1. Ashley G. Moss Michigan Music Conference January 24, 2015
Bridging the Gap: Using General Music Techniques to Inform Ensemble Teaching
Ashley G. Moss
Michigan Music Conference
January 24, 2015

2. Rationale Music is an aural art.
Music is the marriage of multiple discreet elements.
“Music-ing” occurs in a number of ways.
Every student has the potential to be musical.

3. Guiding Principles
Teachers must model musical behaviors for their students (Robinson, 1996).
Consistent use of learning systems help student develop music-making skills (Norris, 2010).
Students develop music-making skills by engaging in music learning without notation (Liperote, 2006).
Movement improves rhythm skill (Conway, 2003; Conway, Marshall, & Hartz, 2010)
Singing improves tonal skill (Robinson, 1996)
Creativity and improvisation as demonstrations of musical understanding.

4. Reinforcing Rhythm

5. 1 2 3 4 5

6. Sample Activities Listen and move. (Macrobeat and microbeat)
Move and chant.
Pattern instruction.
Group and individual patterns (assess).
Same-Different activities (improvisation).
Rhythm notation drills.
Notating sounds.

7. Reinforcing Tonality

8. Sample Activities Listen and move. (Flow & Flow with Pulse)
Rote Song Exercise.
Whole Song
Part (Resting tone  Pattern instruction)
Root Song Exercise.
Add the executive skills.

9. Questions?
Ashley G. Moss M.M. Music Education ’15 Michigan State University For more information: