Teaching Music to Students with Differences and Disabilities

Book excerpt: The latest edition of the landmark text Teaching Music to Students with Differences and Disabilities: A Label-Free Approach--designed for music education faculty, in-service music administrators, in-service music teachers, and preservice music teachers--offers a comprehensive manual and reference guide that introduces those in the field of music education to best practices when teaching music to students with differences and disabilities. Acclaimed pedagogues and clinicians Alice Hammel and Ryan Hourigan addresses a variety of topics such as research-based strategies for methods courses, practical approaches for in-service music educators, and professional development grounded in research, special education law, and best practice. Like previous editions, a core focus this book is that a student with differences and disabilities is an individual who deserves a music education that is free of labels. This philosophical premise of a label-free approach is centered in the preservation of the individual personhood of each student. Through this approach, music educators will be able to gain and advocate for support, understand their rights and responsibilities, and offer an affective and effective music education for students with and without disabilities. This includes learning strategies for effective collaboration with special educators, teacher educators, and classroom teachers. The authors also include curriculum development ideas, lesson plan strategies, observation strategies (methods classroom), and practical ideas (methods classroom).