Chapter 4
Guidance
for Visual and
Performing Arts
Programs
MusicMusic supplies made available to students may include reeds, valve oil,
instrument swabs, rosin, cork grease, and strings. An instrument repair kit
should be made available to the teacher. Musical instruments should be of
high quality and maintained in good condition. And sound equipment, such as
CD players, amplifiers, microphones, and speakers, must be of good quality
and kept in good repair.
The resources used in teaching and learning music include a variety of
traditional and new media. Quickly becoming the standard for the music
industry, CD and DVD technology is playing an increasingly important role
in music education. When teachers have access to both digital and analog
technologies, they are better able to make use of the best in video and audio
productions.
Along with necessary playback equipment, a well-equipped music library is
essential for teaching and learning. To learn about music, teachers and students
should use videos and audiotapes, CD and DVD recordings, musical scores and
sheet music, computer programs, and books. These resources bring to life the
music of many cultures, the work of great composers, and the connections
between music and the other arts.
When teachers and students acquire and share information with colleagues
and peers, they must observe federal copyright laws pertaining to reproduction,
such as those governing fair use and public domain. Information regarding
copyright laws and issues, including those governing the use of music in perfor-
mances, is available on the Internet or from the school district’s legal counsel
(see also Appendix E).Suggested Facilities
Decisions regarding music facilities should be driven by the instructional
needs of the program. At each site a dedicated space for music instruction
should be identified; it should accommodate such needs as a sound system, a
piano, risers, movement space, and secure storage. Vocalists and instrumental-
ists need room to move and perform, and instrumentalists need space to use
and store their instruments, equipment, and music stands. Because the traffic
of students in music rooms is often concentrated and takes place under time
constraints, the floor plan must provide enough space to eliminate congestion
and ensure excellent traffic flow.
A music room also needs to have an appropriate amount of space and
ceiling height to provide good acoustics. For the hearing of students and the
teacher not to be affected, rooms should be built of acoustically appropriate
materials in the walls, floors, and ceilings. Existing rooms should be acoustically
enhanced to prevent any disruption to neighboring classrooms and keep levels
of sound in the room to acceptable industry standards to avoid harm or
distortion.