The Music History Classroom ed. by James A. Davis (review)

Pedagogical concerns continue to gain traction as a primary issue for musicologists. A growing number of publications on teaching music history at the collegiate level join the vast compendium of universal advice for teachers in higher education and demonstrate its increasing importance. The Music History Classroom, edited by James A. Davis, presents a collection of essays addressing specific elements of creating and running a successful course, ranging from syllabus design to lecturing to integrating new technology in classes. The compilation also includes advice concerning the first year of teaching and professional development. Practical approaches form the basis of this collection, which seeks to “bring current thought on the scholarship of teaching and learning within the unique environment of the music history classroom” (p. xxii). The breadth of topics considered, coupled with easily implemented strategies and a wealth of personal experience, create a well-rounded resource for teachers of music history.

In the opening chapter, “Creating a Music History Course: Course Design, Text -books, and Syllabi,” William A. Everett advocates a “backwards design,” which identifies a central theme and molds all elements to interact with that goal. References to the taxonomies of learning by both Benjamin Bloom and L. Dee Fink stress the importance of teaching basic facts, but also illuminate how teachers may guide students to apply and integrate this knowledge into other aspects of educational and musical experiences. He addresses the textbook and the syllabus in detail, as these comprise two of the most important student tools. The comments on syllabus creation provide a valuable guide to content and practical advice. Finally, particulars of setting an appropriate tone the first day by placing content at the core, staying ahead of planning, and utilizing graduate assistants, round out the discussion.

The following chapter, “Classroom Activities,” by Mary Natvig, acknowledges different learning styles and cites educational research to emphasize the importance of techniques that directly involve the student in the learning process. She describes a new framework for the traditional discussion about creating an active learning experience: identifying elements of a good discussion and an appropriate end goal, starting with shared knowledge, and finding a suitable group size. Natvig also provides a helpful list of further possibilities for classroom activities, including sample worksheets, performance activities, and games. Inviting performances by students or colleagues and incorporating different speakers appears as an especially interesting means of generating content. Finally, Natvig voices support for a slow integration of new activities and a careful selection based on the unique situation of each class.

In “Lecturing,” Edward Nowacki suggests methods to overcome challenges posed by the impersonality of the lecture as a genre and by the specific difficulties of teaching the music history narrative. Nowacki indicates the instructor’s demeanor as a crucial tool in mediating the anonymity of lecture; he identifies enthusiasm born of sincerity as a key factor, and explains how one might convey this in his or her teaching. He continues with practical considerations, discussing his skepticism of PowerPoint based on pedagogical research. New teachers will find Nowacki’s discussion of the tone and length of a script or notes from which one may lecture especially valuable. As another means of reaching students, he advocates meeting them through the shared passion and interest in music, specifically indicating theoretical terms as a common language. To this end, he provides a list of examples to integrate theory into the music history classroom. Finally, Nowacki offers advice on incorporating short music examples and performative activities to enhance lectures and reiterate key points.

The following two chapters discuss the optimization of in-class listening as well as homework and assignments. In “Listening in the Classroom,” Melanie Lowe discusses “active listening” by referencing and applying taxonomies of learning to this specific classroom exercise. Lowe provides a straight forward list of practical actions teachers may take to move towards an active listening experience, including using new technologies and providing guiding questions and other directives to engage student aurally. She...