Resource Review Project
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Index: Alphabetical by Author | Title
American Orff-Schulwerk Association. 18 Apr. 2006 <http://www.aosa.org>.
The American Orff-Schulwerk Association has a decent website. It is aesthetically more pleasing than many websites, and yet it also actually contains information. Included in it is information about Membership and Chapters, the National Administration, Conferences and Events, Professional Development, and, most importantly to this review, Publications and Resources. In this section one can find information about, and links to purchase, many different Orff-related books, materials, and so forth. The information available on this site would be very useful to any music teacher who uses the Orff-Schulwerk method.
A collection of essays edited by the same woman who, thirteen years earlier, edited Dimensions of Musical Thinking, this book, published by MENC, is useful to a music educator who is interested in the theories behind our profession. Essay titles include The Relationship of Musical Thinking and Learning to Classroom Instruction, Critical and Creative Thinking, Thinking Processes and Structuring Learning in a Different Kind of Classroom, Musical Thinking and Technology, and Musical Thinking among Diverse Students. Most music teachers are more interested in practical resources; essays that give specific ideas are typically more interesting and immediately applicable. Nonetheless, many of these essays are very present and important in today’s school setting. I would recommend that general music teachers read this book, perhaps over a summer.
This resource is more about theory behind arts teaching. It is, in fact, not specific to music; I feel this makes it all the more important a book. Music teachers often forget that they are, in fact, teaching just one of the arts. It is our job, as music teachers, to give our students the best music education we can; that education must be linked to the other arts as well as all the other scholastic disciplines, just as National Standard #8 reminds us. There is a section in this book for each of the arts disciplines; they are all interrelated also. My favorite quote from this book is a very important one: “The arts demand engagement. To being with, you mix the paint, play the CD, watch the film, wear the mask, join the circle, sing the song.”
I like this very simple book a lot. It is only 12 pages long and includes very, very little prose, but it is an excellent classroom resource for recorder playing. Not only does it include simple, 2-part arrangements of 10 songs, each song also has chord symbols and a percussion line. The chord symbols can be used on guitar, omnichords, or even piano. The percussion line, then, can be played on the specified instruments or even one of many other percussion instruments, as available in the classroom. This way, the class could be, conceivably, divided up into 4 groups – one each on the two recorder lines, one on guitar using the chord symbols, and the last group on classroom percussion instruments, playing the percussion line. Short and simple as it is, this book is an excellent resource.
Bowmar’s Adventures in Music is a very handy resource, especially to a young teacher who may not be completely comfortable making his or her own worksheets. The book is set up with short lessons for 20 different pieces of music, recordings of which are found on the accompanying compact discs. Some lessons involve matching instruments or instrument families to sections or movements of pieces; others ask questions related to scales; still others deal with musical terminology; and others are related to stylistic concepts. The pages are intended to be photocopied and distributed to the students. In class, then, a teacher need only give instructions, play the recording(s), and guide the students through the worksheets. While I do not think that materials of this sort should be used as a teaching cop-out, they can be a very valuable asset to a general music teacher.
This book is an excellent resource both for teachers who are not familiar with Koda’ly but are interested in learning as well as teachers who are familiar with his methods but would like a refresher or even just some examples. The book starts with an introduction to Koda’ly, his teachings in Hungary, how his method developed, and why it spread internationally. Next, the book talks about the method’s sequence, tools, and materials. The majority of the rest of the book, then, is devoted to the Koda’ly method at different grade levels – preschool through grade six. Finally, the book concludes with lesson planning and some songs. This is very much a useful resource, particularly to those who would like a crash course in the Koda’ly method.
Though I have not read it in its entirety and cannot vouch for its every word, I would be inclined to say that this book should be an accompanying “textbook” for a class such as MusEd 351. There is so much information concisely packed into this book that an entire class or two could be taught from it. It is logically organized, also. The book discusses the reasons behind learning music as well as how to create a musical environment. It then addresses each of the musical activities: singing, moving, playing instruments, reading and writing, listening, and creating. It finishes with a discussion of musical concepts such as beat, meter, and rhythm; melody; and form. Each chapter, then, contains brief discussions of many of the important subtopics in each category. For example, children’s singing ranges are discussed in the chapter on the musical activity of singing. I would recommend that all teachers-in-training read this book; it would also work as an excellent summer read for a present music teacher, in order to augment his or her knowledge from personal experiences in the classroom.
Dr. Ester’s soon-to-be-published book entitled Sound Connections is a fantastic resource for any music teacher, though it is especially applicable to teachers in training, such as myself, who are formulating basic theories, opinions, and ideas for teaching music. First, his book presents an excellent background and basic information about most all current teaching theories, rhythm/counting methods, and solfege/pitch symbol systems. He describes what music literacy is and explains how these systems fit. More importantly, he also describes where, in his opinion, they fail to completely support and promote true music literacy. It is at this point that he describes his music literacy method, which he calls Sound Connections. He chose the Takadimi rhythm syllables method and movable-do, la-minor pitch syllable systems as the basis for his method. While Dr. Ester’s comprehensive music literacy method is, in truth, “just another” one of the methods to choose from, he presents a very convincing case for choosing it over the other choices. All music teachers-to-be should read it and at least consider what he has to say.
Resources such as this curriculum guide from an Indiana school system are useful primarily as examples; they also can provide some specific ideas as well. This particular guide starts with statements of standards, definitions, and information. The rest, then, is a grade-by-grade, standard-by-standard listing of Performance Objectives, Indicators of Performance, and Assessment Methods. Overall, this is a decent example; however, I must mention that typographical errors abound in this document.
Finale 2005. CD-ROM. Eden Prairie: MakeMusic, Inc., 2005. Obtained via personal purchase, Summer 2005.
Finale 2005 (the most recent version, now, is 2006) is an excellent music notation program. Available for both Windows and Mac, Finale is very comprehensive. It includes the simple ability to notate music, on single staves or the grand staff. However, it also has the powerful ability to auto-notate accompaniments, chords, harmonies, percussive accompaniments, and other orchestration-related functions. Many professional composers and arrangers use Finale; understandably, so do many school teachers (especially band, orchestra, and choir directors). However, Finale is terrific for service in a general music classroom. I may not suggest having students use Finale, because it can be somewhat complicated to learn how to use; nonetheless, Finale is an amazing resource for teachers to use to notate music for their students. Whether notating whole songs as part of entire musicals or writing a simple ostinato part for a daily class, Finale can provide a convenient and professional method to notating music. Finale is expensive, but educational discounts (both through MakeMusic as well as through third-party vendors) are abundant and can often make the purchase very reasonable.
Songs in Action is a decent resource for simply finding songs to sing. Most songs are accompanied by related activity ideas and suggestions for related materials as well as simply sample instructions on how to even teach the songs. There are also a couple of reference sections in the back – Getting Down to the Fundamentals and Resource Materials – which are very handy for ideas on how to teach basic concepts and where to find other materials, respectively. I would recommend this book to any general music teacher as a resource they should have on hand.
"General Music." MENC: The National Association for Music Education. 13 Apr. 2006 <http://www.menc.org/generalmusic.html>.
This website is incredibly useful to the general music teacher. A part of MENC’s website, it contains links to many useful resources, including such items as “Summer Study Programs,” “General Music Today,” and “General Music Curriculum Framework Document.” This is a very valuable source for several reasons. First, there is very little concern as to whether or not the site will exist years into the future; MENC is not going anywhere anytime soon. Second, this is the professional organization for music educators, so it is likely that many music teachers nationwide are also using MENC’s site, so there will be more continuity across the country in materials used and information presented. Lastly, many of the included articles were written by prominent members of the music education community, including many university professors. Overall, this is a great online resource for all things related to general music education.
Music Ace 2. CD-ROM. Chicago: Harmonic Vision, 2003. Obtained from http://www.harmonicvision.com.
I first used Music Ace (version 1) in middle school (Fall Creek Valley Middle School in Lawrence Township, Indianapolis, IN). Until recently downloading this demonstration version, I have not used it since middle school. However, my impression with it now mirrors that which I remember from actually using six and seven years ago. I like it. It is, if nothing else, an excellent way to track competency and understanding of musical concepts. In reality, it can be used as a sort of teaching tool, too. The interface is very easy to use and just fun-looking enough to be interesting to elementary (and middle) school-aged children. The concepts taught through it include Beat and Tempo, Hearing Rhythms, Note Names, Sharps and Flats, Basic Rhythmic Notation, The Quarter Rest, Key Signatures and Major Scales, Melody, Notes Longer than a Beat, Syncopation, and so on. Progress can be tracked individually as well as for many students at once, especially if installed on a network of computers.
As an educator, though, one must be careful to not rely on software such as Music Ace. One should not let Music Ace be the primary teacher of content; it should only be used as a supplement and/or evaluator. If it serves in these capacities, it is perfect. The teacher must first teach these concepts, because there is no substitute for hands-on and voices-on learning in music. However, students do learn differently, so using Music Ace might actually help some students understand some concepts better. If used properly, I believe Music Ace is a wonderful software program.
The Music Connection - Grade 1 (Indiana Teacher’s Edition). Glenview: Silver Burdett Ginn-Scott Foresman, 2000. ISBN: 0-382-34597-5. Obtained from the BSU Center for Excellence in Music Education Resource Library.
Using this book is a terrific experience. It is laid out very plainly, yet the authors have packed a lot of useful information and suggestions into it. The book is divided into 3 Sections – Concepts, Themes, and Reading. These sections serve two simultaneous purposes – 1) to be used separately and in page-order sequence, straight out of the book, and 2) to be used à la carte to supplement the teacher’s own curriculum. The front of the book, then, contains a suggested monthly calendar of activities, followed by a massive table of contents. Each Section, then starts with an overview of all content in that section, organized by Units. These Units then also offer links to other Sections, allowing the teacher to teach across multiple Units and Sections, as fits his or her lesson. Each and every page from the student edition appears in the teacher edition, surrounded by a lesson plan and many related activities, ideas, illustrations, games, and/or information. There are specific skills listed on some, such as moving, listening, creating, playing instruments, and reading. Some include Orff-specific instructions, set apart by a special Orff logo.
As a teacher using this book, ideally, I would attempt to make my own plans, first, without even looking at the book. Then, I would go to the book and see what other ideas it may have, what ideas I could potentially use. However, in actuality, as a beginning teacher especially, I very likely may find myself simply going to this book and following some of its suggested lesson plans and concept tracks. Doing so would at least give me the security of knowing that content will be there and I will always have the book ready to fall back on. Once I get comfortable teaching the book’s lessons, then I will be able to begin regularly making my own, incorporating parts of the book as I go. I think that The Music Connection’s authors have done a fantastic job making a book that is a huge asset to general music teachers everywhere.
The Big Books are wonderful supplements to a series textbook for use in a classroom. These are great because they provide content from the textbooks in a way that can be easily viewed by a whole class at one time. It allows the teacher to present the information to the students while choosing when and what he or she wants the students to see. For the most part, these Big Books are visually interesting, if not a little dated. In particular, the book I reviewed was from 1991. While the musical concepts have not changed since 1991, the technology and fashions certainly have. This could be a problem in a classroom setting because students may be easily distracted by “funny-looking” people, clothing, or technology; this should not become more attention-holding than the teacher and the music. Overall, however, when used selectively, these books are good resources, especially for smaller classes.
Silver Burdett Making Music Compact Discs. BR Productions, 2002. ISBN: 0-382-34779-x (Disc 1, Grade 4). Obtained from the BSU Center for Excellence in Music Education Resource Library.
This CD collection continues to be a bit of an improvement over past CD collections. The recordings themselves are of a higher quality. Also, there are no pre-recorded “lessons” on these CDs, as some other series have; these tend to be very fake and obviously scripted and thus not very useful in a classroom. Besides, a good teacher should actually teach the material him or herself, not rely on a recording to teach for them. For this reason I appreciate the fact that the newer recordings do not include such things. They stick just to music, and the music accompanies the series book nicely. All general music teachers should have these recordings in their room to use right alongside the books.
Ed Sueta’s Recorder Method is a very simply-presented but nonetheless complete beginning recorder method. It is presented in a very orderly fashion, teaching only a few notes before the students start playing real songs. This is good because it gets the students involved in playing songs right away, so they can be interested in playing. It then goes on and teaches more notes and more songs. The techniques are not very advanced, but it is, after all, a beginning level method book.
Westmusic. 13 Apr. 2006 <http://www.westmusic.com/>.
The Westmusic website is a terrific source for purchasing resources for a general music classroom. The instruments for sale at Westmusic are almost exclusively general music-specific. Boomwhackers, Orff instruments, diatonic mallet instruments, recorders, colored scarves, and series books and their associated accessories can all be purchased here, in addition to much more, all for what seem to be reasonable prices. Also available through this website is information regarding workshops and training sessions as well as a resource library. Unless a general music teacher is lucky enough to live near a decent brick-and-mortar store with resources similar to this, Westmusic makes a terrific online resource for general music teachers.
This seems to be a fantastic resource, one I would very much like to read in its entirety. Orff and Kodaly are both fairly unfamiliar to many younger teachers, even though most of us grew up in Orff and/or Kodaly music programs. Nonetheless, far too many still do not really understand what Orff and Kodaly intended in their writings and teachings. This books intends to re-explain Orff and Kodaly to contemporary music educators in America. It is not intended to be, specifically, a lesson-plan resource; rather, it intends to use its examples to help music teachers fully and completely know and understand the Orff and Kodaly systems.
World of Music 4 Teacher’s Edition. Morristown: Silver Burdett & Ginn, 1991. ISBN: 0-382-18261-8. Obtained from the BSU Center for Excellence in Music Education Resource Library.
The World of Music textbook series is, in fact, quite a bit like most other music series textbooks I have reviewed. Because it is 15 years old, it does not include any references to the yet-to-be introduced National Standards; this is unfortunate because most schools nowadays attempt to adhere to them, especially in light of the No Child Left Behind act. However, its content fits very nicely into the standards; most teachers would be able to adapt this textbook to fit their state and school’s standards and curriculum.
The book itself, then, is laid out like most textbooks – each page from the student edition appears in the teacher’s edition, surrounded by lesson plan ideas, suggestions on activities, and related information. Despite lacking any relation to the non-existent National Standards or much technology inclusion, this textbook series nonetheless has solid musical content and useful activity ideas. I recognize that this textbook is old and is not one that is going to be adopted by any schools anymore; only those that have not bought any new books in the past 15 years might still use this series. However, it can still be a useful resource when planning lessons, whether or not it is the official, commonly-used book in the classroom.
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