Growing Musicians

"Sweet gets at the very heart of working with adolescents in the music classroom. From handling the physical and emotional changes of this age group to the essential leadership role a nurturing music teacher can provide, this text guides readers on a journey to establishing a positive classroom climate that makes the most of these growing musicians. This is an absolutely essential text for anyone who might just be lucky enough to end up teaching in the middle."--Ann C. Clements, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Music Education, Pennsylvania State University "Dr. Sweet's book is an important resource for music teachers, music teacher educators, and students preparing to teach. Foregrounding the richness and complexities of teachers' voices, Dr. Sweet examines topics and insights critical to understanding and working effectively with adolescents. She eloquently captures the spirited, loving, and multi-dimensional souls of adolescent musicians, their struggles and successes, and thoughtfully proposes pathways for teachers to support their futures."--Elizabeth Cassidy Parker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Music Education, Temple University "There is a particularly novel and highly useful element included in this book, namely the reflections and comments of a group of middle school music teachers who represent a cross-section of those engaged in working with adolescents. Their anecdotes, tips, and humorous stories provide insights from those in the field. Many music educators will agree that the best kind of professional development comes from observing and interacting with peers who do the same job, an all-too-infrequent occasion, yet one that frequently leads to professional growth. Reading Sweet's book makes one feel as though these colleagues are sitting with us, reading along and commenting. This feature, along with the author's clear writing style, make this a valuable volume, not just for middle school teachers, but for those teaching any level." -- ACDA Choral Journal