Updated Music Education Approaches (webmusicteach) wrote, @ 2011-03-20 21:15:00

Mixing Popular Music Into the Curriculum
With new technologies like auto-tune, anyone can create a masterful vocal track, free from flaws, but what are these advancements really doing to the quality of music. As pop singers rely on these developments to carry their tunes, literally, some young listeners come to dislike the sound of unaltered singing, a sad day for music aficionados who couldn’t imagine this reversal of opinion. Because music educators have the opportunity to instill traditional music skills and appreciation in students, it becomes a part of your job to understand popular music, how it influences your students and how you can incorporate these developments alongside traditional music instruction to keep students’ interest while helping them acquire other tastes.

Much of popular music is formulaic, sticking to a tried and true equation that churns out single after single. And much like the youth of today, you likely bobbed your head to a bubblegum pop song in your day. But what was it about other music styles that eventually attracted you to a deeper palate for music? Think about the first song that had a real emotional impact on you. Can you recreate this moment in your classroom? This sort of creative thinking can help teachers to invigorate their curriculum, adding elements of popular music, while also taking the opportunity once you’ve gained the attention of your students to show them different forms of music they’re less likely to stumble upon on their favorite radio stations.

You can gain insight into instruction strategies for music education through a number of online music schools that craft master’s and doctorate music education programs that work with an employed educator’s schedule. As part of these programs, you’ll get caught up on today’s music education technology and some of the issues facing music education today, so you’ll be up to speed with everything happening in your field.

	Keep it up (Anonymous) 2012-04-16 00:50 (link)
	Wonderful post, thanks for putting this together! "This is obviously one great post. Thanks for the valuable information and insights you have so provided here. Keep it up. dissertation edit (Reply to this) (Thread)