Chapter 4
Guidance
for Visual and
Performing Arts
ProgramsMusic
visual arts. Musically literate students can find numerous realistic applications
for their knowledge and skills. In this strand students can explore career possi-
bilities in music and learn about many jobs within the music industry.Levels of Music Instruction
Comprehensive music instruction, offered best by credentialed music
teachers, includes general music classes ranging from classroom music at the
elementary school level to music appreciation, theory, song-writing courses,
keyboard instruction, and music history classes at higher levels. Exploratory
music courses, such as music appreciation and general music, should include
hands-on music making and reading, writing, and talking about music. In
addition, students may participate in choral and instrumental performance
ensembles. To ensure full access to the content standards, students in kinder-
garten through grade eight and high school students receiving music instruction
need standards-based instruction regularly during the school day.Elementary School Level
In a general music curriculum at the primary level, activities include singing,
rhythmic speech, movement, playing of pitched and nonpitched percussion,
and the use of instruments, recorders, or keyboards. To help students achieve
proficiency in the content standards, teachers often use such instructional
methodologies as those of Orff, Schulwerk, Kodály, and Dalcroze. For
information on those and other methodologies available through the National
Association for Music Education, visit the Web site http://www.menc.org.
Sequential instruction in general music continues in grades four through six.
In addition, all students should have opportunities to explore their musical
development by participating in performance groups.
Music instruction according to the five strands allows young students to use
a variety of instructional resources in exploring music experiences: singing,
moving, playing an instrument, listening, responding, and reflecting. Included
among the resources are age-appropriate musical instruments, written literature
on music, CDs, computer software, Internet resources, audiotapes, videos,
DVDs, and photographs, all of which are often obtained through the school
library. In addition to learning from high-quality resources, students benefit
from visiting artists and performances at school or in the community.
General, choral, and instrumental music instruction allows students to
identify a variety of musical elements from many cultures. Using the vocabulary
of music in their discussions of composers and their works, they learn about
and practice musical works and performances. Instruction helps students un-
derstand the historical and cultural contexts of music, styles, and periods and
the expressions of cultural groups. In addition, they have opportunities to