Overview

Growing Musicians: Teaching Music in Middle School and Beyond focuses on teaching adolescents within the context of a music classroom, regardless of content area (orchestra, band, choir, or general music). It provides a look at the importance of music courses in the lives of adolescents as they navigate the path between being a child and an adult. As every music student is completely unique, there is no one-size-fits-all prescriptive way of working with this age group. Rather, music educators must approach adolescents with high musical standards and aspirations to learn and achieve within music; a willingness to honor the individuality of each adolescent musician; a sense of structure, but an ability to be flexible; a desire to foster and promote a safe classroom environment where students feel empowered to be themselves and speak openly about what they think and believe; an understanding that music classes are not only safe places where students learn how to become better musicians but also better people through musical experiences focused on humanity and empathy; and a dose of humor, or at least the ability to acknowledge that adolescents are extremely funny whether or not they realize it. In addition, this book encourages pre-service and practicing music educators to mindfully examine and better understand their own teaching practices.

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9780199372072

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Reviews

Reading Sweets book makes one feel as though these colleagues are sitting with us, reading along and commenting. This feature, along with the authors clear writing style, make this a valuable volume, not just for middle school teachers, but for those teaching any level. * John Devorick, ACDA Choral Journal *

Reading Sweets book makes one feel as though these colleagues are sitting with us, reading along and commenting. This feature, along with the authors clear writing style, make this a valuable volume, not just for middle school teachers, but for those teaching any level. John Devorick, ACDA Choral Journal

-Sweet gets at the very heart of working with adolescents in the music classroom. From handling the physical and emotional changes of this age group to the essential leadership role a nurturing music teacher can provide, this text guides readers on a journey to establishing a positive classroom climate that makes the most of these growing musicians. This is an absolutely essential text for anyone who might just be lucky enough to end up teaching in the middle.---Ann C. Clements, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Music Education, Pennsylvania State University-Dr. Sweet's book is an important resource for music teachers, music teacher educators, and students preparing to teach. Foregrounding the richness and complexities of teachers' voices, Dr. Sweet examines topics and insights critical to understanding and working effectively with adolescents. She eloquently captures the spirited, loving, and multi-dimensional souls of adolescent musicians, their struggles and successes, and thoughtfully proposes pathways for teachers to support their futures.---Elizabeth Cassidy Parker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Music Education, Temple University

Sweet gets at the very heart of working with adolescents in the music classroom. From handling the physical and emotional changes of this age group to the essential leadership role a nurturing music teacher can provide, this text guides readers on a journey to establishing a positive classroom climate that makes the most of these growing musicians. This is an absolutely essential text for anyone who might just be lucky enough to end up teaching in the middle. --Ann C. Clements, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Music Education, Pennsylvania State University Dr. Sweet's book is an important resource for music teachers, music teacher educators, and students preparing to teach. Foregrounding the richness and complexities of teachers' voices, Dr. Sweet examines topics and insights critical to understanding and working effectively with adolescents. She eloquently captures the spirited, loving, and multi-dimensional souls of adolescent musicians, their struggles and successes, and thoughtfully proposes pathways for teachers to support their futures. --Elizabeth Cassidy Parker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Music Education, Temple University

Author Information

Bridget Sweet is Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Illinois. She has worked extensively with adolescent singers as a teacher, clinician, and adjudicator. Her research interests include middle level choral music education, female and male adolescent voice change, educating and empowering adolescent music students, and the intersection of LGBTQ topics and the music classroom.

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