Teaching Approaches in Music Theory: An Overview of Pedagogical Philosophies

by Michael R. Rogers

Drawing on decades of teaching experience and the collective wisdom of dozens of the most creative theorists in the country, Michael R. RogersTeaching Approaches in Music Theory emphasizes thoughtful examination and critique of the underlying and often tacit assumptions behind textbooks, materials, and technologies. Consistently combining general methods with specific examples and both philosophical and practical reasoning, Rogers compares and contrasts pairs of concepts and teaching approaches, some mutually exclusive and some overlapping. The volume is enhanced by extensive suggested reading lists for each chapter.

Genres: Music

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1984

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK, fair, balanced introduction to the issues. Has the virtue of non-dogmatism and, occasionally, the ring of hard-won experience. Not terribly deep, a little long on half-baked philosophical pontificating (the "thinking/listening as inseparable whole" idea is on the right track but pretty crudely drawn), and contains one howler of a citation of "Andrew [sic] Maslow" on a point of psychology.

[Marcy Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a HS AP Music Theory teacher. Took a course this summer on Theory Pedagogy and this was my text. I found this book very helpful. The first half of this book presents some great things for the theory teacher to think about. Understanding your own philosophy and motivations will help you know where you're going and construct a meaningful curriculum. The second half of this text was much more practical, providing teaching tips and suggestions for a variety of situations. Good read for any one who teachers Music Theory at any level.