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		Resource & Support Music Theory Reprinted from July 2006 Issue -by REBECCA PACKARD In a previous article for this paper, I recommended some resources for music theory and some reasons for working with teachers to incorporate theory in children’s music education. Recent conversations with an accomplished student organist (who just graduated high school in June) and his teacher reiterated the importance of teaching theory to middle school and high school-aged students, and resulted in learning about a new resource that can help overcome some logistical limitations in accomplishing that goal. Dr Kraig Scott, professor of organ, harpsichord, and music history at Walla Walla College, said, “I want to teach my students how to think about music, not just how to play music . . . The only way they can learn to think about music correctly is to learn about music from the inside out, therefore, they must have theoretical knowledge. With that theoretical knowledge they can look at any given phrase in any given piece and say, how should we play this phrase?” He says there may be more than one answer to that question, but “you must be able to figure out from that music why your particular answer to that phrase makes sense.” His student, Daniel Goltz, was recently recognized for his musical talent by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA), nominated to be a Presidential Scholar, and offered scholarships to top conservatories like Julliard and the Eastman School of Music. He said, “It’s absolutely essential if you’re a serious musician, to have the terminology down. Harmonic function sheds light on interpretation.” The book Professor Scott recommends to all his students is Harmonic Materials in Tonal Music: A Programmed Course (volumes I and II) by Greg Steinke. It’s designed for students to work independently, so he doesn’t have to take time out of his organ lessons to teach theory. He said he asks students to work through the book on their own but offers to spend a five minutes at the end of the lesson if they have any questions. Parents may want to teach themselves music theory through the book to better support children’s study and/or ask students’ music teachers if they would support a student’s self-study by answering question when they arise and incorporating the new terminology in lessons. Because the book provides exercises, and musical examples, and answers to its questions, students are generally able to learn theory on their own. “You can teach yourselves with these books, I highly recommend them,” said Dr. Scott. Goltz, who tested for first year college theory while in high school, said “I was twelve when I started them,” he continued, “And they were certainly accessible, and they gave me, basically, the first entire year of college theory. You just have to be fairly diligent in doing it.” The latest (9th) edition of Harmonic Materials in Tonal Music is $89.20 per volume and comes with a CD. Previous editions of the book can be purchased on ebay for under $10. (Note: older editions may have Paul O. Harder as author or co-author).