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Pilgrims arrive in Massachusetts bringing the tradition of singing Psalms.
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The Creation of Tunebooks
Tunebooks were instructional texts that contained choral music. About 1,400 tunebooks were published. -
Lowell Mason
Lowell Mason learned teachings that would transform music education in America from a Swiss educational reformer named Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Mason also believed in the importance of the student-teacher relationship in music education. -
Mason establishes the Boston Academy of Music to promote the art of singing and the introduction to Music Education.
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The Creation of NAfME
A music teacher from Iowa by the name of Philip C. Hayden, suggested that the National Education Association's music division meet in his town after an earthquake hit San Francisco. This meeting hosted over 100 people, making this the first meeting of the organization known as the National Association for Music Educators (NAfME) -
The School Band Movement
A movement that was a major force for music education that grew towards the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. The marches composed by John Philip Sousa helped influence the popularity of bands. -
The Child's Bill of Rights in Music
A student-centered philosophy was formally promoted by MENC. -
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Launch of Sputnik
This increased curricular focuses on science, math, and technology with less emphasis on music education.
Sputnik -
Contemporary Music Project
The purpose of this project was to make contemporary music relevant in children by placing quality composers and performers in the learning environment. This project led to the Comprehensive Musicianship movement. -
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Yale Seminar
This seminar was a federally supported development of arts education focusing on quality music classroom literature. The Julliard Project leads to the compilation and publication of musical works from major historical eras for elementary and secondary schools.
Yale Seminar -
National Endowment for the Arts
This was federal financial support and recognition of the value music has in society. -
Tanglewood Symposium
This was the establishment of a unified and diverse philosophy of music education. It specifically emphasized youth music, special education music, urban music, and electronic music. -
GO Project
This project was 35 objectives listed by MENC for quality music education programs in public schools. It was published and recommended for music educators to follow. -
The Ann Arbor Symposium
This symposium emphasized the impact of learning theory in music education in the areas of auditory perception, motor learning, child development, cognitive skills, memory processing, affect, and motivation. -
Becoming Human Through Music Symposium
This symposium emphasized the importance of cultural context in music education and the cultural implications of rapidly changing demographics in the United States. -
Multicultural Symposium in Music Education
This symposium was growing out the awareness of the increasing diversity of the American School population. Multiple factions co-sponsored this event in order to provide models, materials, and methods for teaching music of the world's cultures to school children and youth. -
National Standards for Education
For much of the 80's there was a need for an educational reform and accountability in all curricular subjects. This led to the National Standards for Music Education which was introduced by MENC. The standards were adopted by some states, while others have produced their own standards.
National Music Standards -
The Housewright Symposium/Vision 2020
This symposium examined the changing philosophies and practices and predicted hot American music education should look in the year 2020. This included 4 goals: Comprehensive Music Programs in All Schools, Involvement of People of All Ages in Learning Music, Quality Preparation of Teachers, and Use of the Most Effective Techniques and Resources in Music Instruction.
Vision 2020 -
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and aimed to close the learning gap between students by increasing accountability for schools and providing more educational opportunities for disadvantaged students.
NCLBA -
Tanglewood II: Charting the Future
This symposium reflected on the 40 years of change in music education since the first Tanglewood symposium. It also developed a declaration regarding priorities for the next forty years. -
The Common Core State Standards Initiative
The CCSSI was a voluntary framework targeted towards standardizing educational expectations for students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. -
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Dismantling of the Department of Education
President Trump signs executive order to dismantle the Department of Education.
