On Tuesday August 7th at 7:00 PM, the Old Town School of Folk Music will be attempting to break the Guinness Book of World Record’s entry for the world’s largest music lesson by holding a massive guitar lesson. If you live in or around Chicago or are looking for something to do this summer consider being a part of the lesson. All you have to do is sign up and bring a guitar. Perhaps you could notify some of your students who might be interested as well.

Places such as the Old Town School of Folk Music are just one example of spaces where music education takes place outside of the school music classroom. Are you aware of the formal and informal places where music learning is taking place in your own community outside of school? Is there something like the Old Town School of Folk Music or community music groups or organizations near your school?

To stay up to date on thinking about community music making consider taking a look at the free online journal “International Journal of Community Music”. If you have access to the journal Music Education Research also consider taking a look at the most recent issue (Volume 9, Issue 2 July 2007) with a focus on “Music Education, Equity and Social Justice” and reading Acts of hospitality: the community in Community Music by Lee Higgins based on his presentation at the International Conference on Music Education, Equity, and Social Justice, which took place at Teachers College Columbia University, New York on October 6th to 8th, 2006.