The purpose of this study was to investigate whether student behavior was more on-task when students were participating and engaged in active music making such as singing, dancing, moving, and playing instruments than in passive music activities such as listening, while teacher-lead instruction, and transitions between tasks. There were 142 students participating from nine fifth-grade general music classrooms at three public schools in Ohio and Michigan. There was a total of twenty-one combined music lessons of regularly scheduled music classes recorded. After each lesson, the students filled out a five-question survey about their music class experience. Each lesson was analyzed with a fixed interval on-task/off-task grid using a target male subject against rotating peers, and a target female student against the same rotating peers. The results show that when these students were actively engaged during music class by participating in music activities such as movement, dance, or playing instruments, the student behavior was more on-task. Students that did passive activities like sitting in class for longer periods of time listening to music or instruction without being active, demonstrated more off-task behavior. For example, students that were seated at their desks receiving instruction had challenges staying on-task. Students that had the opportunity to play instruments, move around the room, or dance were more on task throughout the instruction. Physical movement was an asset to on-task behavior. The students were more involved as a class when completing an activity such as bingo, dancing, or playing instruments. Of the various music activities, there was almost 100% participation for those that required movement (dance, movement, playing instruments).

Fertile Ground in Middle Level General Music guides music educators to inspire their middle level students (grades 5–8) to engage more deeply in the general music classroom, where students are given the opportunity to "try on" a range of roles: musician, composer, listener, and critic. The book outlines the Fertile Ground Framework, a teacher's aide for curricular decision-making that unites the middle level concept with the National Core Arts Standards while emphasizing the developmental needs and cultural identities of students. This resource-rich book provides teachers with an array of adaptable classroom support tools, including: Lesson sequences Activity ideas Teacher resources and worksheets "Do-Now" exercises Featuring the real-world perspectives of thirteen music educators, Fertile Ground in Middle Level General Music is both practical and theoretical, presenting methods for creating rich, inspiring learning environments in middle level general music classrooms of all shapes and sizes, and highlighting the unacknowledged strengths that already exist therein. Focused on the aim of motivating students to pursue lifelong music learning, this book helps instructors find joy and excitement in teaching a wide array of musical topics to diverse groups of middle level music students.

This volume of essays references traditional and contemporary thought on theory and practice in music education for all age groups, from the very young to the elderly. The material spans a broad range of subject areas from history and philosophy to art and music, and addresses issues such as curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and evaluation, as well as current issues in technology and performance standards. Written by leading researchers and educators from diverse countries and cultures, this selection of previously published articles, research studies and book chapters is representative of the most frequently discussed and debated topics in the profession. This volume, which documents the importance of lifelong learning, is an indispensable reference work for specialists in the field of music education.

A compilation of current research that investigates various aspects of musical experience