Selecting Quality Music, Part 2

Clinicians Richard Miles from Morehead State University, KY; Larry Blocher from Troy University, AL; and John Clinton, from University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK, presented “Selecting Quality Music: All Music May Not be Created Equal” at MENC’s Music Education Week. Here are some highlights from their session to make you more informed about selecting quality music for teaching.

Read Part 1

Considerations

FOCUS – the main idea at any point
ECONOMY – avoid the unnecessary, be able to justify everything
BALANCE – move the melody around the ensemble (interesting parts)
VARIETY – balanced the predictable with the unexpected; too much of either is boring

Finding quality music

Look at scores
Listen to recordings
Websites
Talk with colleagues and composers
Attend conferences
Attend reading sessions
Go to concerts
Look at concert programs
Attend festivals
Write something

Remember: There are great pieces of music at all levels of difficulty.