with autism. The authors suggest ways to structure classroom experiences and learning opportunities for all students. Vignettes and classroom snapshots from experienced teachers provide additional opportunities to transfer theory to real-life application.

Written by a professional musician who is also a certified occupational therapist, Teaching Healthy Musicianship both helps music educators avoid common injuries that they themselves encounter and equips them with the tools they need to instill healthy musicianship practices in their students. Author Nancy Taylor combines her two unique skill sets to provide a model for injury prevention that is equally cognizant of the needs of music educators and their students. Through practical explanation of body mechanics, ergonomics, and the performance-related health problems and risk factors unique to musicianship, Taylor gives music educators the tools they need to first practice healthy posture, body mechanics, environmental safety, and ergonomics, and then to introduce these same practices to their students. Taylor also provides practical guidance for healthy musicianship practices in the wrists and shoulders, the most common site of music-related injuries. The final sections address issues of vocal and hearing health, both of which are at high risk in music classroom environments. Working from the dual observations that busy music teachers sometimes overlook taking care of themselves, and that music teachers are not always able to guide students through instrument-related stresses, Taylor provides here a book that addresses injury prevention for the music student and the music educator alike. Thoroughly illustrated with 125 photographs, Teaching Healthy Musicianship is a key resource for preservice and inservice teachers of middle school and high school band, orchestra, choir and general music.

Music Outside the Lines is an informative and practical resource for all who are invested in making music composition an integral part of curriculum. Author Maud Hickey addresses the practical needs of music educators by offering both a well-grounded justification for teaching music composition and also a compendium of useful instructional ideas and classroom activities. Hickey begins with a rationale for teachers to begin composition activities in their own classrooms, with a thoughtful argument that demonstrates that all music teachers possess the skills and training needed to take children along the path toward composing satisfying musical compositions even if they themselves have never taken formal composition lessons. She also addresses some of the stickier issues that plague teaching music composition in schools such as assessment, notation, and technology. Most importantly, she introduces a curricular model for teaching composition, a model which provides an array of composition activities to try in the music classrooms and studios. These activities encourage musical and creative growth through music composition; while they are organized in logical units corresponding to existing teaching modules, they also offer jumping off points for music teachers to exercise their own creative thinking and create music composition activities that are customized to their classes and needs. As a whole, Music Outside the Lines both successfully reasons that music composition should be at the core of school music curriculum and also provides inservice and pre-service educators with an essential resource and compendium of practical tips and plans for fulfilling this goal.

Now in its fourth edition, The Art of Music Production has established itself as the definitive guide to the art and business of music production and a primary teaching tool for college programs. It is the first book to comprehensively analyze and describe the non-technical role of the music producer. Author Richard James Burgess lays out the complex field of music production by defining the several distinct roles that fall under the rubric of music producer. In this completely updated and revised fourth edition of a book already lauded as "the most comprehensive guide to record production ever published," Burgess has expanded and refined the types of producers, bringing them fully up to date. The first part of the book outlines the underlying theory of the art of music production. The second part focuses on the practical aspects of the job including training, getting into the business, day-to-day responsibilities, potential earnings, managers, lawyers, and - most importantly - the musical, financial, and interpersonal relationships producers have with artists and their labels. The book is packed with insights from the most successful music producers ranging from today's chart-toppers to the beginnings of recorded sound, including mainstream and many niche genres. The book also features many revealing anecdotes about the business, including the stars and the challenges (from daily to career-related) a producer faces. Burgess addresses the changes in the nature of music production that have been brought about by technology and, in particular, the paradigmatic millennial shift that has occurred with digital recording and distribution. Burgess's lifelong experience in the recording industry as a studio musician, artist, producer, manager, and marketer combined with his extensive academic research in the field brings a unique breadth and depth of understanding to the topic.

Discoveries from the Fortepiano meets the demand for a manual on authentic Classical piano performance practice that is at once accessible to the performer and accurate to the scholarship. Uncovering a wide range of eighteenth-century primary sources, noted keyboard pedagogue Donna Gunn examines contemporary philosophical beliefs and principles surrounding Classical Era performance practices. Gunn introduces the reader to the Viennese fortepiano and compares its sonic and technical capabilities to the modern piano. In doing so, she demonstrates how understanding Classical fortepiano performance aesthetics can influence contemporary pianists, paying particular focus to technique, dynamics, articulation, rhythm, ornamentation, and pedaling. The book is complete with over 100 music examples that illustrate concepts, as well as sample model lessons that demonstrate the application of Gunn's historically informed style on the modern piano. Each example is available on the book's companion website and is given three recordings: the first, a modern interpretation of the passage on a modern piano; the second, a fortepiano interpretation; and the third, a historically informed performance on a modern piano. With its in-depth yet succinct explanations and examples of the Viennese five-octave fortepiano and the nuances of Classical interpretation and ornamentation, Discoveries from the Fortepiano is an indispensable educational aid to any pianist who seeks an academically and artistically sound approach to the performance of Classical works.

Chances and Choices: Exploring the Impact of Music Education considers the aims and impact of formative musical experiences, evaluating the extent to which music education of various kinds provides a foundation for lifelong involvement and interest in music. The discussion draws upon rich qualitative data, in which over 100 adults with an active interest in music reflect upon the influences and opportunities that shaped their musical life histories. Pitts addresses the relationship between the claims made for music education, the practice and policy through which those aims are filtered, and the recollections of the lived experiences of learning music in a variety of contexts. This consideration of school music is set in the broader context of learning in the home and community, and illustrates the circumscribed yet immensely powerful role that music teachers and other potential role models can play in nurturing open-minded, active musicians. The four central chapters focus on generational change in home and school experiences of music; the locations in which musical learning takes place, including cross-cultural comparisons; the characteristics of teachers, parents and others as musical mentors and role models; and the lifelong outcomes of musical engagement for performers, teachers, listeners and adult learners. This analysis is then used to illuminate the claims made for music education in historical and contemporary debate, and to propose ways in which school music might better prepare young people for lifelong engagement in music. Poised to shed new light on the long-term effects of music education, this book is an important resource to understand how we can encourage lifelong involvement with music and general engagement in cultural activities in every individual.

Winding it Back: Teaching to Individual Differences in Music Classroom and Ensemble Settings is a collaborative effort by practicing music educators, teacher educators, pedagogy experts, researchers, and inclusion enthusiasts with a combined one hundred plus years in the field of music education. The framework of this text is centered on the following principles: 1) Honoring the individual learning needs of all students; 2) providing multiple access points and learning levels; and 3) providing adequate learning conditions for all students within the music classroom. This framework is based on research and best practice within music education. Topics include early childhood music, creative movement, older beginners, rhythm, melodic, and tonal development as well as secondary choral and instrumental music. All chapters focus on meeting the needs of all students and all learning levels within the music classroom. Many of the authors are pairs of music educators that bring different experiences to each topic. In addition, all authors contributed to the editing and musical examples that are provided as part of the collaborative writing process preserving the synergy between practicing K-12 music educators, researchers, and music teacher educators. Therefore, this text can be used as a resource for practicing music educators, teacher educators, and arts integration specialists and enthusiasts. Specific musical examples are provided both within the text and on the extended companion website. These include musical examples, lesson ideas, videos, assessment tools and sequencing ideas that work. The aim of this book is to provide one resource that can be used by music educators for all students in the music classroom both for classroom music education and music teacher preparation.

All children must have an opportunity to share the joy of choral music participation - whether in school, church, or community choirs. What happens before the singing begins, is critical to supporting, sustaining, and nurturing choirs to give every child the opportunity to experience the wonder of choral singing. Based on years of experience conducting and teaching, Barbara Tagg brings a wealth of practical information about ways of organizing choirs. From classroom choirs, to mission statements, boards of directors, commissioning, auditioning, and repertoire, Before the Singing will inspire new ways of thinking about how choirs organize their daily tasks. The collaborative community that surrounds a choir includes conductors, music educators, church choir directors, board members, volunteers, staff, administrators, and university students in music education and nonprofit arts management degree programs. For all these, Tagg offers a wealth of knowledge about creating a positive environment to support artistry, creativity, dedication, and a commitment to striving for excellence.