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The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between singing achievement and developmental tonal aptitude for students in kindergarten through third grade. In addition we investigated whether singing achievement differs according to grade level or school setting. Subjects (N = 162) were randomly selected kindergarten, first-; second-, and third-grade children from schools in two different school districts. Correlations between composite singing achievement scores and scores on the Primary Measures of Music Audiation-Tortal reflected no meaningful relationships between singing achievement and developmental tonal aptitude. Two-way analysis of variance revealed no significant interaction between school and grade. However, there were significant main effects for school and grade (p <. 001). With the exception of third-grade students, older students demonstrated greater singing achievement than younger students.

Early childhood researchers have found that play is an ideal way for young children to learn. Yet few music teacher educators have applied this finding with adult learners, and in many music education programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, playful activities are generally few. This article presents a rationale for developing "playful" music education undergraduate and graduate programs and offer examples of engaging in play as part of coursework, socialization, and research. Observations, suggestions, and findings drawn from the fields of cognitive science, philosophy, psychology, music education, as well as early childhood research and practice are described as the authors open a discussion of how "lightening up" our curricula may actually have a weighty positive impact.

This chapter considers the broad and versatile musicianship skills that music teachers require to be successful in 21st-century classrooms in which students from a variety of backgrounds bring with them diverse musical interests and needs. After considering how musicianship has been defined in a variety of professional and scholarly literature, the chapter enumerates musical skills that are important for preservice teachers to develop and considers how those skills, which often have been too narrowly construed, can be expanded and reimagined. This includes emphasis on creativity (composition, improvisation, songwriting), as well as exploration of vernacular music and music technology. Consideration also is given to the many structural barriers that limit the way musicianship is conceived, taught, and learned in both K–12 and college/university settings, as well how some adjustments to curriculum, entry requirements, and other structures could open the door to solving the musicianship conundrum that music teachers and music teacher educators face.

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