music education

Seeing Beyond Our 2020 Vision

Inescapably Homeschooled in Music

Music Education in August 2021

U2 and the Ireland Funds donating $3.2 million to music education in Ireland

The Dublin-based band, who started playing together as teenagers and have steadily marched their way into rock history, have donated $2.13 million (€2 million) to make sure that Irish children have access to music education. In September of this year, U2 announced $2.13 million (€2 million) from their Irish concerts would be gifted to Music Generation, which provides access to high quality, subsidized music tuition for thousands of children and young people across the country.

MAC Corner: 100% Retention Rate? Go Team!

Students continue to participate in our music programs because they cannot imagine school without the meaningful engagement that our courses provide. For one reason or another however, we continue to lose some students along the way.

One Iowa school district came to the realization that they could do something about it. Below is their story and some initial steps they are taking to work toward the vision of retaining 100 percent of their students.

Private and Small Group Lessons in the School Band Program

Private teachers can play an important role in the development of young musicians by providing instrument-specific instruction, modeling technique, and monitoring progress. However, it is sometimes challenging to engage qualified instructors due to cost or a lack of professional musicians in the area. Nonetheless, there are several ways directors can foster individualized instruction among their students.

UpClose: Julie Bounds

Building A Band Worth Being A Part Of 

Things are moving in the right direction for the Santa Teresa High School Band in San Jose, California. Under the guidance of director Julie Bounds, the opportunities for music students have expanded dramatically over the past decade, with the program doubling in membership and, in turn, new ensembles being formed to accommodate the influx of students. Santa Teresa’s current offerings include three concert bands, a competitive marching band, and three jazz bands, as well as percussion, guitar, ukulele, and other chamber-style groups. In addition, the band’s budget has gradually expanded from around $4,000 per year to over $100,000. Several years ago, Bounds started a blog titled “The Thrifty Band Director,” and she insists that the recent growth in capital hasn’t altered her fastidious efforts to maximize the return on every dollar spent, whether replacing instruments, purchasing new uniforms, or taking her band on the road. In this recent interview, Julie Bounds discusses the strategies she used to build a comprehensive program that her students feel is worth being a part of. 

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2015 Best Communities for Music Education Survey Now Open

Schools and districts across the country are invited to participate in the NAMM Foundation’s 2015 Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) survey. The BCME program applauds community efforts to provide high-quality music education for all students. Teachers, parents, school administrators, and board members can complete the updated and refined 2015 BCME survey now through Friday, January 30, 2015.

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Study Indicates Americans Believe Music Ed Preps Students for Careers

Calling it the “Glee Effect,” The Harris Poll®, a Nielsen Company, has released new findings that show the majority of Americans believe music education prepares students for future careers and problem-solving. And the numbers responding favorably about music education have risen significantly since the original 2007 Harris Poll on music education, commissioned by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), then known as MENC.

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Perspective: Advocacy Ammo Incoming

So, how’s that national conversation about the impact of music education going?

If Internet search results are any indication, there may be sunny days ahead for music advocates, teachers, and directors, even those whose school programs are under siege by budget-focused administrators looking to wield the proverbial axe.

A recent search for “music education” in Google’s “News” search bar yielded the following headlines:

Study: Music Education Could Help Close The Achievement Gap ... (Huffington Post-Sep 2, 2014)

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How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain: TED-Ed

Educator Anita Collins and animator/director Sharon Colman Graham recently released a TED-Ed video that highlights some of the actual neurological benefits to playing music. Spoiler alert: "Playing a musical instrument engages practically every area of the brain at once." The video is full of similarly powerful soundbytes about the unique and impactful mental benefits of playing music. 

Take a moment to watch it for yourself here:

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Technology: Rehearsal Software

Practice Software Roundup #1

"Practice makes perfect!" That’s what my fourth-grade band director said as I struggled to play a BH major scale on my trombone. Practicing was boring – and quite frankly, the only thing I wanted to do was play the glissando at the end of the song. Now that was fun! But practice I did. In between weekly lessons, I diligently went through the scales, exercises, and songs from the Rubank Method book each day, never really sure if I was doing anything correctly because I was too wrapped up in the process of playing; holding the horn, moving the slide, breathing, embouchure, and so on. This was way too much for a fourth grader to be thinking about, let alone evaluating what was coming out at the end of the bell.

Wouldn’t it have been great if there were somebody or something that could listen to me practice and at least tell me if what I was playing was correct? Well, today, with the ever-increasing power of computers, the patient “listener” can sit beside your students and let them know if they’ve played correctly – to a point. Let’s look at three software applications that purport to do just that.