ABSTRACT
Simple musical instruments have long been a staple of the elementary school classroom. Many teachers have a class unit where the students create easy instruments, such as shakers or rubber-band boxes. But student-built musical instruments can go much further than those simple old warhorses. Furthermore, the evolving state of education now presents a more positive atmosphere for instrument builders to work in the classroom. This chapter explores some of the new initiatives in education and the implications for teaching artists, as well as some of the theory and practice of building instruments in the classroom – admittedly from the viewpoint of an elementary school teaching artist in the New York City area. Arts education in the late 90s seems to be dominated by three major initiatives: The return of arts education in the schools; the new educational standards; and a cross-curricular approach to learning, with an emphasis on literacy.
