Music+Education+Online

TITLE AND URL
Music Education Online http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/

AUTHORITY
This site is a .com domain, because it is the homepage for the Children's Music Workshop, a music education retail company. Although a specific author is not listed, the Children's Music Workshop is is maintained and directed by [|several music educators], and is headed by Larry Newman, who has a bachelor's degree in music education from Temple University, a Master of Arts in Music from Eastern Illinois University, and many years of instrumental music teaching experience. In 2006, he won the [|Lori Petrick Educator Award] from the Palisades Charter Schools Foundation, and he was nominated for the 25th Annual [|BRAVO Award], established in 1982 by the Music Center of Los Angeles County to recognize individuals for innovation and excellence in arts education. He is also author of several method books. As of April 3, 2007, the site was last updated on March 21, 2007, so its information is kept current.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT
This website has a great many resources for music educators. It includes articles, videos, information about buying, playing, and maintaining instruments, a job opportunities database, and embedded music theory lessons from [|musictheory.net]. A particularly good resource for music educators is the site's extensive [|list of grants] available for music educators. It also has a large section on advocacy for music education as well as an exhaustive list of links about music and music education.

Teachers can use this site to address the following [|National Standards for Music Education:] 1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. 2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. 5. Reading and notating music. 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

PURPOSE, VIEWPOINT
This site's purpose seems to be dual: to serve as a resource for music educators and to make money for the Children's Music Workshop. The site is run by a corporation which sells music education materials, so its purpose is somewhat biased. For example, all of the "How to Buy an Instrument" pages link only to one site, [|String Season]. It also has many ads to music education-related businesses all over the site. Even with this merchantile bias, however, there is a wealth of resources for music educators to use in both instruction and advocacy issues. This is also a great resource for teachers looking in to good Master's programs in the field, or finding out about upcoming concerts and big events for thriving music programs. They even broadcast job openings for those seeking a position.

REPUTATION
Although in the page information this site claims that it is "The Number One Online Music Education Resource for Teachers, Students, Parents and Administrators," a Google Link: search turns up only 130 results. However, among those results are the [|Music Education Resource Directory], several collegiate music education departments, and the Mozart Effect's [|Music Advocacy site].

OVERALL EVALUATION
If one is able to weed through the advertising that is havy throughout the site - which is fairly easy to do - this site is an excellent resource for music educators. It does weigh heavily toward instrumental music teachers in its instructional videos, but it still provides resources for advocacy and general musicianship that any music teacher can use. Furthermore, I think this is a website I would refer any one interested in music education to, for it includes information in anyone interested in learning more about the field and reading into advocacy in music education. The site succeeds in providing a strong and accurate view of the field and how it is alive in our world.

Rating: * * * 1/2

REVIEWED BY
Erin Grady (04/04/2007)

Updated by: Jennifer Zuk (4/2/08)