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Contemporary Issues

From musical detectives to DJs: Expanding aural skills and analysis through engaging popular music and culture

Tobias, E. S. (2015). From musical detectives to DJs: Expanding aural skills and analysis through engaging popular music and culture. General Music Today, 28(3), 23-27. doi: 10.1177/1048371314558293 My article From musical detectives to DJs: Expanding aural skills and analysis through engaging popular music and culture is now published. Here is the abstract: Many music educators address aural skills and analysis by drawing on strategies designed for the realm of Western classical music. Focusing solely on aural skills and analysis within… Read More »From musical detectives to DJs: Expanding aural skills and analysis through engaging popular music and culture

Technology & Classical Music: Consider commenting on the article “Music Education Needs to Be a Click Away” by David Gelernter

The Wall Street Journal recently published the article Music Education Needs to Be a Click Away by Yale computer scientist and former NEA board member, David Galernter. Dr. Galernter opens the article with the statement that “Most children learn nothing about serious music in school and don’t expect to learn anything.” (I realize this is problematic but don’t wish to focus on unpacking the specific content here.) He makes some interesting points regarding how people might leverage the possibilities of… Read More »Technology & Classical Music: Consider commenting on the article “Music Education Needs to Be a Click Away” by David Gelernter

Blurred lines, forensic musicology, and music

[updated 3/17/15] Musicologists, and more specifically forensic musicology, are receiving some attention in the mainstream press lately over the lawsuit regarding whether Robin Thicke and Pharell Williams violated copyright law by essentially creating music substantially similar to Marvin Gaye’s music without permission or providing royalties to Gaye’s estate. (To make a long story short, jurors found Thicke and Williams guilty.) You might be interested in musicologist Joe Bennett’s analysis and commentary on the issue. I’m more interested here in the… Read More »Blurred lines, forensic musicology, and music

Hybridity and Convergence: Popular and “Classical” music and musicianship can live together

I often write and speak about music education curriculum and teaching/learning contexts in terms of hybridity and convergence. I differentiate these paradigms of curriculum to those that are more compartmentalized or specific to particular ways of knowing or doing music such as “strands” and classes that focus on a form of musicianship or type of music (particularly in relation to secondary K-12 music education). John Covach’s recent piece, Rock Me, Maestro, in the Chronicle of Higher Education is a great… Read More »Hybridity and Convergence: Popular and “Classical” music and musicianship can live together

Consider responding to the article “Standardized tests suck. But the fix is more data, not less”

I am continually fascinated by the amount of journalism about education issues that excludes citations to research on whatever topic is being addressed or educators’ perspectives. Here’s a recent article by Jason Tanz on Wired.com entitled “Standardized tests suck. But the fix is more data, not less.” Unfortunately, it is lacking in terms of citing research on assessment or including quotes from or perspectives of educators. Interesting timing for music educators given that the 5th International Symposium on Assessment in… Read More »Consider responding to the article “Standardized tests suck. But the fix is more data, not less”