Music for the IB MYP 4&5: MYP by Concept

Samuel Wright is the Diploma and Middle Years Subject Coordinator for Music at the International School of The Hague. He has been teaching and presenting creative musical ideas to educators globally, across curricula and cultures, for over ten years. Samuel holds a bachelor's degree in Music Education and a master's in Music Technology (Australia), an advanced Professional Certificate in Orchestration and Composition for Film/TV from Berklee College of Music (USA), and is a consultant with the Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS).

A fantastic resource for both new and experienced Music teachers. Finally, after all these years, there is a textbook for MYP music! And it is not only an outstanding music textbook but one that is specifically designed to work within the MYP framework. It incorporates the IB learner profile and the ATL skills in each and every chapter. The different sections are based on concepts with ample examples from around the world and across genres and time, making it a truly international book without any cultural bias. Each chapter starts with a variety of unit questions (factual, conceptual and debatable) and these questions are addressed consistently throughout. The book provides a solid framework to guide the students through relevant and up to date issues of music nowadays. The author manages to keep the careful balance between giving structure and allowing enough space for personal exploration and all tasks can be completed by students of different levels of expertise. All the different examples from music technology take out the guesswork for the teacher and catch the students' interest. With 12 chapters covering a range of topics, this book will work in all settings, as diverse as MYP schools are. It truly helps the teacher to keep the lessons fascinating and the students engaged - different activities are described in detail and clear guidance is given how to encourage the students to practice their thinking routines. Each chapter has an informational box with expected prior knowledge - this is a fantastic resource at a glance to check if any pre-teaching is necessary. Throughout the book, suggestions are given on how to use the process journal successfully, a perfect guide for new teachers and an inspiration experienced teachers to re-think their usual tasks. There is no need to buy an expensive set of CDs or downloads - throughout the book, there are links to websites, playlists on YouTube videos as well as a Spotify and iTunes. In each chapter, there are ample suggestions for formative assessments which lead to fully formulated summative assessments, which all clearly linked to the assessment criteria as well as the unit questions. For the student, a handy checklist is included in each chapter, helping them being responsible for their learning. All in all, a well thought-through, modern, versatile and inspiring book for years to come.