Chapter 1

2) What is one important reason why school music teacher should become active members of MENC.
By being involved in organizations like MENC, music educators are able to meet and work with their colleagues in the area. Groups like this make available resources that they otherwise wouldn’t have available to them especially if they are spread out a good distance between schools. This gives teachers the chance to discuss and trade ideas with other people in their field.

6) Why do music teachers have more responsibility for what is taught in their classes than teacher on English, social science, and other subjects.
Secondary music doesn’t necessarily have as any written guidelines as subjects like English, math, and the sciences do. Because of that, music teachers are largely in charge of deciding what they teach and to which grades they teach it to. And since they are essentially responsible for creating their own curriculum to teach in their classrooms, the music teacher has to be that much more responsible in picking what they put into their lessons.
Dr. Debra Hedden, Professor of Music Education and Music Therapy at the University of Kansas, stresses this point on the MENC website. She mentions that teachers should try and reach a combination of singing, listening, moving, performing, composing, and reading/writing music every time the class meets.

Hedden, D. (2000). General Music Curriculum Framework. Retrieved August 27, 2008 from http://www.menc.org/resources/view/general-music-curriculum-framework-document