Imagining Possibilities for Music Learning & Teaching
Designing & Developing Curriculum
A book-in-progress by Evan Tobias for music educators, district leaders, teacher educators, and community music organizations working to design, update, and expand music curriculum with more clarity, imagination, and confidence.
Design and develop music curriculum with more clarity, imagination, and confidence.
New to the book project? Start here.
The Start Here page gives you the quick orientation: What the book is about, who it is for, questions guiding the project, and how to follow along.
Start Here to learn:
01
Why music curriculum needs more than lists of skills, concepts, activities, repertoire, or packaged materials.
02
How the book can support you in designing and developing music curriculum to meet your students’ needs.
03
How to follow the writing process and try early ideas from the project.
Music Educators Need More Than Packaged Curriculum
With so many curricular resources available, why spend time with a book about curriculum inquiry, design, and development?
Because music educators need more than activities, lists of skills and concepts, repertoire selections, templates, or packaged plans.
We need ways to ask stronger questions, make clearer decisions, and design music learning that fits our students, communities, contexts and evolves with changing times.
While most music educators engage in some type of curriculum development, few learned how to design music curriculum or are aware of approaches or possibilities besides listing skills, concepts, repertoire, or activities.
We need deeper and more expansive curricular understanding, strategies, and approaches.
I’m writing this book to help music educators strengthen their curricular thinking and imagine new possibilities for music learning and teaching.
The best curriculum is the one that you help create.
What This Book Will Help You Do . . .
- Notice what your current curriculum centers, assumes, and leaves out
- Make stronger decisions about what students learn and why
- Design music learning around students, communities, contexts, and possibilities
- Expand from activity collections and repertoire toward deeper curricular thinking
- Create more cohesive and connected programs
- Lead better curriculum conversations with colleagues, districts, and teacher teams
- Be nimble, responsive, and proactive in the face of change
- Connect ideas from the book to tools, resources, and plans you can use immediately
- Design, Update, Expand, or Transform your music curriculum, classes, ensembles, or programs
Who Is This Project For?
Choose the path that best fits how you might use the book project.
K-12 Music Educators
For music educators developing music curriculum or who are curious about possibilities to design, update, expand, or transform your music classes, ensembles, or program.
District Arts & Music Leaders
For District Arts and Music leaders facilitating district-wide or school-based curriculum efforts or program design.
Teacher Educators
For music teacher educators interested in teaching courses on music curriculum or addressing curriculum in existing courses.
Also relevant for:
Community Music Schools & Programs
For leaders and staff of community music schools and programs seeking coherence and connection among your offerings.
Studio & Private Music Teachers
For studio and private music teachers interested in best meeting the individual and collective needs of your students.
Music Product & Program Managers
For businesses, entrepreneurs, and education outreach professionals seeking to develop curriculum and initiatives that connect products or offerings to K-12 and community settings.
Follow the Book Project
What could music curriculum be if we asked better questions?
I’m writing a book for music educators, district leaders, teacher educators, and community music schools and orgs who want to design, update, and expand music curriculum with more clarity, imagination, and confidence.
Get Book-Progress Notes
Short updates from the writing process will often include:
- One curricular idea
- One question to carry into your teaching
- One action you can try or discuss
You’ll also receive occasional behind-the-scenes notes, early resources, and invitations to respond to questions shaping the book.
Occasional updates. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Go Behind The Book
Curious what goes into writing a book about music curriculum?
The Book Progress Hub is where I share the work behind the work.
Inside the hub, you’ll find:
- Video updates
- Questions shaping the book
- Draft ideas and frameworks
- Notes from the writing process
- Behind-the-scenes decisions
- Glimpses of the book before it becomes a finished text.
Have a curriculum question you think the book should wrestle with?
Share a question, challenge, or possibility from your own teaching, planning, district, course, or community context.
About Evan Tobias
Evan Tobias is Associate Professor of Music Learning and Teaching at Arizona State University, Director of the Consortium for Innovation and Transformation in Music Education, and founder of Tobias Creative Enterprises. His work supports music educators, districts, and organizations in designing curriculum and imagining new possibilities for music learning and teaching.
Want the next book-progress note?
Join the book-progress list for short reflections, curriculum questions, and early ideas from the project.
