Music Education Commons^™

Fourth-Grade And Fifth-Grade Cover-Band Classes: An Action-Research Project Inspired By Popular Music Education And Music Learning Theory, Julia Turner

Theses and Dissertations

I facilitated “Fourth-Grade and Fifth-Grade Cover-Band Classes,” a popular music education-, informal music learning-, and music learning theory-inspired action-research project. The purpose of this action-research project was to examine the facilitation and learning processes used by my students and me when engaged with those music learning approaches and theory. The guiding questions for this study included: 1) How do I use and adapt principles from modern band (2023), Green (2008; 2014), and Gordon (2012; 2013) to prepare my facilitation of a popular music project for my fourth-grade and fifth-grade students? and 2) How do my fourth-grade and fifth-grade students engage …

Humor In Western European Instrumental Music: How Humor Works, Its Usage Over Time, And Accessible Teaching Strategies, Hunter K. Thompson

Senior Theses

This research’s purpose was to examine the perception of humor, both generally and musically, and to provide an overview of how humor has been incorporated into Western European instrumental music from the Medieval Age to the 20th century. In order to evaluate this, the researcher conducted a listening survey to gauge how well college music majors perceive humor in instrumental music. The survey consisted of eleven total listening excerpts approved by the Music History faculty at the University of South Carolina School of Music. Nine excerpts were coded humorous, and two excerpts were coded non-humorous for control. There was a …

Examining Sixth-Grade Students’ Music Agency Through Rhythm Composition, Robert Zagaroli Spearman

Theses and Dissertations

Music agency refers to ones ability to have control over their musical actions and musical ideas. With the intent of examining music agency, the purpose of this action research study was to observe and investigate my sixth-grade students’ rhythm composition processes. The guiding research questions, regarding their music composition processes, were: (a) What did students think about making choices, and (b) How do students describe making choices?

I utilized purposive sampling that comprised the 2021-2022 St. Peter’s Catholic Elementary School sixth-grade students. I led my students through music composition activities in the role of their teacher during nine 45-minute classes. …

Social Music Interactions And Vocal Music Improvisations In A Serve And Return Music Community, Kathleen Kaye Arrasmith

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examined how kindergarten students and a music teacher engaged in social music interactions and displayed music characteristics during harmonic improvisation activities. The purpose of this study was (a) to describe social music interactions between kindergarten students and a music teacher and (b) to categorize and to describe kindergarten students’ and a music teacher’s vocal music improvisations during harmonic improvisation activities. The guiding research questions were (a) RQ1: How did kindergarten students and a music teacher engage in social music interactions during harmonic improvisation activities?, (b) RQ2a: What music characteristics did kindergarten students and a music teacher …

One Elementary General Music Teacher’S Uses Of And Experiences With Gordon’S Music Learning Theory: A Case Study, Allison Elizabeth Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

With the intent of understanding one music teacher’s uses of and experiences with Gordon’s (2012, 2013) music learning theory, the purpose of this case study was to interview one GIML PDLC-experienced EGMT about her study, interpretation, and implementation of Gordon’s (2012, 2013) music learning theory in her teaching practice. The guiding research questions were (a) Why and how has one GIML PDLC-experienced EGMT studied, interpreted, and implemented music learning theory in her music teaching practice? (b) Why and how has on GIML PDLC-experienced EGMT questioned and/or deviated from music learning theory in her music teaching practice?

I purposefully interviewed one …

Co-Constructive Music Improvisers: An Ethnographic Case Study, Emma Elizabeth Young

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory ethnographic case study was to examine music improvisations co-constructed by my elementary students and me, their music teacher. Guiding research questions were (a) How do my elementary students and I co-construct music improvisations? (b) How do I describe our music improvisations? (c) How do my elementary students describe our music improvisations? (d) How do my elementary students describe their own music improvisations? (e) How do my elementary students describe their peers’ music improvisations?

I facilitated co-constructive music improvisation sessions with each music class at Coosa Elementary School for seven weeks during Fall 2020. Each student …

Aural Skills In Developing Musicians: Uncovering Disparities In Secondary Music Learning, Karly Fitch

Senior Theses

This study was conducted to evaluate the scope of aural skills development occurring in secondary music classrooms. The researcher hypothesized that several disparities would exist, namely regarding melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic dictation. Participants took a survey in which they were asked to recall from a prescribed list, aural skills learned while in high school. They were also asked to provide demographic information including high school attended, current college major, and the number of collegiate aural skills courses completed to date. A number of subjective questions were asked as well, such as desired skills prior to collegiate study, and how aural …

An Instrumental Approach To Sight Singing: The Use Of Mock-Fingerings, Catherine E. Howland

Senior Theses

This pilot study was designed to test whether mock-fingerings could be a beneficial strategy for sight singing. The researcher hypothesized that mock-fingerings would help students to be more accurate sight singers. Participants, wind instrument players at the college level, were asked to sight read two examples, one while “fingering along” and one with their hands still. Mean scores were compared among music majors and non-majors, and it was found that the mock-fingerings did not have a significant effect on the mean scores of participants. The mean scores were often comparable between the fingering condition and the control condition, suggesting that …

Cultivating Socially Just Concert Programming Perspectives Through Preservice Music Teachers' Band Experiences: A Multiple Case Study, Christian Matthew Noon

Theses and Dissertations

As the music education profession continues to adapt to the needs of an increasingly pluralistic society, scholars and practitioners have begun to concern themselves with issues of social justice (e.g., equity, diversity, inclusion, or access). For band directors, one way to address such topics is through the purposeful programming of music by underrepresented composers or music that otherwise conveys messages about societal issues. As such, undergraduate music education majors who participate in concert bands might encounter a variety of compositions. Further, given that those ensemble experiences may be a primary factor in preservice music teachers’ commitment to their degree programs—and …

Young Children’S Behaviors During Favorite-Music Repertoire And Other-Music Repertoire, Vanessa Caswell

Theses and Dissertations

To gain understanding regarding early childhood music repertoire selection, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine young children’s music behaviors demonstrated in response to their favorite-music repertoire and other-music repertoire performed in informal early childhood music classes. My guiding research questions were (a) what was the favorite-music repertoire of young children, and (b) what did parents, Alli (an early childhood music teacher), Kat (an early childhood music teacher), and I notice about behaviors young children demonstrated during performances of their favorite-music repertoire and other-music repertoire during our informal music classes?

I purposefully sampled three young children and …

The Effect Of Visual Performance On Music Performance Evaluation In High School Marching Band, Kathryn D. Brimhall

Senior Theses

At marching band contests, bands are usually judged on both their music performance (ensemble, individual, and general effect) and visual performance (ensemble, individual, and general effect). Phenomena such as the McGurk effect (McGurk & MacDonald, 1976) indicate that people often prioritize visual information over aural information; however, until now there have not been empirical investigations of how this phenomenon might affect high school marching band evaluation. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of visual performance on the music performance evaluation of high school marching bands. To study this effect, I recruited college students who were randomly …

Perceptions Of Music Play Activities Performed By A Mother And Her Children, Alexandra R. Cotran

Senior Theses

The purpose of this research was to examine the music play activities performed by a mother Dr. Smith, and her children, John (age 3) and Pam (age 6). The guiding research questions were (a) What types of music play activities did Dr. Smith and her children perform when they were not in music play classes?; (b) How did Dr. Smith describe those activities?; (c) What were Dr. Smith’s observations of her children’s music development and learning?; (d) How did Dr. Smith use and adapt music play activities learned in class for her children at home or elsewhere?; (e) How did …

Parents’ Observations Of Their Young Children’S Music Behaviors During Music Classes After Completing The Children’S Music Behavior Inventory, Julia Beck

Theses and Dissertations

With the intent of understanding perceptions of early childhood music development, the purpose of this research was to examine parents’ observations of their young children during music classes after completing the Children’s Music Behavior Inventory (Valerio & Reynolds, 2015). My guiding research question was: How do knowledge of CMBI and viewing informal music class video recordings influence parents’ perceptions and understanding of their three-year-old children’s music behaviors and development during a two-month period?

Participants included five parents of three-year-old children in the 3B classroom at Bright Horizons, a preschool located in Columbia, South Carolina. During the data collection process, I …

The Influence Of Mindful Movement On Elementary Students’ Music Listening Enjoyment And Comprehension, Jean Louise Boiteau

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of mindful movement on elementary students’ listening comprehension and enjoyment. Participants (N = 40) were third-grade music students who participated in an ABAB within-subjects research design. During baseline phases, participants listened to one of four musical selections. During treatment phases, participants completed a mindful movement activity while listening to the musical selections. After each baseline or treatment experience, participants rated how much they enjoyed the musical recording, answered a free-response question justifying why they chose that enjoyment rating, and completed a listening comprehension test. Although there was a slight increase …

Examining Professional Music Teacher Identity: A Mixed Methods Approach With Stringed Instrument Teachers, Elizabeth A. Reed

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of professional music teacher identity (PMTI) among stringed instrument teachers who are alumni of the University of South Carolina String Project (USCSP) preservice teacher education program. Using a fixed mixed method design, I first surveyed all USCSP alumni from the past 20 years using the PMTI Questionnaire. For the qualitative portion of the study, the researcher interviewed three USCSP alumnae in their post-second stage of teaching (year 11–20). All USCSP alumni identified, rated, and ranked their expertise in subject matter, didactical, and pedagogical aspects. USCSP post-second stage alumnae also identified …

The Music Achievement Program: Designing A Violin Lesson Curriculum, Laura Julieanne Bennett

Senior Theses

What is the biggest commitment you have ever made in your entire life? How about recalling the biggest commitment you made before you finished the first grade? Other than pledging to only eat candy for dinner for the rest of my life, at the age of six, I unknowingly committed to a challenging and unending pursuit: learning to play the violin. To be completely honest, I was not terribly interested in playing the instrument. However, my kindergarten-age sister was ecstatic to give it a go. So, my parents enrolled me in Suzuki lessons at my creative arts elementary school. Unlike …

Social Music Interaction Between Three-Year-Old Children And A Music Teacher, Erika Michelle Hubbell

Theses and Dissertations

With the intent of improving music acquisition understanding, the purpose of the study was to examine shared music interactions and shared music understandings in early childhood music classes. The guiding research questions were (a) How do three-year-old children and I, a music teacher, engage in shared music interactions and shared music understandings using a music curriculum based on Gordon’s (2013) music learning theory? (b) What teacher-initiated music activities result in observations of shared music interactions and shared music understandings? (c) What child-initiated music activities result in observations of shared music interactions and shared music understandings.

Participants included myself as a …

Teachers’ Observations Of 2-Year-Old Children’S Musical Vocalizations Elicited By Purposeful Silence Techniques, Kathryn Ward Reardon

Theses and Dissertations

With the intent of improving early childhood music development understanding, the purpose of this research was to examine young children’s music vocalizations. The guiding research question was: When a music teacher implemented purposeful silences while performing a song and a rhythm chant, what techniques encouraged vocalizations made by 2-year-old children as observed by music teachers and classroom teachers? I implemented a qualitative design utilizing participant observation techniques to investigate the research purpose and question of this study. Four teachers served as a panel of experts to provide observational data. I video recorded myself teaching music activities from Music Play (Valerio, …

Your Guide On Learning How To Play The Piano, Jankiben Patel

Senior Theses

I’ve had a strong desire to learn how to play a piano ever since my first music class in elementary school. I asked my parents if I could receive piano lessons. They saw how extremely excited I was and they agreed to seek out a piano instructor for me. Unfortunately, my parents soon realized that they simply could not afford the fees. I brought up the topic a few more times, but to no avail. In middle school, I joined the band to play the clarinet. Although my hopes of playing the piano were put on hold, I grasped this …