What is Music Literacy?

<p><em>What is Music Literacy?</em> attempts to redefine music literacy with a more expansive meaning than is commonly in use, and to articulate the potential impact of these ideas on music teaching practice. </p><p>The notion of music literacy has involved the ability to read and write music scores. However, this understanding does not extend theory to identify all music texts, nor to offer a thorough treatment of what impact an expanded notion of music literacy might have on music instruction in the classroom and in ensembles. This book provides a formal, expansive redefinition of music literacy.</p><p>The author offers practical ideas for attending more effectively to music literacy in classroom instruction. The book highlights common elements in the music classroom: the music score, the conductor, surrounding ensemble members, the musical model, the musical instrument, and presentations/recordings. It also describes four orientations that correspond to the National Core Music Standards (2014) and that characterize humans’ interactions with music: creator, performer, responder, and connector. </p><p>What is Music Literacy? uses these orientations, along with a focus on authentic music texts and literacies, to present literacy-based guidelines for music education along with numerous vignettes that describe actual literacy instructional events.</p> <p>Chapter 1: Introduction / Chapter 2: Redethinking Music Literacy / Chapter 3: Music Literacy in the Ensemble and General Music Settings / Chapter 4: The Creator Orientation / Chapter 5: The Performer Orientation / Chapter 6: The Responder Orientation / Chapter 7: Connector Orientation / Chapter 8: Addressing Literacy Mandates</p>