Abstract
Master Conductors: Frank Battisti: The Inspiring, Skillful, and Purposeful Conductor-Teacher
with Tim Lautzenheiser. GIA Publications, 2013; www.giamusic.com/
This DVD is an inspirational fifty-three-minute interview with master teacher and conductor Frank Battisti, director of bands at Ithaca (New York) High School from 1955 to 1967 and director of the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble from 1969 to 2000. Battisti shares his genuine passion for music education and inspires teachers to be courageous and dream big!
If you have read any books on or by Frank Battisti, then you are already aware of his legendary teachings. But unless you have had the pleasure of a conversation with Battisti, you cannot truly comprehend the depth of his passion for teaching music as an art versus an activity. Battisti’s energy and commitment to purposeful teaching comes alive in this conversation, and I challenge anyone to view the DVD and not feel like you just experienced a personal dialogue that leaves you stirred, motivated, and eager to assess your purpose in teaching music.
This DVD is for everyone! Battisti’s philosophy will excite young teachers and reengage veteran teachers. His message speaks to literally all music educators: orchestra, band, chorus, general music, elementary music, theory, history, and so on. Battisti reminds us that students are always watching us as models and that it is our responsibility to provide them with nutritional repertoire and create rehearsals with a eureka moment leaving players eager to return. I encourage you to view the DVD on those days when you are exhausted and question if you are making a difference in the lives of your students.
Professor of music,
Wright State University
School of Music,
Dayton, Ohio;
First Steps in Music: The Lectures
by John Feierabend. GIA Publications, 2011; https://www.giamusic.com/search_details.cfm?title_id=19691
In this five-DVD series, John Feierabend discusses the importance of early childhood music education and provides context for his First Steps in Music curriculum. Each of the DVDs focuses on a specific aspect of music education, beginning with defining musicality and moving to best practices for teaching music to young students. Feierabend’s guiding philosophy that every person should be tuneful, beatful, and artful shapes the discussions.
In the first two lectures, Feierabend explains his reason for creating the First Steps curriculum: to ensure musical potential is nurtured at the most critical time in students’ development. While this information is helpful context for newcomers to the First Steps curriculum, it is repetitive for music educators who have taken a workshop with Feierabend himself. The discussions of music versus notation, individual versus group learning, folk songs versus popular songs, and how to pick high-quality literature are particularly thought-provoking to both the novice and seasoned music educator. Both general music teachers and ensemble teachers of all levels would benefit from viewing these first two lectures.
The remaining three lectures focus on explaining the two levels of the First Steps curriculum. The third lecture details the learning sequence for infant/toddler classes. The fourth and fifth lectures teach the vocal and movement activities included in the preschool (and beyond) curriculum. These three lectures are invaluable for music educators looking to implement the First Steps curriculum without first attending a workshop with Feierabend. For each activity in his learning sequence, Feierabend demonstrates several examples and provides suggestions based on his own teaching. There are also video/audio examples of children participating in the activities. Even a seasoned First Steps teacher would benefit from viewing these lectures to gain more strategies and revisit the way the activities are meant to fit together and build on each other within the lesson.
These lectures are not a replacement for taking a First Steps workshop with John Feierabend, but they are a helpful resource for music teachers who are unable to take a workshop or for educators who need a refresher on the curriculum. Feierabend’s insights and ideas are worth revisiting often when teaching young children, and these lectures are an easy way to review the essence of the First Steps philosophy.
Elementary music specialist
Luther Conant School.
Acton, Massachusetts;