General Music Today is a publication of MENC: The National Association for Music Education for the Society of General Music. The journal features articles of interest to teachers specializing in general music at all levels from early childhood through high school, particularly works that describe successful practices, share teaching strategies or materials, and suggest new ideas and issues of concern to general music educators. General Music Today is currently published online and available to all MENC members on its Web site, www.menc.org.

(Faber Piano Adventures ). The 2nd Edition Level 1 Lesson Book introduces all the notes of the grand staff, elementary chord playing, and the concept of tonic and dominant notes. Students play in varied positions, reinforcing reading skills and recognizing intervals through the 5th. Musicianship is built with the introduction of legato and staccato touches. This level continues the interval orientation to reading across the full range of the Grand Staff. The 5-finger approach is presented here in a fresh, musically appealing way.

Foundations of Mariachi Education: Materials, Methods, and Resources, the first book of its kind, is a comprehensive handbook on teaching mariachi in secondary school to music students of all levels. Beginning with how to start a mariachi program, each chapter addresses a specific topic in mariachi education, including choosing appropriate repertoire, preparing for performances, and teaching each mariachi instrument-including voice. Each instrument chapter includes practical advice on care of the instrument, tuning, posture, fingerings, technique, and the role of the instrument within the mariachi ensemble. With dozens of music exercises distributed throughout the chapters, this resource shows you how to build your students' technical skills using mariachi repertoire so your students truly shine onstage. You'll also learn how to develop a district-wide program and use mariachi to support literacy goals. Whether you have experience teaching mariachi music or not, this book will guide you through each step of starting or developing a program, from changing an instrument string to buying trajes for your students to executing mariachi mOnicos. This resource is a must-have for every music educator looking for ways to bring new energy to the music classroom.

Model Music Programs: Ideas for Everyone presents practical applications from the selected programs, as well as the best of the rest of the applicants, to share with all music educators. Learn how creative music teachers have built successful music programs in categories such as obtaining outside funding, partnering with the community, serving students with special needs, multicultural and interdisciplinary learning, and collaborating with professionals. In addition, use the wealth of resources to replicate the successful aspects of the model programs. In a nationwide search for model music programs, MENC judges selected twelve programs for special recognition. Model Music Programs: Ideas for Everyone showcases the selected programs in four categories: technology, interdisciplinary and multicultural learning, music for all, and standards-based learning. See how each selected program handles resources, scheduling, facilities, community and booster club support, as well as budget and school administration support. Model Music Programs: Ideas for Everyone also examines characteristics that contributed to the success of the model programs: adequate resources, universality, exemplary personnel, strong community ties, and a clear creative vision.

Model Music Programs: Ideas for Everyone presents practical applications from the selected programs, as well as the best of the rest of the applicants, to share with all music educators. Learn how creative music teachers have built successful music programs in categories such as obtaining outside funding, partnering with the community, serving students with special needs, multicultural and interdisciplinary learning, and collaborating with professionals. In addition, use the wealth of resources to replicate the successful aspects of the model programs. In a nationwide search for model music programs, MENC judges selected twelve programs for special recognition. Model Music Programs: Ideas for Everyone showcases the selected programs in four categories: technology, interdisciplinary and multicultural learning, music for all, and standards-based learning. See how each selected program handles resources, scheduling, facilities, community and booster club support, as well as budget and school administration support. Model Music Programs: Ideas for Everyone also examines characteristics that contributed to the success of the model programs: adequate resources, universality, exemplary personnel, strong community ties, and a clear creative vision.

Improve your guitar-playing rhythm, feel, and timing If you want to improve your timing, sharpen your technique, or get inspired by new ideas, Guitar Rhythm & Technique For Dummies breaks down the basics of reading, counting, strumming, and picking rhythms on guitar to make you an ace on the axe in no time. With the help of this friendly guide, you'll learn to play examples of eighth and sixteenth note rhythms including common strum patterns heard in popular music to improve your guitar rhythm, feel, and timing. Plus, access to audio downloads and online video lessons complement the coverage presented in the book, giving you the option of supplementing your reading with additional visual and audio learning. There's no denying that guitar is one of the coolest musical instruments on the planet. Okay, perhaps undeniably the coolest. Whether you bow at the feet of Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, the Edge, or Eddie Van Halen, they all have one thing in common: they make it look incredibly, naturally easy! However, anyone who's actually picked up a guitar knows that mastering rhythm and technique is something that takes a lot of practice not to mention good coaching. Luckily, Guitar Rhythm & Technique For Dummies makes your aspirations to play guitar like the pros attainable with loads of helpful step-by-step instruction on everything from mastering hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides to perfecting your picking and beyond. * Covers strum patterns, articulations, picking techniques, and more * Showcases musical styles such as pop, rock, blues, folk, and funk * Includes techniques for playing with both your right and left hand * Provides access to online audio tracks and video instruction so you can master the concepts and techniques presented in the book Whether you're new to guitar or an advanced player looking to improve your musical timing and skills, Guitar Rhythm & Technique For Dummies quickly gets you in the groove before the rhythm gets you.

This volume contains valuable practice material for candidates preparing for the ABRSM Grade 8 Piano exams. The book is written in attractive and approachable styles and representative of the technical level expected in the exam.

(Educational Piano Library). 120 color-coded cards to learn basic musical symbols, all notes from low ledger C to high ledger C, and rhythm patterns in 4/4 and 3/4. Also includes cards that focus on recognition of steps and skips on the staff.

Between 1958 and 2002, Luciano Berio wrote fourteen pieces entitled Sequenza, along with several versions of the same work for different instruments, revisions of the original pieces and also the parallel Chemins series, where one of the Sequenzas is used as the basis for a new composition on a larger scale. The Sequenza series is one of the most remarkable achievements of the late twentieth century. It is a collection of virtuoso pieces that explores the capabilities of a solo instrument and its player, making extreme technical demands of the performer whilst developing the musical vocabulary of the instrument in compositions so assured and so distinctive that each piece both initiates and potentially exhausts the repertoire of a new genre.The Sequenzas have significantly influenced the development of composition for solo instruments and voice, and there is no comparable series of works in the output of any other composer. Series of pieces tend to be linked by the instruments for which the composer writes, but this is a series in which the pieces are linked instead by the variety of instruments for which Berio composed. The varied approaches taken by the contributors in discussing the pieces demonstrate the richness of this repertoire and the many levels on which Berio and these landmark compositions can be considered. Contributions are arranged under three main headings: Performance Issues; Berio's Compositional Process and Aesthetics; Analytical Approaches.

In this previously unpublished essay Schenker, one of the most influential music theorists of the twentieth century, turned his attention to the performer's role, arguing that the cult of the virtuoso has led to an overemphasis on technical display and discussing specific ways in which performers can better serve the composer's ideas.

Comprehensive Aural Skills is a complete suite of material for both performance and dictation, covering the wide range of sight singing and ear training skills required for undergraduate courses of study. It provides a series of instructional modules on rhythm, melody, and harmony, and blends musical examples from the common-practice repertory with original examples composed to specifically address particular skills and concepts. Each module includes material for classroom performance, self-directed study, and homework assignments. Features A complete suite of aural skills material: Comprehensive Aural Skills is a combined sight singing and ear training textbook, audio, and companion website package. Fully modular, customizable organization: Instructors can choose freely from the set of exercises in the book and supplemental material on the companion website to appropriately tailor the curriculum based on their students' needs. Engaging and idiomatic musical examples: Examples are selected and composed specifically for the didactic context of an aural skills classroom. Dictation exercises for practice and assignment: Practice exercises include an answer key so students can work independently and receive immediate feedback, while homework assignments are given without a key. Audio examples for dictation: The website hosts live recordings of acoustic instruments performed by professional musicians for each dictation exercise and homework assignment. Supplemental materials for instructors: A wealth of material for class use and assignment can be found on the companion website. Teachers' guide: The guide includes answers for every homework assignment, brief commentary on each module's content, tips for integrating written theory, and strategies on how to effectively teach new concepts and skills. This updated second edition includes the following: Revised rhythm and harmony module structure, now introducing foundational concepts more gradually. Additional examples from the repertory in the harmony and melody modules. New and improved recordings on the companion website.

Lang Lang Piano Academy: mastering the piano level 5 (approximately equivalent to Grade 5/Intermediate) includes sections on legato pedalling, phrasing and rubato and new accompaniment styles. Units: Developing dexterity Instinctive pedalling Refining the touch Phrasing and rubato Character Ornamentation Interpretation and style Performing Mastering the piano is the first series of books to be launched in the Lang Lang Piano Academy. Comprising five progressive books, mastering the piano captures Lang Lang's passion, drive and extraordinary mastery of the piano. Each book gives students the chance to learn from this exceptional talent, with: 8 units that develop key aspects of piano technique; specially devised exercises & studies; a diverse selection of repertoire including Lang Lang's favourite works; and inspirational commentary & guidance from Lang Lang himself. Mastering the piano is also available as an iPad App! Listen to Lang Lang perform Prelude in C by J. S. Bach Download FREE Scales & Arpeggios Chart for Level 5

Sixteen of classical music's greatest choral compositions are discussed at length in Choral Masterworks from Bach to Britten: Reflections of a Conductor. Pieces such as Bach's Mass in B Minor and St. Matthew's Passion, Schubert's Mass in G, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms, Verdi's Requiem, Mendelssohn's Elijah, and Britten's War Requiem are examined and analyzed in an effort to help performers, students, and listeners more fully understand and appreciate these significant works. Choral professor and conductor Robert J. Summer has combined his personal observations with shared ideas from some of the greatest choral conductors of our time, including Robert Shaw, Sir David Willcocks, Donald Neuen, Julius Herford, and Robert Page. His experiences with some of these conductors, such as his collaboration with Robert Shaw on the recording of Mahler's 8th Symphony, are captured in detail, paying homage to the conductor, the composer, and the work. Each chapter focuses on an individual work and presents musical analysis, structure, textual symbolism, and identification of traits that endear the work to performers and listeners. Summer comments on the function and relationship of solos, recitatives, and choruses, offering suggestions and considerations for preparing the works for performance. The textual organization of many works is included in appendixes, and the book concludes with a bibliography and a selected discography. Choral Masterworks from Bach to Britten is appropriate both as a textbook for choral literature classes and as a listening guide for the general music lover.

EHow to Play Blues GuitarE gives you vital instruction in blues basics from top guitar teachers and reveals the screts of blues greats often in their own words. Revised and expanded with 32 pages of new lessons and packed with musical examples charts and photos this is your complete step-by-step course for learning acoustic or electric blues guitar. In-depth lessons with pros like Andy Ellis Jesse Gress and Arlen Roth teach you to build your own style while exploring the music of traditional bluesmen and modern stars. You'll learn the styles of B.B. King Eric Clapton John Lee Hooker T-Bone Walker Albert collins Michael Bloomfield Buddy Guy Hubert Sumlin Robben Ford and more.

Encore is the official collection of best-loved ABRSM piano exam pieces, selected from syllabuses of the past few decades. Pianists will find an appealing mix of repertoire, while teachers can be confident that the perfect balance of content has been selected at every level. Book 1 features 21 popular pieces at Grades 1 and 2. Have fun exploring timeless classics and modern favourites, like Hook's Gavotte, or Vampire Blues by Wooding. Footnotes provide background information, a summary of the key skills that each piece develops, and new ideas for exploring the music. Whether you're working through our exams, playing informally, or planning a performance, Encore is full of music you'll want to play again and again! Perfect for learners exploring repertoire for the own-choice piece in ABRSM's Performance Grade exams

The performance librarian is the person responsible for managing, maintaining, and organizing the resources of a performance library. This personnel can now benefit from A Manual for the Performance Library, a guide for organizing and operating a library of music performance materials. Music for performance has different needs than music for study. It must be easy to read and understand, and it must be formatted so as not to impede the musician's efforts to interpret the notes into musical sound. This book outlines, step-by-step, the ways of acquiring, processing, cataloging, and preparing music for performance. While focusing primarily on music for large ensembles, like orchestra and chorus, author Russ Girsberger also includes concepts that apply to wind, jazz, and chamber ensembles. The material is logically organized, detailing information on purchasing or renting music; cataloging and processing scores; numbering, marking, binding and shelving parts; and preparing and distributing the music for rehearsal or performance. Additional duties, such as describing necessary information on preparing concert programs and audition lists, and caring for and preserving the library's holdings are also covered. The manual concludes with a glossary, an annotated bibliography, and an appendix, which features sample forms for cataloging and circulating the library's materials.

(Essential Elements for Band). (Essential Elements for Band Book 1 and Essential Elements Interactive are fully compatible with Essential Elements 2000 ) Essential Elements for Band Book 1 offers beginning students sound pedagogy and engaging music, all carefully paced to successfully start young players on their musical journey. EE features both familiar songs and specially designed exercises, created and arranged for the classroom in a unison-learning environment, as well as instrument-specific exercises to focus each student on the unique characteristics of their own instrument. EE provides both teachers and students with a wealth of materials to develop total musicianship, even at the beginning stages. Essential Elements for Band Book 1 also includes access to: Essential Elements Interactive (EEi) The ultimate online music education resource - anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Go to www.essentialelementsinteractive.com to learn more Features: * Enhanced Learning System * Optimum Reinforced Learning * Theory, History, Cross-Curriculum and Creativity * Daily Warm-ups & Rubank Studies * 12 Full Band Arrangements * Rhythm Studies Book also includes a CD-ROM* with. . . * Start-up video Learn the basics * Play-along mp3* tracks for all exercises Features a professional player on your instrument * Tempo adjustment software Play tracks at desired tempo * Duets and trios Print and play parts with friends * Music listening library Hear great pieces for band *PC or Mac computer required for CD-ROM use; mp3 files will play on most current CD or DVD players.

Since the emergence of rock'n'roll in the early 1950s, there have been a number of live musical performances that were not only memorable in themselves, but became hugely influential in the way they shaped the subsequent trajectory and development of popular music. Each, in its own way, introduced new styles, confronted existing practices, shifted accepted definitions, and provided templates for others to follow. Performance and Popular Music explores these processes by focusing on some of the specific occasions when such transformations occurred. An international array of scholars reveal that it is through the (often disruptive) dynamics of performance - and the interaction between performer and audience - that patterns of musical change and innovation can best be recognised. Through multi-disciplinary analyses which consider the history, place and time of each event, the performances are located within their social and professional contexts, and their immediate and long-term musical consequences considered. From the Beatles and Bob Dylan to Michael Jackson and Madonna, from Woodstock and Monterey to Altamont and Live Aid, this book provides an indispensable assessment of the importance of live performance in the practice of popular music, and an essential guide to some of the key moments in its history.