Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Native American Choral Music: Strategies For Celebrating And Incorporating Music Of Indigenous People, Mary Ruth Young

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

*Language usage is fluid and evolving, representing past and present people groups. During my discussions with my Indigenous composer colleagues, I've found that they hold varying preferences regarding how they wish to be addressed and the terminology they prefer. Because of this, I use the terms Native, Native American, First Nations, Indigenous, American Indian, and First Peoples interchangeably.*

This document will discuss the historical exclusion of Native American music in the Western art forms, specifically the choral tradition, and provide solutions to incorporate it in modern choral performances. Considering first the wars, disease, displacement, colonization, and missionization, it is no …

New Paradigms In Band Performance: An Analysis Of Three Prototypes, Scott Walker-Parker

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

This document seeks to propose new paradigms in band performance through inter-, multi-, and transdisciplinarity. Initial inspirations were drawn from performance innovations shaped by the new music theater which became popular in the 20^th century. Key concepts which were used throughout the creative, planning, logistic, rehearsal, and performance processes are analyzed in three recitals through prototypes of new paradigms in band performance. These concepts include accessibility and community, nonverbal/multimodal performance and instruction versus time, and nonverbal/multimodal communication.

The document has been organized in a manner which highlights successes and breakdowns of each process so future refinement can be made. …

When Did You Stop Singing?: Elementary Boys' Attitudes And Self-Efficacy Toward The Act Of Singing, Eric D. Wyler

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

The “missing males” epidemic is one which has baffled music educators and researchers for decades. Many research studies have been conducted to explore why boys choose to not be involved in choral ensembles at their middle and high schools. These studies list numerous retention/recruitment strategies; however, the problem remains. Many boys decide before they reach middle school whether they like to sing. The purposes of this study are to examine elementary age boys’ attitudes toward singing and determine at what grade level, if any, there is a significant difference in boys’ attitudes, to search for a relationship between boys’ attitudes …

Best Practices For Preschool Music Education: Supporting Music‑Making Throughout The Day, Jentry Stoneman Barrett, Rachel E. Schachter, Danni Gilbert, Mathew Fuerst

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Active engagement in music has numerous academic and social benefits for young children and music-making is included in many early childhood standards and preschool curricula. The purpose of this article is to provide quality resources for classroom teachers to use in providing music-making activities for young children, ages 3–5. Although teachers may use music in their classrooms, we provide resources and suggestions for more intentional and extended integration of music-making. Specifically, we identify best practices for preschool music education based on key standards and research as well as with common music pedagogies. We then turn to concrete examples of how …

The Influence Of Selected Demographic Factors On The Retention Of Middle School Instrumental Music Students, Evan Hoylman

Honors Theses

Music programs across the country, particularly at the secondary level, are much smaller than should be expected. Large numbers of students (and adults, for that matter) report that they enjoy music and listen to it often for pleasure. Yet, in many high schools, less than a quarter of the school population participates in school music. Why is this so? Students in elementary schools are typically engaged in music study, either through general music classes and/or band or orchestra participation, but retention of students in secondary school music study is a problem. The purpose of this study was to examine the …

Music Education For Mental Health: Creating A Participatory Music After School Program, Nicole A. Shively

Honors Theses

This thesis project, titled “Music Education for Mental Health: Creating a Participatory Music After School Program,” consists of a research paper and curriculum guide for the creation of a nonprofit after school program that will use music education to help youth with depression and anxiety. This program provides participatory music experiences to students in a supportive, cathartic environment. The paper details the research behind the psychological benefits of music, the activities that would be done with the students, and why there is a need for this program in current society. The curriculum guide consists of the addressed national music education …

"Choir Is For Girls": Intersectional Mixed Methods Perspectives On Adolescent Gender Identity, Singing Interest, And Choral Music Participation, Briana E. Nannen

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

As students progress through adolescent development, researchers have observed a lack of male participation in choral music activities. This male to female imbalance is often attributed to a perception that singing is a feminine activity and results in a lack of balance in choral music ensembles. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore adolescent gender identity as it relates to singing interest and choral music participation. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used, in which quantitative data were collected and analyzed followed by in-depth qualitative interviews. A group of 9^th grade students (n=174) completed the …

Curious, Collaborative Creativity: Applying Student-Centered Principles To Performing Ensembles, Danni Gilbert

Glenn Korff School of Music: Faculty Publications

This article explores a comprehensive, student-centered alternative to traditional ensemble instruction with the goal of promoting better opportunities for musical independence and lifelong musicianship. Developed by Caron Collins from the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York–Potsdam, the Curious, Collaborative Creativity (CCC) concept fosters student-centered learning and the promotion of 21st-century skills by encouraging students to select, arrange, and compose the repertoire to be studied; to work together in teams to equally contribute to the learning/understanding of music; and to share their work through informances to engage and enlighten community members. Examples from a current ensemble …

Revitalizing Music Teacher Preparation With Selected “Essential Conditions”, Danni Gilbert

Glenn Korff School of Music: Faculty Publications

The widespread adoption of technology makes it necessary to extend technological resources to the classroom to best prepare students for long-term success. While technology can improve many facets of learning and teaching, music educators have generally been hesitant to incorporate technology to its full potential. Partnerships with professional organizations, such as the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), can help music educators best reach students and achieve cultural relevancy in the digital age. Restructuring music education to integrate what ISTE calls “Essential Conditions” of learning with technology, such as student-centered learning, equitable access, and engaged communities, begins with undergraduate …

Pilot Study To Assess Breathing During Sight-Read Stringed Instrument Performance, Collin T. Erickson, Clark Potter Mm, Mfa, Gregory Bashford Ph.D

UCARE Research Products

For many musicians, one common occurrence during a performance is the presence of stage fright. Stage fright, though not always expressed can influence the confidence and self-esteem of a performer, and thus can affect the quality of the performance. Every day musicians are affected by stage fright, and there has been no exact solution as to how to lessen the feeling of anxiety musicians feel before performing. No data has been collected to find the correlation between the regularity of breathing and the level of stage fright that a person feels during their performance. A way to quantify regularity of …

A Little Bit More The Same Than Yesterday: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Choir Member Empathy And Attitudes Toward Individuals With Disabilities, Lynda A. Laird

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the effect of self- reported contact with individuals with disabilities on choir member empathy and attitudes toward individuals with disabilities. Further, this study investigated effects of an inclusive choral music experience on empathy and attitudes toward individuals with disabilities. Finally, the study explored expectations, experiences, perceptions, and beliefs of six individuals who participated in an inclusive choral music experience.

Phase I (n=207) addressed the effect of level of contact with individuals with disabilities on choral members’ empathy and attitudes toward people with disabilities, and relationships between empathy and attitudes. A …

The Framework For 21st Century Learning: A First-Rate Foundation For Music Education Assessment And Teacher Evaluation, Ashley Danielle Gilbert

Glenn Korff School of Music: Faculty Publications

Federal laws and funding initiatives, such as the No Child Left Behind Act and the Race to the Top campaign, have created an increasing incentive for schools nationwide to document student progress, standardize assessment practices, and evaluate teachers according to student success. In response, the Common Core State Standards, a popular yet controversial policy, has emerged. Implemented at the state level, these standards focus heavily on the areas of English language arts and mathematics, subjects not traditionally incorporated to a great extent in music classrooms. In order for music to maintain a role as an essential subject in the school …

Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives Of Cooperative Learning To Create Music In Orff Schulwerk Classrooms, Nicole A. Chapman

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

The Framework for 21st Century Learning identifies four learning and innovation skills to prepare students for a changing world. The 4Cs identified are critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity (Framework for 21st Century Learning, 2015). With the adoption of this new teaching framework, it is important that music educators evaluate their own teaching methods to meet the needs of their students in a changing society. The purpose of this study was to examine how cooperative group learning is currently integrated in the Orff-Schulwerk certified teachers’ elementary music classroom as part of the creative music process. In this qualitative study, I …

Guy Woolfenden: A Composer's Musical Dna, James A. Dreiling

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

Guy Woolfenden is a British composer who has made a name for himself in England as the composer of over 150 scores for the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as music for numerous ballet and opera companies. In addition, he has composed fifteen pieces for wind band and eleven pieces for various wind chamber ensembles. While his wind music is well known throughout England, his name and his music are not as well known throughout the rest of the world. Those few conductors outside of England who are aware of his work tend to know only one or two of …

An Exploration Of The Use Of And The Attitudes Toward Technology In First-Year Instrumental Music, Ashley D. Gilbert

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

The purpose of this study was to determine what technologies are used in first-year instrumental music and to examine factors that influence the attitudes of teachers, students, and parents toward the use of those technologies. Many devices, software, and applications have been developed to aid instrumental students in their learning. However, because of the unique format of most beginning programs, it is unclear what types of technology are actually being used and what attitudes prevail for those involved in using technology. Two researcher-designed questionnaires, the Technology in Music Usage Questionnaire (TMUQ) and the Technology in Music Attitude Questionnaire (TMAQ), were …

Mued 397b/D: Practicum (Music Teaching Field Experience)—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Inquiry Portfolio, Dale Bazan

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course is taken during the spring semester of the junior year in the Bachelor of Music Education degree. The field experience places students inside schools weekday mornings over 5 weeks following Spring Break, and following core music education methods courses in instrumental and choral teaching (i.e., Instrumental Methods MUED 345 and Choral Methods MUED 346). The UNL undergraduate bulletin describes this course as simply, “Supervised teaching experiences in school.” Students are placed in school settings in the discipline opposite their applied instrument. Specifically, vocal applied students are placed in instrumental settings, and instrumental applied students are placed in vocal …

An Examination Of The Attitude Of 5-12 Instrumental Music Educators Towards Using Wind Band Literature Written By Female Composers And The Relationship Of Those Attitudes To Selected Demographic Variables, Carrie J. Jensen

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

Traditionally, pieces by female composers are noticeably absent from many instrumental music concert programs. The purpose of this study was to determine the attitude of 5-12 instrumental music teachers toward utilizing and programming wind band literature composed by females and to examine the relationship between their attitude and selected demographic variables. A sample of grade 5-12 instrumental music teachers from Nebraska and Kansas was surveyed about their beliefs on programming wind band literature by female composers, the process of choosing literature, and evaluating the merit of band literature. In addition, the data were analyzed to determine the relationship between the …

Music Class Offerings Beyond Bands, Choirs, And Orchestras In Nebraska High Schools, David N. Sanderson

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

As school music programs in the US evolve and adapt to changing demographics, the types of music courses offered have expanded as well. Today, schools offer more courses in music than just bands, choirs, and orchestras. Music appreciation courses, music technology courses, music theory courses, guitar classes, piano classes, and music composition classes are just a few of the types of music classes that can also be found in American high schools. While high school music class options are becoming more diversified, there has been little research done to profile what kinds of music classes are being offered in schools …

The Process Of Musicking: An Alternative To Melodic Dictation And Other Activities Involved In The Undergraduate Music Program, Tanya Krof

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

This thesis makes the claim that the current American undergraduate music institution does not effectively integrate the skills learned in aural skills courses; as a result, too few students are engaged in the learning process and fail to master the required skills. One common activity used in aural skills courses is melodic dictation, an activity which asks students to notate a performed melody. While activating a multitude of useful skills, melodic dictation could cause a cognitive overload due to demanding too many tasks to be performed simultaneously. A suggestion of implementing Musicking activities—which emphasize music as a process (an act), …

Student And Teacher Experiences With Informal Learning In A School Music Classroom: An Action Research Study, Mark C. Adams

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

Despite the ubiquitous nature of music in the lives of adolescents, school music education rarely offers experiences with the informal music making practices that are used by their favorite vernacular artists. This action research study implemented informal learning practices into the formal learning environment of my current teaching position in a rural Midwestern community, to understand more about student experiences and the educator’s role in such a classroom. The qualitative research approach used in this study borrowed from grounded theory techniques. Data collection included twenty-five total interviews with nine first-year beginning instrumentalists. Interviews were conducted in three waves, where the …

Mued 403: Student Teaching Seminar—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Inquiry Portfolio, Dale Bazan

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course is taken during music education undergraduate students' student teaching semester, which occurs after completion of all coursework in the Bachelor of Music Education degree. While students work full-time in elementary and secondary schools, they participate in on-campus seminars and workshops. These meetings include presentations and discussion sessions led by the instructor, area school district administrators, and UNL Career Services counselors. Sessions explore online and print resources for professional advancement in the field of music teaching. There are several assumptions made about college students, and more specifically undergraduate music education students. It is assumed, in general, that adolescents and …

Muop 356/856: Intermediate/Advanced Opera Techniques—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Jamie M. Reimer

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

I began the investigation of this course and subsequent course portfolio with the following objectives in mind:

1. To solidify and articulate the skills I intend students enrolled in this course to achieve by the end of the semester;
2. To think creatively about the presentation of course material to most effectively engage and empower students' success; and
3. To assess the effectiveness of the course activities in achieving course goals stated in the syllabus.

I am also excited to explore the options available for different methods of content delivery in this course, particularly the application of recorded performance for assessment. In the …

Mued 345: Instrumental Music Methods, Dale Bazan

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The course Instrumental Music Methods (MUED 345) is designed to provide a fundamental preparation for future music educators to teach instrumental music--both orchestral and band--to adolescents in schools. The description in the UNL Schedule of Classes describes this course as dealing with "administrative approaches, rehearsal techniques, and modern comprehensive teaching styles for the secondary instrumental teacher." I chose this course for my peer-review because preparing future instrumental music teachers is one of my primary responsibilities as the instrumental music education specialist at UNL, and this course is the primary course to prepare students for this outcome. It is therefore vital …

Healthy Performance Practice For Male Barbershop Singers, Jacob K. Bartlett

Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts: Student Research, Performance, and Creative Activity

Barbershop singing is a hobby enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of men and women across the world. We attend conventions, shows, competitions, and educational outreach programs each year at our own expense to preserve a style we truly love.

Most singers of the style are amateur musicians. This constitutes somewhat of a challenge when we consider the need for healthy singing in light of certain assumptions about the vocal technique required of the barbershop style. Most do their best to make a healthy sound but end up doing more harm than good to their own voices after a lengthy rehearsal. …