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November 2010 Music Education Blog Carnival

11/01/10 By 1 Comment

It’s that time again! Welcome to the November 1, 2010 edition of music education blog carnival. This edition features some of the top posts in the Music Education blogosphere from the month of October. Special thanks, as always, go to Dr. Joseph Pisano of MusTech.net for founding/overseeing the monthly Music Education Blog Carnival!

This carnival is a bit thin, understandably so; many teachers are in the thick of their semesters right now. Don’t forget, however, that submissions for the Blog Carnival are always open! Read to the bottom of this post to find out more information about the December edition! Now, without further adieu, enjoy!

Did you like a particular post? Leave a comment here or on the specific post telling the author how much you enjoyed their work! [Read more...]

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#MusEdChat Recap – Chamber Ensembles (5-24-10)

06/11/10 By 1 Comment

Image Courtesy: http://wordle.net

“We find that small group opportunities strengthen our large ensembles tenfold. So worth the time.” – @theresawhite

The #MusEdChat held on May 24th, 2010 discussed the importance of chamber ensembles in the music curriculum. The chat was broken into two different parts: “What is the importance of adding chamber groups to the curriculum?”, and “How can we facilitate these opportunities for our students?” [Read more...]

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#MusEdChat Recap – Advocacy to Administration (5/10/2010)

06/08/10 By 1 Comment

Image Courtesy: http://wordle.net

“If your program is significant and relevant to students, families, and community, that IS your advocacy.” – @teaching_music

The #MusEdChat held on May 10th, 2010 discussed ways to advocate to members of the administration and community. Many great ideas were proposed from experienced music educators.

What Administrators Want to See

#MusEdChat participants began the chat by discussing what they thought administrators would like to see from a healthy music program. They discussed different aspects like a large number of students involved in the music department, and a quality product from the ensembles the department offers. Multiple educators stated that administrators want to see evidence that students in the department are learning. In addition, participants felt that administrators like to see music departments that are active in the community.

Advocacy to Administration

Participants also tossed around ideas that will show the importance of music programs to administrators. Some suggested to involve administrators or other teachers in concerts if they have the ability to play an instrument. Also, @brandtschneider suggested that we as music educators need to stress growth through measuring and showing it, and ultimately using it as an anchor for advocacy. @thomasjwest suggested doing this by recording an ensemble regularly and comparing them over the course of a semester or the entire year. Tom also suggested having a district-wide concert (all band K-12, for example). This kind of concert not only shows the parents how far students can go if they stay in the program, but it also excites younger students to see the caliber of the more advanced students. The community can also serve a very important part in advocacy. If your department regularly plays for the community and the community is behind your department, they will also step up to save your program if the administration or school board try to cut it. Educators felt it was important to have students perform often in the community and in front of their peers. It is also important to have a good relationship with your administrators. This takes quite a few forms. Some educators suggested personally inviting them to your concerts. In addition, thank them in some way during your concert for their support, whether it be verbally, in the program, or both. It was also suggested to send thank-you notes to administrators when you and your students return from conferences and festivals.

Join the Chat!

We are always excited to have new educators (and college students) involved in the #MusEdChat. If you haven’t participated in any, we would love to chat with you. #MusEdChat happens every Monday at 8:00 PM EDT on Twitter. Learn how to participate here!

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May 2010 Music Education Blog Carnival

05/03/10 By 11 Comments

It is my distinct pleasure to present to you the 14th Edition of the Music Education Blog Carnival! This post will highlight the best and brightest in blog posts from the month of April. There were many fantastic submissions this month, and you can find them below. This is the last edition of the Carnival for the 2009-2010 school year; we will resume posting with an issue in September. In the meantime, consider checking out the main landing page for the Music Education Blog Carnival over at MusTech.net. Enjoy reading, and be sure to share this post with any fellow music educators (or future music educators!) you know!

Music Education

Andrew Ritenour presents The Educational Beauty of Twitter posted at Future Music Educators.

Janice Tuck presents Music Primary Singing Resources posted at The Music Teachers Blog

Zoe Toft presents Stories in tune – The Magic Flute; Part 1 posted at Playing by the book, saying, “I’m not a music educator per se but a mum who wants to introduce my young kids to more classical music and so I’ve started a series called Stories in Tune where I review picture book versions of classical music pieces and write up the play and response they inspire in my children.”

Susan Haugland presents Why, not What or How posted at Susan Haugland’s Blog.

Brenda D Muench presents BoomWhacker Mysteries in First Grade: Part One posted at Tech Tempo.

Wendy Stevens presents To Give or Not Give Makeup Lessons posted at ComposeCreate.com, saying, “Since many music educators also teach private lessons, this article gives them a list of options for making the most of their valuable time. Many independent music teachers will also find this information helpful.”

Thomas J. West presents PMEA In-Service Conference 2010 – Live Blog posted at Thomas J. West Music, saying, “The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association’s annual conference and All-State Ensembles Festival took place in Pittsburgh, PA on April 22-24. This live blog features the story of attending the conference while serving as an All-State chaperone, as well as “pearls of wisdom” from conference sessions as tweeted by music educators and music ed. undergraduates.”

Steve Baker presents The World’s Greatest Band Director posted on Facebook.

Evan Tobias presents Open scores and music students: An invitation to compose from Jason Freeman posted at Catalysts & Connections.

Joseph Pisano presents Jazz Appreciation Month: Celebrate Women Jazz Artists -Lesson Plan posted at Music, Technology and Education: Mustech.net

Music Advocacy

Craig M. Cortello presents FROM THE BAND ROOM TO THE BOARDROOM?The 9 Common Lessons of Music Education That Translate into Success posted at Business Musician’s Blog.

Andy Zweibel presents Collegiate Leadership Academy at MENC’s Music Education Week posted at MusicEdMajor.net.

Music Pedagogy

Cary Stewart presents Measures of Success – First Look posted at Third Stream Music Education.

Cary Stewart presents Measures of Success – Second Look posted at Third Stream Music Education, saying, “Part Two of the method book review”

Jenny Boster presents The Importance of Beginning Technique posted at The Teaching Studio, saying, “The Teaching Studio is a relatively new blog all about teaching piano lessons. This was an article I wrote during the week we focused on the topic of teaching beginning piano technique.”

Music Performance

Chad Criswell presents Is Beta Blocker Use By Musicians A Form Of Doping? – Opinion | Music Education Magic – Music Education Magic posted at Tales From The Podium.

Music Technology

Samuel Wright presents iPad & The Future of Music Education posted at Wright-Stuff Music

Theresa White presents Group SMS Program – Swaggle.mobi posted at Education in Music, saying, “Also could go in education. It’s used as an educational technology :) ”

Jim Frankel presents The Other 80%: An Industry Perspective posted at Music Technology in Edcation.

Other

John Bogenschutz presents Dissection of a College Music Education Major posted at Tone Deaf, saying, “This is a comic I draw and this comic is based on College Music Education Majors.”

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REMINDER: Last Week for Blog Carnival Submissions

04/26/10 By Leave a Comment

We have officially made it to the last week in April, which means it’s probably crunch time for most college students/teachers out there, and the end is in sight for those of you in the public schools. However, don’t forget about an incredible opportunity to share your thoughts with the music education community which ends this Friday-the 14th Edition of the Music Education Blog Carnival! This carnival will be a showcase of the top blog posts related to Music education in the month of April, and will be hosted right here at MusicEdMajor.net on the first of May. Not only is this the last week to submit your posts for this month’s carnival, but it’s your last chance to submit until September, as the Music Ed Blog Carnival will be taking summer vacation with the rest of us! Don’t miss your chance!

Here’s What to Do:

Here are the steps to take in order to submit your blog post to this month’s carnival:

  1. Write or find a post! It can be on any topic related to music education, and doesn’t have to be written this month (you can use old posts), but it must be your original work.
  2. Take note of the permalink to this post. The permalink is the direct URL to the post, and can be found when viewing the post individually, as opposed to on your homepage (it will look something like this: http://yoursite.com/04/25/post-name/)
  3. Head to the Music Ed Blog Carnival Submission Page to submit your entry. Enter the permalink, your name and email address, a category for the post, and any additional remarks you have.
  4. Hit submit! It’s that easy!

Don’t Miss Your Last Chance!

This is your last opportunity to have your work featured in the Music Education Blog Carnival until September, as the Carnival will not be published during the summer months. Don’t miss this incredible chance to have your work read by hundreds of like-minded music teachers. Get your submissions in by April 30th at 11:59 PM EST by visiting the Music Ed Blog Carnival Submission Page today!

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#MusEdChat Recap – Advocacy (3/22/2010)

04/10/10 By Leave a Comment

The participants of the #MusEdChat held on March 22, 2010 discussed the topic, “How does music education fit into the education reforms coming to the United States in the next five years?” While this was the topic that the group started with, participants quickly began discussing advocacy in its many possible forms in the K-12 level schools.

Education Reform

@Zweibz7 began the chat by tweeting a link to the Blueprint for Reauthorizing the NCLB Act. Multiple participants expressed concern that music is never mentioned in the blueprint, although the arts are mentioned four times. The arts are mentioned as a core subject, but participants wonder how this really plays out. As stated by @pisanojm,” Again, Music is named (through arts) as a core subject, but how did that help with NCLB?”  Some of the biggest changes mentioned in this chat is the lack of penalties for all schools (rather only for the lowest 10%), and the replacement of AYP with preparation for college and careers.

Advocacy and Reform in Music Education

Other ideas began to surface at this point. An idea about others’ perspective on music education was proposed by @shawdave. He asked,” How can we make music appear more academic, less ‘activity’?” Quite a few responses were discussed, including assessment and teaching to the intrinsic value of music. @prettythewrld suggested that we can accomplish this, “by reinforcing that it prepares kids for college and careers by teaching 21st century skills”.

The topic then shifted briefly to assessment in music. A bit of a debate took place over whether or not music should be included in state standardized testing. While some believed that adding music on standardized tests would secure music departments while putting it on an equal level with other academic subject, others thought that this would not be beneficial in the teaching or learning of music. Other arguments stated that in order for legislature to take music education seriously, some kind of assessment needs to be in place. @Zweibz7 then clarified the difference between testing and assessment. He said,” TESTING is a stressful and tense solution. ASSESSMENT will help us advocate for music education, and yet still focus on student learning.” To see many other thoughts on this topic, check out the #MusEdChat transcript and recap of the chat on assessment in music.

The conversation quickly switched back to advocacy. Most of the participants agreed about the importance of involving community and parents in advocacy strides. Exactly what to fight for was also discussed. While music has many benefits, most participants agreed to push to keep music purely for the sake of music. As stated by @MusicEdTech , “Music for music’s sake. There is no other justification. It’s a brain thing and it has been documented. MUSIC BY ITSELF IS WORTH IT.” It was stated that we as citizens need to pay attention to who is running for school board positions and making decisions for our schools. Participants also expressed the need for advocates of the arts to go to school boards and hold them accountable. Multiple participants tweeted and retweeted the value of having students perform at school board meetings. This allows the school board itself to see the benefit of a music program directly, while making it harder for them to cut these programs. Music Technology was also mentioned. Many participants believed that music technology is the new face of music education, helping in both teaching music and preparing students for life in the 21st century.

An International Perspective

Participants in this chat had the opportunity to converse with three music teachers from Canada. @Dave_Parkes, @chriscoyle, and @laurendorphin all gave #MusEdChat a fresh perspective on how music education looks in Canada, and compared it to how we know music education in the United States. One event directly related to advocacy in Canada is Music Monday. Put simply by @Dave_Parkes, “Music Monday = as many students, same song, same time, all over Canada = united in song for sake of music.” It was also stated that unlike in the United States, Canada has no national standards for music. Rather, music standards change from province to province.

Links

Advocacy Links

State Assessment Links

Suggested Reading Links

Please take this opportunity to check out the transcript for this chat. While the main points of the chat are covered in this recap, there are many more great ideas and thoughts on this topic that can be found from reading through the chat itself. To join us in the weekly #MusEdChat, log on to Twitter on Monday at 8:00 p.m. EST. Learn how to participate here!

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Hosting the Music Education Blog Carnival

04/06/10 By 7 Comments

It is with great excitement that I announce that MusicEdMajor.net will be hosting the 14th Edition of the Music Education Blog Carnival (and LAST of the 2009-2010 school year)!

Huh? What’s a Blog Carnival?

A Blog Carnival is essentially a showcase of the top content from Blogs in a particular niche. The Music Ed Blog Carnival, specifically, is a project of Dr. Joe Pisano at MusTech.net, and is a monthly[1] showcase of the top Music Education blog posts for a given month. In this case, you can expect the Carnival to be published on May 1, and be a recap of the month of April.

What Do I Write About?

Are you interested in writing for the Music Ed Blog Carnival? Not sure what to write about? It’s quite simple, actually: write about music education! Okay, maybe that was a bit obvious. However, the Blog Carnival does allow you to submit your post under one of the following categories:

  • Music Advocacy
  • Music Education
  • Music Pedagogy
  • Music Performance
  • Music Software/Hardware
  • Music Technology
  • Music Tips
  • Other

If your post falls into any of these categories (which it likely does, seeing as how there’s an “Other” category!), I strongly encourage you to submitting it to the Carnival!

How Do I Submit?

It’s easy! Just make sure your post is related to Music Education (this is a requirement!), and then head to the Music Ed Blog Carnival Submission Page to submit your entry. You’ll need to enter the Permalink URL[2], your name and email address, the category under which the post goes, and any additional comments you have (this would be a great chance for a brief summary of the post). That’s it!

What Are You Waiting For?

If you’re interested, and you have a post (or an idea for a post), just head on over to the submission page to submit your post for consideration! Be sure to check back on May 1, 2010 to find out if your post was published in the Blog Carnival! This will be the last carnival of the school year, so get your posts in soon!

Submit your post to the May Music Education Blog Carnival today! It’s your LAST CHANCE until September!

Footnotes:

  1. Monthly editions of the Music Ed Blog Carnival will stop over the summer, and resume with an edition on September 1. [↩]
  2. The direct URL to the post (for example, the permalink of this post is http://musicedmajor.net/2010/04/06/april-carnival) [↩]
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