Music is Elementary

Authors: Roger Sams, BethAnn Hepburn
Format: Book
Version: Classroom Materials

"Purposeful Pathways: Possibilities for the Elementary Music Room, Book 1" is an extensive collection of developmentally sequenced lessons for learning about music by making music. This collection incorporates strategies from Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Kodaly and Orff Schulwerk. Each of the thirty lessons included is actually a collection of lessons or pathways, giving teachers many choices for how to work with the material. The possibilities in this book can be selected and shaped to work effectively in diverse situations. The teacher chooses which pathways will be explored and in what sequence they will be used. This flexible design makes this resource helpful to all teachers, first-year to seasoned educators!
Electronic visuals (SMART Notebook files, which can be used even if you don't use a SMART Board with free downloadable software) are available on CD-ROM as an optional additional purchase.

Purposeful Pathways is endorsed by leading experts in all three pedagogical approaches utilized. Here's what the experts are saying:

"This book is a collection of music lessons to introduce beginning students to the excitement of discovering and learning music by making it. The variety of musical pathways presented becomes a road to rhythmic and melodic literacy, with clearly mapped goals and objectives. The journey is enriched by the variety of musical elements and behaviors included, providing many choices for exploring each of the 30 examples in the collection. Movement ideas enhance opportunities for students to actively explore musical material.

The expert guidance of two experienced author/teachers is evident on every page, and is highlighted in special inserts called Teacher Talk. Icons, charts, and drawings add to the playful presentation of the material many of which are available in an optional CD-ROM. The carefully selected collection of songs and rhymes provides artful early encounters with music, establishing a solid foundation for future musical experiences."
- Jane Frazee
Founding Director, Graduation Programs in Music Education, University of St. Thomas
Past President, American Orff-Schulwerk Association

"Purposeful Pathways provides the music specialist with valuable tools to integrate singing, playing of instruments, and creative and purposeful movement. While these lessons can be used across many elementary grade levels, Roger and BethAnn have created movement ideas for young children to imitate animals or characters and explore rhythmic pathways, and movement for later grades that coordinate specific durations or rhythmic ostinato patterns with the text and music. This book would be helpful not only for new teachers, but for experienced music educators interested in learning how to integrate our learning approaches."
- R. J. David Frego, Ph.D.
Chair of the Department of Music, The University of Texas at San Antonio
Past President, Dalcroze Society of America

"Whimsy all but leaps off the pages of this wonderful collection of creative activities for developing music reading, improvisation, composition, and instrument playing skills. Fresh melodies composed to time-honored rhymes are paired with clever ostinati leading to simple and effective instrumental arrangements incorporating movement and song. The Teacher Talk sections contain gems and jewels of advice that can only come from extensive experience with children. I am excited to use many of the ideas with my education majors! You will certainly be successful with these pathways in your classroom!"
- Jill Trinka, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor, Coastal Carolina University
Past President, American Association of Kodaly Educators