Teaching Band and Orchestra: Methods and Materials

Teaching Band and Orchestra: Methods and Materials is a classic in the field of instrumental music educationthe ideal text for college instrumental students and an invaluable reference for practicing teachers. This book covers every critical area in the professional life of band and orchestra teachers at the beginning and secondary levels. Author Lynn G. Cooper shares the experience and knowledge he has gained from more than 40 years of teaching instrumental music and music education. Topics include recruiting and retention, creating lesson plans, assessment, curriculum development, selecting literature, running effective rehearsals, organizing concerts, and much more. This Second Edition is significantly expanded and updated, including major new sections on advocacy, technology, and the challenges of teaching middle school students. There are new suggestions for teaching strings, completely new and expanded string and full orchestra literature lists, and more suggestions for the non-string player who is assigned a string class. Also included in this Second Edition are additional student assessment strategies, updated Suggested Band Literature Lists, and more examples of effective warm-up and technique-building literature for rehearsals. Teaching Band and Orchestra: Methods and Materials also goes into detail about the administrative realities of being a music teacher, from the job search to fundraising to motivating your students. A plethora of forms, sample letters, charts, and lists of suggested literature round out this enlightening text. Sample course syllabi and additional supplemental resources are available on line. Teaching Band and Orchestra: Methods and Materials provides instrumental music teachers with the tools necessary to be successful in the classroom or on the podium."