The Modern Band Handbook
Practical Perspectives and Lessons for Music Educators
Published on 21. October 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
312 pages
978-0-19-768959-2 (ISBN)
Description
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.
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.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
94
Dimensions
Height: 280 mm
Width: 217 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
754 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-768959-2 (9780197689592)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
09/2025
Oxford University Press Inc
€133.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
E-Book
08/2025
OUP eBook
€21.99
Available for download
E-Book
08/2025
OUP eBook
€21.99
Available for download
Person
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.
Content
Acknowledgments
List of Contributors
About the Companion Website
Foreword
Lucy Green
Editor's Introduction
Bryan Powell
Part I: Arranging and Creating Covers
1. Judging a Hook by its Cover: (Re)creating Pop Songs in the Secondary General Music Classroom
Virginia Wayman Davis
2. Approximating by Ear: A Scaffolded Approach to Playing-by-Ear for Beginning Learners
Jesse Rathgeber and Wayde Rathgeber
3. Translation Nation; How to Bridge the Gap for ESL Students and Beyond
Sara Munson
4. Active Music Listening in Modern Band
Sandra Sanchez Adorno
5. Breaking Down a Song: Orff and Modern Band
David Dockan
6. Adapting Student-Preferred Music for Elementary Classroom Instruments
Martina Vasil
7. Song Set and Segues
Heather Fortune
Part II: Songwriting in Modern Band
8. Hook-Writing: A Two-for-One Deal
Sondra Braeutigam
9. Pathways to Teaching Composition and Improvisation
Alex Ramirez
10. Songwriting to a Pitch: Lyrics
Kat Reinhert and Sarah Gulish
11. Blues Songwriting with Ukulele
Raychl Smith
12. Composition in the Primary Years
Michelle Vallejo
13. Building Vocal Improvisation Skills With Early Elementary Students
LeslieAnne Bird
14. Modern Band Songwriting Icebreaker Lesson: Paper Bag Challenge
Jasmine Todd Faulkner
15. Speed Songwriting Challenge
Matthew Clauhs and Beatrice B. Olesko
16. Pair Up: Collaborative Songwriting and Recording
Tina Huynh
17. Lyric Writing in Modern Band
Stefanie Sagaro
Part III: Teaching Modern Band Instruments
18. Scaffolding a Student-Lead Band through Percussion
Andrea Donze Krein
19. Student Goal Setting
Joseph Campbell
20. Fostering Beginning Guitar Technique through the Single String Tablature Method
Ronnie Nissinboim
21. All About that Bassline
Carmella Berthia
22. Introducing Ukulele Using Modified Chords
Tony Corallo
23. Introduction to Ukelele for Young Beginners
Jill Wilson
Part IV: Social Justice and Cultural Responsiveness in Modern Band
24. Social Justice in Songwriting: Protest Song Composition
Mia Ibrahim
25. Latin Beats in Modern Band
Vimari Colon-Leon
26. Beatboxing Our Way to Knowing and Doing Better
Donna Hewitt
27. Social Justice Meets Modern Band: Conversations Based in Repertoire
Rachael Sanguinetti
28. Building Community and Promoting Belonging, Identity, and Self-Awareness Through Hip-Hop
Wanda Vasquez Garcia
29. Affirming Individual and Collective Identities through Hooks in the Modern Ensemble
Alice A. Tsui
Part V: Music Technology in Modern Band
30. Teaching Live Audio Mixing Skills in a Modern Band Context
Jennifer A. Jester
31. DJing in Modern Band: The Basics of Beatmatching
Aixa Burgos
32. Beginning Scratching
Kevin Droe
33. Speaking through Soundtrap
Nicholas Piato and David H. Knapp
34. Introduction to Beatmaking
Bryan Powell
35. Remixing Songs in a DAW
Warren Gramm
36. Creating Mashups in Soundtrap
Candice Mattio
37. Digital Audio Workstations and Participatory Learning
Chad Zullinger and Kelly Bylica
38. Open Score to Mic to DAW: Remixing In C
Lara Mitofsky Neuss
Index
List of Contributors
About the Companion Website
Foreword
Lucy Green
Editor's Introduction
Bryan Powell
Part I: Arranging and Creating Covers
1. Judging a Hook by its Cover: (Re)creating Pop Songs in the Secondary General Music Classroom
Virginia Wayman Davis
2. Approximating by Ear: A Scaffolded Approach to Playing-by-Ear for Beginning Learners
Jesse Rathgeber and Wayde Rathgeber
3. Translation Nation; How to Bridge the Gap for ESL Students and Beyond
Sara Munson
4. Active Music Listening in Modern Band
Sandra Sanchez Adorno
5. Breaking Down a Song: Orff and Modern Band
David Dockan
6. Adapting Student-Preferred Music for Elementary Classroom Instruments
Martina Vasil
7. Song Set and Segues
Heather Fortune
Part II: Songwriting in Modern Band
8. Hook-Writing: A Two-for-One Deal
Sondra Braeutigam
9. Pathways to Teaching Composition and Improvisation
Alex Ramirez
10. Songwriting to a Pitch: Lyrics
Kat Reinhert and Sarah Gulish
11. Blues Songwriting with Ukulele
Raychl Smith
12. Composition in the Primary Years
Michelle Vallejo
13. Building Vocal Improvisation Skills With Early Elementary Students
LeslieAnne Bird
14. Modern Band Songwriting Icebreaker Lesson: Paper Bag Challenge
Jasmine Todd Faulkner
15. Speed Songwriting Challenge
Matthew Clauhs and Beatrice B. Olesko
16. Pair Up: Collaborative Songwriting and Recording
Tina Huynh
17. Lyric Writing in Modern Band
Stefanie Sagaro
Part III: Teaching Modern Band Instruments
18. Scaffolding a Student-Lead Band through Percussion
Andrea Donze Krein
19. Student Goal Setting
Joseph Campbell
20. Fostering Beginning Guitar Technique through the Single String Tablature Method
Ronnie Nissinboim
21. All About that Bassline
Carmella Berthia
22. Introducing Ukulele Using Modified Chords
Tony Corallo
23. Introduction to Ukelele for Young Beginners
Jill Wilson
Part IV: Social Justice and Cultural Responsiveness in Modern Band
24. Social Justice in Songwriting: Protest Song Composition
Mia Ibrahim
25. Latin Beats in Modern Band
Vimari Colon-Leon
26. Beatboxing Our Way to Knowing and Doing Better
Donna Hewitt
27. Social Justice Meets Modern Band: Conversations Based in Repertoire
Rachael Sanguinetti
28. Building Community and Promoting Belonging, Identity, and Self-Awareness Through Hip-Hop
Wanda Vasquez Garcia
29. Affirming Individual and Collective Identities through Hooks in the Modern Ensemble
Alice A. Tsui
Part V: Music Technology in Modern Band
30. Teaching Live Audio Mixing Skills in a Modern Band Context
Jennifer A. Jester
31. DJing in Modern Band: The Basics of Beatmatching
Aixa Burgos
32. Beginning Scratching
Kevin Droe
33. Speaking through Soundtrap
Nicholas Piato and David H. Knapp
34. Introduction to Beatmaking
Bryan Powell
35. Remixing Songs in a DAW
Warren Gramm
36. Creating Mashups in Soundtrap
Candice Mattio
37. Digital Audio Workstations and Participatory Learning
Chad Zullinger and Kelly Bylica
38. Open Score to Mic to DAW: Remixing In C
Lara Mitofsky Neuss
Index