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World & Folk Music Education for Children

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No matter where in the world you go, there's music. It's one of life's great pleasures, passions and pastimes - and the power it has to transcend cultures and bring people together is something that can't be overstated. Teaching kids to appreciate music from all over the world does more than just broaden their musical horizons: it also teaches them about diversity and gives them some real appreciation for the vast cultural tapestry that is our planet. In this selection of world and folk music education for children, you'll find the materials and resources needed to communicate these amazing messages in ways that are fun and easy for young music students to understand.

Some of the most diverse instruments for kids to use in the classroom are world percussion instruments, so it's no surprise that the Hal Leonard World Music Drumming (Classroom Kit) tops the best-seller list in this section. It's followed closely by the Hal Leonard All Aboard The Recorder Express Seasonal Collection, devoted to another mainstay instrument of the classroom, and those two books are only the tip of the iceberg. From there you can go close to home with resources like the Alfred Students Book Myth, Music, and Dance of the American Indian, or look across the pond with the Waltons 30 Irish Tunes For Easy Recorder Book.

In some cases, you'll find educational book series here devoted exclusively to one instrument. For instance, take a look at the Panyard Jumbie Jam Steel Pan Method Book, volumes 1 to 3. But if you'd prefer a standalone title, there's the Panyard Andy Gleadhill's Caribbean Steel Pan Book. Looking for something focused more on the musical culture than on the instruments? Alfred's Children of the World Book & CD and A Small Part of the World book are some good choices.

It wouldn't be a stretch to call music appreciation the great uniter. It's one of the few things that just about everyone in the world has in common, which is why it's such a great "foot in the door" to teach kids about other cultures while they're also learning musical concepts. Doing both of those at the same time is what makes this world folk music education for children so special, and with as much material as there is to choose from, the scope of learning is limited only by the amount of time your students have to study it.