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>