The article supports the following thesis: that creative problem-solving approaches to learning can be incorporated into any methodology; can, and perhaps, should become an essential component within a music programme because, creative problem-solving is a direct route to understanding fairly sophisticated musical manipulations or procedures; it involves students in decision-making activities and the responses are sources of feedback to student and teacher; it permits multiple results; hence, it reflects needs, interests, and abilities of students; it enhances learning and makes more relevant the things that have to be learned; it encourages direct contact with the expressive character of music.

Music education struggles to survive in countries such as England, United States and South Africa because of the lack of financial support, particularly during economic recessions. To counter this unfortunate situation, well-written books and articles have been appeared over the years, propounding the truth that the arts do have an essential place in the balanced education of children, but these well-founded and constructed arguments continually fall on deaf ears. During economic recessions government planners and educational authorities rationalise that they can afford to do away with the arts because these subjects make little or no difference to the economic welfare of the country.

Information from the best-seller by Peters & Waterman, In Search of Excellence, reveals that the principle characteristics of the managers of excellent companies in the United States are characteristics that concern the creative process of thinking, creative aspects of personality, creative products and environmental conditions. These companies have a positive effect on the United States economy. As the aspect of education which is best equipped to nurture these characteristics is the arts, then it is reasonable to argue that we can not afford to ‘phase out’ music education.

Because education in the United States, England and South Africa is closely linked to the economy, music educators in capitalist countries should begin to argue for the arts from an economic standpoint, as capitalistic societies are orientated primarily toward capital gain. Failing this, we shall have to argue for more fundamental changes in political and economic systems.

Although not developed specifically with musicians in mind, Alexander Technique has come to be associated with musical performers and with the problems of tension they may experience. In this article the author, a cellist and a cello teacher who has herself been helped by therapy based upon Alexander principles, acknowledges the special value that the technique has for musicians and demonstrates this by reference to the needs of string players. She goes on to show how other performers may benefit, and how F. M. Alexander's ideas can be particularly important for singers. She enlarges this view to take in a wider range of musical education and, arguing that singing has, of late, been sadly neglected in schools, illustrates the potential of the Alexander principles through a detailed account of how one child was helped to ‘find her voice’and how, in succeeding, she was able to increase her confidence in many other areas besides music.

A project is described which involved making and working with marionettes in a Tokyo school. Through this and other related activities, children were introduced to the world of opera, in particular, The Magic Flute, by Mozart.

Possibly because very few teachers in Britain are fluent readers of Scandinavian languages while, on the other hand, the majority in the academic professions in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland speak and read – not infrequently write – English, the flow of thinking about music education and its developments often appears to be one way.

Yet although it may be true to say that, over the last twenty years or so, music educators in the Nordic countries have drawn quite a lot of inspiration from beyond their own borders (Finland and Sweden tending to look towards Hungary; Norway, Iceland and Denmark perhaps turning more often to Britain and the United States), it would be a serious error to imagine that they have no significant ideas of their own! Indeed, an enormous amount has been achieved in these countries from which the rest of us can usefully learn.

The author examines the role of music in the Danish Gymnasium (grammar school), commenting upon the changes that have taken place over the last 10–15 years, and noting in particular the special opportunities provided by the ‘Music Education Wing’ in some schools. Although the students themselves tend to regard performance as something which should take priority, these unique ‘wing’ courses allow teachers to encourage a much greater involvement with music and a deeper understanding of music's power to unite the analytical and the creative: the intellect and the emotions.

From time to time the standard and content of musical education in Danish Teacher Training Colleges has been the subject of strong criticism. It has been argued that the courses are out of date; that they should be modernised, and that the quality of instruction should be improved. Yet the criticism is often imprecise – possibly because those who make it are not themselves sufficiently well-informed about the details of the existing courses and the problems faced by those who have to teach and administer them. The author, a very experienced musician, author of numerous music-education publications, and himself a Lecturer at a Teachers College, discusses the principles and problems of organising music as a specialist area of the teacher-education programme.

Evidence suggests that only a very small number of music teachers in Denmark make use of modern compositions; and this in spite of very considerable efforts made by the Danish Music Information Centre to disseminate annotated lists of contemporary works suitable for schools and for private instrumental teaching. The author argues that there is now no excuse for not recognising the importance of the work of living composers; all that we need to do is to play their music!

The author writes about his development of the ‘play along’ principle for instruction in instrumental skills (in this case, Blues Guitar). He sees this as an extension of the earlier ‘Music Minus One’ publications, and describes the musical and educational reasoning behind the format of his ‘Book and Tape’.

In spite of its small population, scattered over a wide and largely rural area, Iceland has developed an extensive and exciting infrastructure of music education through a large number of local Music Schools. Although such schools have existed for fifty years, it is only within relatively recent times that the system has been able to be developed to its present extent. Expansion has been made possible through the collaboration of state and local authorities which between them cover all tuition costs. However, the scheme is once again threatened by cuts in funding so that, currently, no increase in student enrolment is possible. The author, who is Head of the Department of Music Education at Reykjavik College of Music, describes the history and development of the Music Schools and gives some interesting statistics of the national and regional take-up of this important music-education provision.

Reykjavík College of Music offers a unique course of instruction for piano teachers. An important feature of this three-year course is the opportunities it gives for students to work with pupils of all abilities: from beginners to the higher grades. Students teach their pupils under supervision of professors of the College, and assessment includes practical teaching and the presentation of concerts by the students' pupils. The author describes the course, its contents and examination procedures, and stresses the need to develop individuality and open-mindedness in those wishing to make their careers as piano teachers.

The author invites us to re-examine the case for ‘music appreciation’ teaching. In a two-year project, ‘Music in Use,’ conducted in Norwegian primary schools, Magne Espeland and his colleagues developed new principles and methods for encouraging children to listen to music of many different styles – including modern instrumental and orchestral music, pop and jazz. Working from the belief that response on the part of the listener is crucial in musical understanding, the project group involved the children with a variety of activities which, while primarily related to the music itself, engaged also with experiences in verbal, visual and kinetic expression.