ABSTRACT
Today’s music theory instructors face a changing environment, one where the traditional lecture format is in decline. The Routledge Companion to Music Theory Pedagogy addresses this change head-on, featuring battle-tested lesson plans alongside theoretical discussions of music theory curriculum and course design. With the modern student in mind, scholars are developing creative new approaches to teaching music theory, encouraging active student participation within contemporary contexts such as flipped classrooms, music industry programs, and popular music studies.
This volume takes a unique approach to provide resources for both the conceptual and pragmatic sides of music theory pedagogy. Each section includes thematic "anchor" chapters that address key issues, accompanied by short "topics" chapters offering applied examples that instructors can readily adopt in their own teaching. In eight parts, leading pedagogues from across North America explore how to most effectively teach the core elements of the music theory curriculum:
- Fundamentals
- Rhythm and Meter
- Core Curriculum
- Aural Skills
- Post-Tonal Theory
- Form
- Popular Music
- Who, What, and How We Teach
A broad musical repertoire demonstrates formal principles that transcend the Western canon, catering to a diverse student body with diverse musical goals. Reflecting growing interest in the field, and with an emphasis on easy implementation, The Routledge Companion to Music Theory Pedagogy presents strategies and challenges to illustrate and inspire, in a comprehensive resource for all teachers of music theory.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part Part I|44 pages
Fundamentals
part Part II|40 pages
Rhythm and Meter
chapter 9|5 pages
“Computer Programmed With Just One Finger”
part Part III|90 pages
Core Curriculum
chapter 25|8 pages
“It’s an N, bro”
part Part IV|48 pages
Aural Skills
chapter 31|6 pages
An Aural Skills Introduction to Twelve-Tone Music
part Part V|46 pages
Post-Tonal Theory
chapter 32|8 pages
Setting Sets Aside
chapter 34|5 pages
Starting the Twentieth Century with a Bang!
part Part VI|60 pages
Form
part Part VII|26 pages
Popular Music
part Part VIII|126 pages
Who, What, and How We Teach