
STate education specialist in music
Perpich Center’s Music Education Specialist serves the work of Minnesota music educators and administrators through dynamic face-to-face and online workshops, consultation, and professional development customized to school or district needs.
Michael Buck, PhD, is Minnesota’s Music Education Specialist. Currently, a major part of his work centers around implementation of the 2018 Minnesota Academic Standards in Music. Along with the new standards and benchmarks, Buck actively engages in many related topics including:
- Standards-based grading
- Curriculum mapping
- Create – Perform – Respond – Connect strands of the standards
- Assessment in the music room
- Student retention in ensembles
- Culturally relevant teaching
- Student choice and voice
- Core literacy through music
You can expect a rigorous, yet pragmatic, approach to your questions and requests.
Michael Buck, phD, music education specialist
Michael.Buck@pcae.k12.mn.us | 763-279-4285
Michael Buck, PhD currently serves as the Music Education Specialist for Perpich Center for Arts Education and Director of the Norseman Band at St. Olaf College. Previously, Dr. Buck held higher education posts at The College of St. Scholastica and Augsburg University.
Prior to entering higher education, Dr. Buck served over twenty years as a K-12 instrumental music educator in Minnesota and in two overseas American international schools.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Dr. Buck has enjoyed making music in numerous groups including church choir, community choir, barbershop choir, brass band, community band, community orchestra, brass quintet, and an acapella vocal sextet.
Dr. Buck has presented peer-reviewed research projects and workshops in local, regional, national, and international settings. His work includes appearances at the International Symposium of Assessment in Music Education (ISAME), the International Society for Music Education/European Association for Music in Schools (ISME/EAS), Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA), the South Asia International Schools Association (SAISA), the College Music Society/Association for Technology in Music Instruction (CMS/ATMI), the Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA), the Minnesota Band Directors Association (MBDA) and Perpich Center for Arts Education.
Dr. Buck’s professional areas of expertise include assessment/evaluation, teaching/learning pedagogy, music curriculum development, brain research on music, and music technology.
An active band and orchestra clinician, Dr. Buck has led numerous festivals and workshops, and is a frequent guest conductor of regional and conference festivals.
Dr. Buck’s leadership roles include chair of the Minnesota chapter of the College Band Directors National Association (MN CBDNA), MMEA Band Vice President, MMEA All-State Band and Orchestra section coach, and Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony section coach (GTCYS).
Dr. Buck holds degrees in music education and conducting from The University of Southern Mississippi, VanderCook College of Music, and St. Olaf College.
Music Education Resources for Teachers and Administrators
Standards & Benchmarks
- Video Intro to 2018 MN Standards in Music
- 2018 Minnesota Academic Standards in Music – By grade level
- 2018 Minnesota Academic Standards in Music – Example of Bundling Music Benchmarks
- Comprehensive Matrix of 2018 Minnesota Academic Standards in Music
- Music Glossary Companion to 2018 Standards/Benchmarks
- Example of Foundational Knowledge in Music Benchmarks
Tools
Professional Organizations
Curriculum Resources for K-12 Music educators
Here are many standards-based resources – developed with the 2018 music benchmarks in mind – that have been created especially for your K-12 music classrooms. These resources look like “worksheets” because that’s the easiest way to communicate ideas to you. For in-person, hybrid, or distance learning: feel free to use the resources “as is,” cut them apart, use sections, and/or put them in a new format that best fits your students and teaching situation.
Lesson experiences are grouped in several categories. In each category, a table of contents introduces the lessons with suggested grade levels, “I can…” statements, whether internet is required, and a short description. A video introduction is included in the categories of Social Emotional Learning and Music of Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities.
- Intentionally Address Social Emotional Learning through Music – In the music classroom, applying opportunities to support student development in Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Skills
- Music of Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities
- Create (and Connect) lessons – Generating original music with intent
- Perform (and Connect) lessons – Sharing existing music using interpretive or re-creative skills with respect to the cultural or historical context in which it was created
- Respond (and Connect) lessons – Listening to and analyzing, describing, or evaluating music with respect to the context in which it was created
- Everything Beethoven! – Celebrate the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth (December 1770)
- Foundations or Combine Standards lessons
- Instrumental Intonation Skills Assessment
Video Presentation: Music and Intentional Social Emotional Learning
Table of Contents – Resources to address Music and SEL
2018 MN Music Benchmarks by Grade + SEL
Questions for Listening | Strategies for Sharing
My Feelings & Music Expanded Database
Emojis & Elements Touch Charts
Listener’s Four Square Listener’s Tic-Tac-Toe
Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges – Option A
Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges – Option B
Remembering September 11, 2001
Groovin’ from Home – Recorder Groovin’ from Home – Strings Groovin’ from Home – Band
Table of Contents – RESPOND Lessons
“Meet Florence Price!” “Remembering September 11, 2001”
“The SpaceX Astronauts’ Playlist” “Stand by Me”
“Sugar Plums” “The Nutcracker Suite x2”
“Danzon No. 2 – Marquez” “Habanera – Then and Now”
“Jacob Collier Plays Londonderry Air” America the Beautiful
Blue Man Group Tiny Desk Concert – edited – gr 6-12
Girls Rock A Hope for the Future
Is it Spring Le Chevalier de Saint – Georges – Option A
Le Chevalier de Saint – Georges – Option B Lin-Manuel Miranda
Listeners Tic-Tac-Toe Make a Playlist! Rev for SEL
Meet Mikayla “Koffee” Simpson! Melody of the Qeej
Moods through Music Music – Feelings
That was a “good” performance! The Zany Blue Man Group – edited – gr 3-5
Meet Margaret Bonds! Meet Jessie Montgomery! Happy Birthday John Williams!
Table of Contents – Everything Beethoven
Everything Beethoven – Symphony No. 5 x 5
Everything Beethoven – CD Cover
Everything Beethoven – Short Bio & Games
Beethoven’s 250th Birthday Room
Beethoven’s 250th Birthday Music Room Objects
Everything Beethoven – Mr. Peabody
Everything Beethoven – Conductor or No
Everything Beethoven – Bridgetower & Kruetzer
Everything Beethoven – I Tried Beethoven’s Daily Routine
MUSIC EDUCATION SPECIALIST WORKSHOPS
Workshop Examples
- Implementing the New Creating & Responding Benchmarks in K-12 Music
- Performance Assessment in the Music Room
- Standards Based Grading in Music
- Classroom Visits
- MusEd Summer Series – happens every August at Perpich!
- and more!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCE PROGRAMS DIGITAL RESOURCES