The Modern Band Handbook: Practical Perspectives and Lessons for Music Educators

Modern band is a term used to describe popular music education in schools and is increasingly incorporated in K-12 and pre-service music teacher education programs. The Modern Band Handbook shines a light on the practices and perspectives of modern band teachers from across K-12 and higher education throughout the USA and gives practical advice on how to incorporate modern band into music classrooms.

The chapters are grouped into five main themes: Arranging and Creating Covers; Songwriting; Teaching Modern Band Instruments; Social Justice and Cultural Responsiveness; and Music Technology. Each chapter offers a lesson plan consisting of pedagogical methods, activities, assignments, and lesson objectives. Lesson plans include accommodations, adaptations, and extensions to provide ideas for teachers who would like to make modifications for different ages and experience levels. The companion website features downloadable resources, additional assignments, and audio and video examples. Full of practical tips from forty-three teachers and music education faculty members from a broad variety of backgrounds and contexts, The Modern Band Handbook is an invaluable resource for all popular music educators.

Bryan Powell is Associate Professor of Music Education and Music Technology and coordinator of the Recording Arts and Production degree at Montclair State University. He teaches classes in popular music, modern band, and music technology, and directs the Montclair State popular music ensembles. A former NYC public school music teacher, Bryan is also the Chief Program Officer for the non-profit organization Music Will and serves as the Executive Director of the Association for Popular Music Education. He is the founding co-editor of the Journal of Popular Music Education, co-author of Popular Music Pedagogies: A Practical Guide for Music Teachers, and series co-editor of Contemporary Music Making and Learning.