This first-of-its-kind national string curriculum, the ASTA String Curriculum 2021 Edition is concise, easy to use, and comprehensive. It provides a clear scope-and-sequence, more than 200 specific learning targets, and practical information for teachers from every level of experience. The 2021 edition by Stephen J. Benham, Mary L. Wagner, Jane Linn Aten, Judith P. Evans, Denese Odegaard, and Julie Lyonn Lieberman outlines several ways teachers have effectively used the curriculum since its release in 2011 and updates resources and terminology.
This comprehensive K-12 string program curriculum is the first of its kind. A clear and concise scope-and-sequence makes this curriculum easy to use; more than 200 specific learning tasks make this curriculum comprehensive. Based on the outstanding teaching traditions in the field and the contributions of many earlier authors, educators, and researchers, this curriculum contains useful and practical information for string teachers from every level of experience.
This follows the popular ASTA String Syllabus, Vol. One: 2003 Edition, which has been ASTA's top seller and most requested publication for the past five years. The new version was carefully and thoroughly updated and revised by David Littrell, ASTA past president. Members will also appreciate that new material was added for Alternative Styles. 140 pages.
The purpose of this study is to review method books for beginning heterogeneous string class in order to assess compatibility with the baseline learning tasks of the American String Teachers Association String Curriculum. The curriculum describes recommendations for string instruction in the areas of executive, musicianship, and artistic skills and knowledge, which are grouped into the content areas of body format, right and left hand skills, tonal and rhythmic aural skills, creative musicianship, music literacy, ensemble skills, expressive elements, historical and cultural elements, and evaluation of music. Each content area is divided into specific learning tasks at the baseline, developing, proficient, and advanced levels, and this study is limited to the baseline level. The teacher manuals of the thirteen string methods that appear on the curriculum resource list of the ASTA String Curriculum were analyzed and reviewed according to the opportunities provided for teaching the baseline learning tasks of each of the eleven content areas described in the curriculum. Each method was also analyzed for additional elements that affect its use in the beginning string classroom including unique features, supplementary materials, sequential books, origin and type of tunes, key signatures and time signatures used or implied, range for each instrument, shifting or extensions, presentation, and cost and availability. The results highlight differences between methods but suggest that a knowledgeable string teacher could effectively use any of the methods to teach the content of the ASTA String Curriculum.
Teaching Strings in Today’s Classroom: A Guide for Group Instruction assists music education students, in-service teachers, and performers to realize their goals of becoming effective string educators. It introduces readers to the school orchestra environment, presents the foundational concepts needed to teach strings, and provides opportunities for the reader to apply this information. The author describes how becoming an effective string teacher requires three things of equal importance: content knowledge, performance skills, and opportunities to apply the content knowledge and performance skills in a teaching situation. In two parts, the text addresses the unique context that is teaching strings, a practice with its own objectives and related teaching strategies. Part I (Foundations of Teaching and Learning String Instruments) first presents an overview of the string teaching environment, encouraging the reader to consider how context impacts teaching, followed by practical discussions of instrument sizing and position, chapters on the development of each hand, and instruction for best practices concerning tone production, articulation, and bowing guidelines. Part II (Understanding Fingerings) provides clear guidance for understanding basic finger patterns, positions, and the creation of logical fingerings. String fingerings are abstract and thus difficult to negotiate without years of playing experience—these chapters (and their corresponding interactive online tutorials) distill the content knowledge required to understand string fingerings in a way that non-string players can understand and use. Teaching Strings in Today’s Classroom contains pedagogical information, performance activities, and an online virtual teaching environment with twelve interactive tutorials, three for each of the four string instruments. ACCOMPANYING VIDEOS CAN BE ACCESSED VIA THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: www.teachingstrings.online
Achieving Musical Success in the String Classroom describes a fully pragmatic pedagogical approach toward developing complete musicianship in beginning through advanced level string players by incorporating the ideas of Mimi Zweig, Paul Rolland, and Shinichi Suzuki. Author Karel Butz's philosophical assumptions are explained regarding the structure and purpose of string teaching contributing to a high level of musical artistry among students. Introductory through advanced string concepts relating to instrument set-up, posture, left and right hand development, music theory, aural skills, assessment procedures, imagery in playing, the development individual practice and ensemble skills, and effective rehearsal strategies are explained in a sequential approach that benefit the classroom teacher and student. In addition, several score examples, sample lesson plans, grading rubrics as well as videos of Butz demonstrating his pedagogical ideas and techniques with musicians are included.
Teaching Ethics: Instructional Models, Methods, and Modalities for University Studies encourages teachers and students to approach their work with a deep awareness that people, not as disinterested reasoners devoid of or effectively cut-off from passions, make ethical judgments. An individual’s social and emotional constitution should be taken into account. This collaborative publication offers salient instructional models, methods and modalities centered on the whole person.
This book is a comprehensive guide for teaching basic violin and viola skills. It is also a detailed manual for the film series "The Teaching of Action in String Playing," produced by the University of Illinois String Research Project. The central issue of this four-year government grant was the hypothesis that movement training, designed to free the student from excessive tensions, can be introduced within an organized plan of string instruction, and that such a plan, in the long run, will result in faster learning and better performance in all facets of instruction. The research dealt primarily with the violin and viola. However, the principles and musical materials are also applicable (with minor adjustments) to the cello and double bass
