Pass the Baton

Book excerpt: Taking the Music Room beyond Engagement All too often the music classroom stifles students with one-size-fits-all curricula and repertoire. In Pass the Baton, authors Kathryn Finch and Theresa Hoover turn that paradigm on its head, offering a vision of music education that empowers students as critical thinkers who exercise voice and choice to question, discover, connect, and play like never before-in and out of the classroom. Pass the Baton offers readers a comprehensive guide to crafting engaging music lessons that transform students from passive consumers to vibrant creatives. Whether you're looking to rethink general music or overhaul your ensemble groups, Pass the Baton is chock-full of generative, actionable, and impactful tools. Finch and Hoover have drawn on deep research and years of experience in the music room to provide a guide for all music educators to create a learner-centered environment and give students the opportunity to truly own the creative process. This book is a must read for teachers who want to empower students to become self-sufficient lifelong learners. It is a guidebook for creating a vibrant classroom where student learning is the first priority. Kristin Gomez, MA, director of orchestras at Jefferson Middle School and Abingdon Elementary School As I watch my daughters grow up and be inspired by music in their lives, I read this thinking, "this is the type of music education I want for my own kids." This is a great book that reminds us that music education should be in every school in the world. George Couros, educator and author of The Innovator's Mindset Music teachers are often required to attend professional development that does not seem to relate to our performance-driven classes. We are left to figure out the applications on our own. Pass the Baton makes the connections for us in a way that empowers not only music students but music teachers. Mari Schay, editor of Activate! Magazine and early elementary music teacher