Teaching Music in American Society is a comprehensive textbook designed for students who seek to be certified in music education to teach K-12 music in American public and private schools. It covers the issues facing music education, including the functional role of music within school environments and community settings, the role and function of a music teacher within the music profession and the general education profession, the role of music within the overall school curriculum, and the school music program and local, state, and national issues/policies.

Unique in both content and approach this book offers a single-volume authoritative comparison of the four most popular music education methods used in North America -- Jacques-Dalcroze, Kodaly, Orff, and Comprehensive Musicianship. Its in-depth examination of the methods and underlying philosophies of each method -- and its suggested lessons for each method at each grade level -- will help readers make knowledgeable curricular choices among methods. Both the New National Standards (MENC) and the use of technology in the study of music are described and discussed in relation to all four methods. Method in North American Music Teaching -- The Beginning. Influences on Methods, Approaches, and Philosophies of Teaching Music. Technology and Music Education. The Approach of Jacques-Dalcroze. The Kodaly Method. The Orff Approach. Comprehensive Musicianship: An American Technique and Philosophy for Teaching Music. Achieving Goals and Objectives in School Music Programs Via the Principles of Jacques-Dalcroze, Kodaly, Orff, and Comprehensive Musicianship. Grades K-12. Grades 3-4-5. Grades 6-7-8. Method in Music for Older Students. Which Method?