Pass the Baton: Empowering All Music Students is now available!

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“All too often the music classroom stifles students with one-size-fits-all curricula and repertoire. With Pass the Baton, authors Kathryn Finch and Theresa Hoover turn that paradigm on its head, offering a vision of music education that empowers students as critical thinkers who exercise voice and choice to question, discover, connect, and play like never before—in and out of the classroom.

Pass the Baton offers readers a comprehensive guide to crafting engaging music lessons that transform students from passive consumers to vibrant creatives. Whether you’re looking to rethink general music or overhaul your ensemble groups, Pass the Baton is chock-full of generative, actionable, and impactful tools. Finch and Hoover have drawn on deep research and years of experience in the music room to provide a guide for all music educators to create a learner-centered environment and give students the opportunity to truly own the creative process.”

“Pass the Baton is the perfect adaptable resource we have needed in music education! Kathryn Finch and Theresa Hoover have achieved the ideal balance of thought-provoking, accessible guidance and practical resources and activities. Music educators looking to facilitate their students having more autonomy, buy-in, and voice need to check out this book! We need to take a step back so our students can take a step forward; this book gives us the tools to do so!“

—Scott N. Edgar, PhD, associate professor of music, Lake Forest College, author of Music Education and Social Emotional Learning: The Heart of Teaching Music

“Pass the Baton is a must-read for all who desire to provide their students with access and opportunities to a lifetime of music-making and a deep love of music. As a veteran music educator, I am excited to implement many of the ideas found in this incredible resource! With an emphasis on the artistic processes of creating, performing, responding, and connecting, the authors have done an outstanding job at presenting concepts and connections to build a culturally responsive, relevant, and meaningful music education resource that is collaborative and student-centric. This comprehensive resource is filled with practical examples that every music educator can use right away to transform their teaching from simply engaging their students to offering every learner a voice and choice in their music education.”

—Scott Sheehan, NAfME president-elect (2020–2022), music educator, and department chair, Hollidaysburg Area School District

“Music teachers are often required to attend professional development that does not seem to relate to our performance-driven classes. We are left to figure out the applications on our own. Pass the Baton makes the connections for us in a way that empowers not only music students but music teachers. While it is easy to keep teaching the way we always have, it is exciting to think of giving our kids the skills to create, perform, respond, and connect in ways that let them explore their own curiosity and creativity.”

—Mari Schay, editor of Activate! Magazine and early elementary music teacher

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