Raising Musical Kids A Guide for Parents

by Cutietta, Robert A.

• ISBN13: 9780195129236
• ISBN10: 0195129237
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-09-04
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Does music make kids smarter? At what age should a child begin music lessons? Where should you purchase an instrument? What should parents expect from a child's teachers and lessons? Raising Musical Kids answers these and many other questions as it covers everything from assembling a listening library for kids, to matching a child's personality with an instrument's personality, to finding musical resources in your community. Knowing that children can--and usually do--get most of their music education within the public school system, the author explores at length the features and benefits of elementary and secondary school programs, and shows how parents can make the schools work for them and their children. Throughout, Cutietta emphasizes the joy of participating in music for its own sake. Raising Musical Kids is a book that parents everywhere will treasure as a complete road map for developing their child's musical abilities.

Author Biography

Robert Cutietta is Dean of the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. For years a teacher in the public schools, Cutietta is both a choral director and an electric bass player and is currently the composer for the television series Lost Legends of the West.

Table of Contents

Introduction What on Earth Prompted Me to Write This Book?	p. x
Raising Musical Kids	p. 2
The Ground Rules	p. 3
What Does Music Study Do for Your Child?	p. 9
What Age to Begin Music Lessons	p. 18
Measuring Musical Talent	p. 38
Creating a Musical Home Environment	p. 44
Finding a Good Private Teacher	p. 56
Choosing the Right Instrument for Your Child to Play	p. 66
Getting Kids to Practice	p. 85
What is Good Practicing?	p. 104
Music in the Public Schools	p. 117
Music in the Elementary School	p. 127
Music in the Secondary School	p. 139
Musical Competitions	p. 157
Music, Teenagers, and the Home	p. 162
Computers and Music Learning	p. 170
Finding (And Using) Community Musical Resources	p. 182
Careers in Music	p. 189
Da Capo Al Fine	p. 203
Resources for Parents	p. 207
Songs That "americans, of All Ages, Should Know and Can Sing"	p. 223
The National Standards for Music Education	p. 226
Suggestions for Listening	p. 227
Notes	p. 229
References	p. 241
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