The purpose of this research was to discover materials and methods used and examine influences on how and why sight-singing is taught in Florida middle-school choral programs. Members of the Florida Vocal Association completed an online or paper version of a questionnaire (N = 152). Data yielded several results that support previous research and provide an in-depth look at respondents' instructional practices and techniques. Additional research must be conducted to make more specific conclusions about the teaching of sight-singing in the middle grades.

The purpose of this study was to discover music educators' views on string music education by surveying active NAfME members in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and to compare results based on teaching area: string/ orchestra (SO) and non-string/orchestra (NSO). While statistically we cannot generalize results because of the response rate and numbers of SO and NSO teachers in our study, those who responded to our online survey support our hypothesis that fewer string/orchestra programs exist in our four focus states than other U.S. regions. Respondents agreed that string/orchestra programs would benefi t overall music programs, allowing for more student participation. However, results suggest some NSO teachers choose program preservation over music program diversifi cation, and ultimately student opportunities for music participation. The largest barriers to implementation of new programs were fi nancial costs and administrative support, then scheduling, availability of qualifi ed teachers, and lack of facilities. It is unclear if NSO teachers' views represent an "unspoken" barrier. Additional research to determine reasons for fewer programs is needed to increase the numbers of string/orchestra programs and enrollment in existing programs.

The purpose of this article was to review published research on sight-singing from the past 10 years, 1998-2008. Several authors published research in various areas in sight-singing. These included festival availability and participation, time use in sight-singing adjudication, method and materials, strategies of successful students, assessing sight-singing skills, effects of background noise on sight-singing ability, and harmonic and melodic influences on sight-singing success. As a result, several teaching strategies were suggested and it was concluded that teachers should choose a method, use it consistently, and teach their students to prepare effectively. Suggestions for future research are included.

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Music educators often teach every child in school. This is especially true in elementary settings and often true in K-12 school settings. In addition, they teach students for many years. As a result, they can play a critical role in their students' personal as well as educational development. This chapter provides an overview of culturally responsive practices related to several areas including critical race theory, restorative justice, racism, challenges in music education, pre-service teacher development, changing schools, and data from the author's previously unpublished study on pre-service educator views. In addition, this chapter provides suggested actions that music teacher educators must embrace to help develop the most responsive music educators.