*photos8.com
Monday’s Music Quote ~Henry Ward Beecher, “Music cleanses the understanding; inspires it, and lifts it into a realm which it would not reach if it were left to itself.”:
MusTech.Net provides you with the most interesting news to follow and wake-up to on Monday Mornings. So, sit back, grab your favorite coffee and “TAKE FIVE”…

Hot Topics This Week:

Standby, The Morning Music News Follows Directly:

Choosing Repertoire for Middle School Band:  “While it is our job to teach instrumental music, we as a profession must take time to consider these student musicians and ultimately where there career path might lead.  Not every student in our program may become a professional musician or a music educator, but we do want them to leave with a positive connection to music that they can tangibly see in their lives.  We must also choose music that allows us as directors to connect the academic music of the school ensemble with the outside world in which the student live, and that music must contribute to and enrich the community in which the school ensemble is situated.”

Viewpoint: Don’t deprive children of music education: “In my view, involvement in instrumental music offers the student an experience which can affect him throughout his life. Students develop aural and body awareness, learn the complex system of musical notation, and learn to work together with their peers to express their emotions and sense of aliveness.  Instrumental musicians are natural problem solvers; they learn to see and hear patterns and develop motor and special skills which are unmatched by any other discipline. Performing in front of an audience develops self-confidence along with the opportunity to express feelings and tell a story through sound.  Studies have shown that long-term instrumental students score 50 points higher than the general population on standardized tests. At the Springfield High School of Science and Technology where I was Band Director for seven years, the graduation rate among students in the band and chorus was over 95 percent. ”

Education Standards: More Than Buzzwords:  “Standards. Standardized tests. Reading standards. Achievement standards. Survey sample standards. Data-analysis standards. State education standards, and now, proposed national education standards.  The National Governors’ Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers are considering national education standards. Forty-eight states, two territories, and Washington, D.C. have committed to the idea of developing standards—but have not yet agreed to adopt any approved standards.
National standards for K-12 math and language arts were released in March for a comment period which has concluded. The final draft is due in May. MENC knows the roots of standards run deep and are more than trendy buzzwords in the world of education. That is why MENC wants the arts considered key before the standards-train begins to pull away from the station.”

Why I Adore Teaching PreK Music:  “I have spoken to numerous music teachers in the past few years who will either react positively when I state that I teach PreK-3rd grade general music or they will tremble. When they tremble, I ask them why and the usual response is that I must have a lot of patience to work with the littlest of students because they are so unpredictable. Though it is very true that patience is a virtue when it comes to teaching (at any grade level), teaching PreK music is one of the best jobs I ever took. And to think that 14 years ago, I stumbled into my first teaching job (as we all do-we take whatever we are offered) which was teaching a PreK music program to 14 different day cares and Preschools across NJ. I wanted to share with you all the reasons I adore teaching PreK music:”

League of American Orchestras Puts Issues Online:  I just discovered that the League of American Orchestra has put some of their Symphony Magazine Issues online.   They are using a fantastic online reader called nxtbook.  To read the March/April 2010 issue online click this link: http://www.americanorchestras.org/symphony_magazine/symphony_magazine.html

DON’T FORGET:

The seventh #musedchat will be held tomorrow night on Twitter- Join us! Find out more about it here: MusicEdMajor.Net. Learn how to get the most from this experience here: Navigating #MusEdChat.

Want the quick 411 on #musedchat? Click Here!

This week’s #MusEdChat Topic:  “What topics are important to teach in classroom music?”

Hey, We’re LOOKING for pictures of coffee (or tea) to use with the Monday Morning Mix… Send them to me via the contact form above or Tweet Me at @pisanojm

Don’t Forget to Submit your article for the Music Education Blog Carnival!: Submit Now for consideration of one of your Blog posts for inclusion into the next Music Education Blog Carnival. The May, 2010 version will be hosted by Andy Zweibel over at http://musicedmajor.net Join Us either as a READER or SUBMITTER!

*****************************************************************

Do you have an article or idea for the Next Monday Morning Music Mix? Contact us via the contact page. As always, feel free to leave any comments you might have in the comment section below.

*Hat-tips are given at times to show who or where I learned about an article listed in the Monday Morning Music Mix… Have a great week!

GET UPDATED NEWS, TIPS, AND INFORMATION ABOUT MUSIC EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY DAILY BY VISITNG MUSTECH.NET’S NETVIBES PAGE AND SEE WHAT SOME OF THE BEST MUSIC EDUCATION BLOGGERS AND PODCASTS ARE TALKING ABOUT EACH AND EVERY DAY:HTTP:/MUSICEDNEWS.COM and HTTP://MUSTECH.NET !

Find the best Music Education “Pedagogues” to follow on Twitter here:
https://mustech.net/musictwitter ~ follow me directly @ http://twitter.com/pisanojm

     

Print Friendly, PDF & Email