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Reviews of Texts

**​Marin Alsop: Frequently Asked Questions** []

This is a list of some frequently asked questions in interviews with the Baltimore Symphony conductor Marin Alsop where she talks about how she got started in music, her position in the Baltimore Symphony, and about being the first woman to conduct a major orchestra. I think this is a good article and it's informative to read in her words her thoughts on some of these different topics. Because my lesson is focused on women in music I was more focused on some of the questions directed in that area. To her gender is "inconsequential and irrelevant" to what she does, but she does recognize that being the first woman conducting a major orchestra is an incredible opportunity and hopes to create opportunities for other women. She tells about how women frequently tell her that they feel empowered and relate very directly when seeing her conduct and she actually started a fellowship for women conductors called the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship and every year one very talented woman is selected to work with her at her orchestras. This is a great resource and has a lot of informative insight into Marin Alsop's life and her experience with the Baltimore Symphony

[] This is another article about Marin Alsop and her life and views on being the first female conductor of a major orchestra. I think she brings up a lot of good points on how we view women conductors and how she says the most challenging aspect is the fact that people need to focus on the fact that she's a woman when it's "entirely irrelevant to what I do". It brings up the difficult question of how to address the topic without making it seem like a woman conductors most important aspect is the fact that she's a woman. She talks about how she doesn't want to "give it a short shrift" and wants to take responsibility of being a role model and how it's a shame that there are still firsts for women in the 21st century. This is another really good article about Marin Alsop's life and the difficult medium between recognizing her as an inspiration as the first female conductor of a major orchestra and just recognizing her as the great conductor that she is.
 * For Major Female Conductor, Being A Woman "Irrelevant"**

This is a really cool book that goes through the lives of these great and odd musicians starting with Antonio Vivaldi and ending with Woodie Guthrie. It talks about their accomplishments, their most famous works, and all of their strange quirks it seems everyone had. It has fun illustrations for each composer and is definitely a good book to introduce and interest children to the many great composers who lived. What I found interesting relating to the theme of my lessons was that Clara Schumann, though accepted and admired by society it seemed, actually stopped composing because she was a woman. She said she once believed she possessed a creative talent but must give up on the idea because a woman had not yet been a composer and why should she expect to? The page after however, introduced Stephen Foster who faced the challenge of his family not approving of music for him because they didn't think it was an appropriate activity for a boy. I think this is a good way to point out how these kinds of boundaries are not only hypocritical, but restrict people from doing what they love and deprive the world of great music because of these roles society tries to force people into. Overall I think it's a great book and has potential for many wonderful lessons in it.
 * Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (And What Their Neighbors Thought)**

This is a really nicely illustrated picture book that tells of the life of Marian Anderson and the obstacles and discrimination she faced trying to do what she loved, but because of her passion and strong character she was able to overcome it. It's a wonderfully written and inspiring children's book that teaches of someone who was a very important part of music history. It would be easy to do so many things around this book and definitely a great option for a part of a curriculum.
 * When Marian Sang**


 * Women of the Harlem Renessaince**
 * by: Lisa Beringer McKissack**

This is a really informative book that goes through many of the great women who helped shape the Harlem Renaissance. After giving a little background knowledge about what the Harlem Renaissance was it explores people like Nella Larsen, Jessie Fauset, Zora Neale Hurston, and Bessie Smith. This isn't a book specific to women in music but it still teaches about a lot of important women who should be recognized and taught in a school curriculum. A great resource and teaching material for a lot of different lessons and age levels.

**__ Web Tools __**
[] This is a cloud-based information management web tool that allows you to bookmark, highlight, and add sticky notes to websites. Very useful so you can keep resources organized and keep notes on a cloud-based source so you don't always need your laptop. A great tool to use for educators and students to use and share together. You can make shared accounts where students can collaborate and see each others work.
 * Diigo**

This is an online tool that allows you to create timelines and share them. It shows a small caption and picture when you put your mouse over it on the page. You can click on each one and it zooms to a larger page with it expanded and more information. It would be a very useful tool for history lessons and putting how music changed throughout time into perspective. It could definitely be a good visual aid to go along with lessons.
 * Timetoast**
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Web Resources for Educators