The Oxford Handbook of Preservice Music Teacher Education in the United States identifies the critical need for increased cultural engagement in Pre-K-12 music education. Collectively, the handbook's 56 contributors argue that music education benefits all students only if educators activelywork to broaden diversity in the profession and consistently include diverse learning strategies, experiences, and perspectives in the classroom. In this handbook, contributors encourage music education faculty, researchers, and graduate students to take up that challenge.Throughout the handbook, contributors provide a look at ways music teacher educators prepare teachers to enter the music education profession and offer suggestions for ways in which preservice teachers can advocate for and adapt to changes in contemporary school settings. For example, educators canexpand the types of music groups offered to students, from choir to jazz ensemble. Building upon students' available resources, contributors use research-based approaches to identify the ways in which educational methods and practices must transform in order to successfully challenge existing musiceducation boundaries.

The historical contexts of music education -- Music as sociocultural phenomenon : interactions with music education -- Philosophical perspectives of music education -- Meaning and experience : the music learner -- The learner in community -- Music learning and musical development -- Curriculum -- Assessing music learning -- Methods and approaches -- Choosing music literature -- Music education technology -- Issues facing music teacher education in the 21st century : developing leaders in the field -- The inquiring music teacher -- Framing a professional life : music teacher development through collaboration and leadership.

Collaborative Action for Change examines new directions in the preparation of and lifelong professional development for music educators. Based on presentations from the symposium, chapters focus on successful partnerships and collaborations among music teacher educators, classroom teachers, school and district administrators, and others. Keynote addresses, given by Marilyn Cochran-Smith (Boston College) and Don Gibson (Florida State University), raise important questions in shaping and assessing preservice teachers' learning experiences and curricula. Other chapters discuss genuine interaction among preservice teachers, teacher educators, and the musics and cultures of their own and their students' worlds; beginning teachers' socialization and skill development; two effective university-school partnerships; a collaborative effort among university faculty; and different mentoring programs for novice and experienced music teachers. Collaborative Action for Change provides concrete visions of music educators taking individual and collective action for change in music teacher education. Book jacket.