Many innovative approaches to teaching are being used around the country, and there is an exciting energy about the scholarship of teaching and learning. But what is happening in the most effective music theory and aural skills classrooms? Based on 3 years of field study spanning 17 states, coupled with reflections from the author’s own teaching strategies, Teaching Music Theory: New Voices and Approaches highlights teaching approaches with substantial real-life examples from instructors across the country. The main premise of the text focuses on the question of “why.” Why do we assess in a particular way? Why are our curricula designed in a certain manner? Why should students master aural skills for their career as a performer, music educator, or music therapist? It is through the experiences shared in the text that many of these questions of “why” are answered. Along with answering some of the important questions of “why,” the book emphasizes topics such as classroom environment, undergraduate research and mentoring, assessment, and approaches to curriculum development. Teaching Music Theory: New Voices and Approaches is written in a conversational tone to provide a starting point of dialogue for students, new faculty members, and seasoned educators on any level. The pedagogical trends presented in this book provide a greater appreciation of outstanding teaching and thus an understanding of successful approaches in the classroom.
