This book guides parents, teachers, & students of music through the maze of starting & successfully advancing through instrumental music lessons. This invaluable aid to parents offers information on how to obtain FREE or low priced instruments through the schools, instrument care & repair & much more. It gives teachers a lesson outline to follow & serves as printed reinforcement that they can recommend to students & parents to supplement lesson books. Dr. James M. Thurmond, founder of the U. S. Armed Forces School of Music & Prof. Emeritus Lebanon Valley College says, "...the book delineates everything from the correct approaches to parent-music-teacher relations to methods of teaching, purchase & care of instruments, music department organization, etc. for music students & their parents to know....its study will be beneficial for those who are committed to the support of the teaching of music in our educational institutions." John H. Thyhsen, Prof. of Music, Glassboro State College, & Principal Trumpet Philadelphia Opera, & Philadelphia Pops Orchestra directed by Peter Nero, says, "....I recommend this text to every teacher of music, parent, & music education student."

This book is for any music teacher working with elementary, middle school, and high school students in a private lesson setting. Materials for this text have been developed over 30 years of private teaching and have specifically been piloted with undergraduate and graduate music performance students at the University of Michigan, as they work to improve their teaching methods with their own private students.

The Instrumental Music Director’s Guide to Comprehensive Program Development gives practical solutions to the many issues that confront music directors. The topics addressed include: A review of tests which can be used to develop an all-inclusive student profile identifying strengths and weaknesses as a prologue to preparing individualized curricula A discussion of the “informed approach” predicated on understanding relationships among music, logical deduction, and the acoustic sciences thereby accelerating the learning process in music, increasing the knowledge base, and developing cognitive skills that can be applied to other studies A measuring process used toaccurately calculate the size of a beginning student in relation to the size of the selected instrument to ensure the two will be compatible A procedure for introducing students to the many different instruments The protocol for developing a symbiotic dealer/teacher relationship that will ensure a smooth running program fully equipped throughout the year Purchasing, renting, and caring for instruments and all administrative tasks which are the backbone of a successful school instrumental music program

Instrumental Music Education: Teaching with the Musical and Practical in Harmony, 2nd Edition is intended for college instrumental music education majors studying to be band and orchestra directors at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. This textbook presents a research-based look at the topics vital to running a successful instrumental music program, while balancing musical, theoretical, and practical approaches. A central theme is the compelling parallel between language and music, including "sound-to-symbol" pedagogies. Understanding this connection improves the teaching of melody, rhythm, composition, and improvisation. The companion website contains over 120 pedagogy videos for wind, string, and percussion instruments, performed by professional players and teachers, over 50 rehearsal videos, rhythm flashcards, and two additional chapters, "The Rehearsal Toolkit," and "Job Search and Interview." It also includes over 50 tracks of acoustically pure drones and demonstration exercises for use in rehearsals, sectionals and lessons. New to this edition: • Alternative, non-traditional ensembles: How to offer culturally relevant opportunities for more students, including mariachi, African drumming, and steel pans. • More learning and assessment strategies • The science of learning and practicing: How the brain acquires information • The philosophies of Orff and El Sistema, along with the existing ones on Kodály, Suzuki, and Gordon. • The Double Pyramid of Balance: Francis McBeth’s classic system for using good balance to influence tone and pitch. • Updated information about copyright for the digital age Evan Feldman is Conductor of the Wind Ensemble and Associate Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Ari Contzius is the Wind Ensemble Conductor at Washingtonville High School, Washingtonville, NY Mitchell Lutch is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Central College in Pella, Iowa