Music Education Commons^™

The Benefits Of Singing And Audiation For Beginning Musicians, Elissa Harris

Graduate Research Showcase

This literature review explores the impact of audiation and singing on the aural sensitivity of novice musicians, shedding light on the fundamental role of these processes in music education. Audiation, the cognitive ability to internally hear and understand music, and singing, as an active manifestation of audiation, are integral components of musical development. However, their precise influence on the development of aural sensitivity in beginners remains understudied.

Through a comprehensive review of existing literature and empirical investigation, this review seeks to uncover the relationship between audiation, singing, and the enhancement of aural skills among novice musicians. Furthermore, the literature review …

Terry Riley's "In C" For Mobile Ensemble, David B. Wetzel, Griffin Moe, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This workshop presents a mobile-friendly Web Audio application for a “technology ensemble play-along” of Terry Riley’s 1964 composition In C. Attendees will join in a reading of In C using available web-enabled devices as musical instruments. We hope to demonstrate an accessible music-technology experience that relies on face-to-face interaction within a shared space. In this all-electronic implementation, no special musical or technical expertise is required.

Accepted for presentation and publication at WAC 2024.

An Examination Of The Strategies And Limitations For Engaging Parents In Urban Music Programs, Cory Spencer Robinson

Graduate Research Showcase

Urban music educators face unique challenges not encountered by their suburban and rural counterparts. A challenge that many urban music educators face is that of consistent and meaningful parent engagement. Urban music educators face issues engaging parents such as a lack of communication, cultural barriers and a lack of action that is ultimately out of the educator’s control. This can lead to low retention of students in the urban music program, difficulties managing negative student behavior, and overall poor program outcomes. Some possible solutions that may assist the urban music educator in engaging parents are engaging the community of the …

Choral Repertoire: Promising New Directions For Music Theory Teaching, Meghan Hatfield

Music Student Research

Choirs are an integral part of music departments and schools, particularly at institutions with large choral education programs. In its standards for music education, the 2022 NASM handbook states that “Teachers should be prepared to relate their understanding of music… both in general and as related to their area(s) of specialization.” Yet despite the large number of students participating and/or specializing in choir, choral music is nearly absent from music theory textbooks. Perhaps as a result, research has shown that high school choir directors struggle with harmonic score study (Rowher et al. 2014) and, anecdotally, choir students and teachers are …

"Being Able To Play For A Wider Audience": Student Musician Perspectives On Performing In The Library, Gisele Schierhorst, Christine Fena

Library Faculty Publications

In the United States, the library-as-concert-space has a substantial history and has been a way for libraries of all types to build partnerships and create community, while providing free, educational, and shared experiences for patrons. Less discussed, however, is the impact that informal concerts have on student musicians who perform in academic library spaces. Conventionally, student musicians perform well-rehearsed repertoire in recital halls for an audience that consists of their peers, teachers, family, and friends. These formal performances are often part of the required academic curriculum for music majors. There is little opportunity, however, for them to experience what it …

Approaching Fifth To Sixth Grade Flute Pedagogy Considering Vark Learning Styles Model, Julie Vanderlugt

Senior Honors Theses

The benefits of learning an instrument for childhood development intersecting with the positive growth trend in homeschooled families generates increased demand in value for supporting resources. Creating resources that would include learning styles defined by the VARK model (Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, Kinesthetic) designed to engage students during their particular developmental stage enhances at-home music education. The compiled research surrounding VARK learning styles and flute specific pedagogy would provide a foundation for specialized flute exercises and activities for fifth to sixth grade students learning to play the flute in a homeschooled or private lesson setting. The structure of the thesis is …

Graham Scarborough In A Senior Music Education Recital, Graham Scarborough

Student Concert Performances, Programs, and Posters

This is the program for the senior music education recital of saxophonist Graham Scarborough. Pianist Kristen La Madrid accompanied the performance. This recital took place on December 2, 2022, in the McBeth Recital Hall in the Mabee Fine Arts Center.

The Kodály Method: Valid Or Missing The Mark For Developing A Musicking Musician?, Maggie Johnston

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

In the ever-evolving world of music education, a handful of “methods” have been identified as favorites, mainly Orff, Suzuki, Dalcroze, and Kodály. These are used in whole or in part in classroom and private music instruction, based on an expected understanding that they produce results. However, these methods are often used without regard for the quality of their delivery, and are relied upon without consideration for the context in which they are delivered. Many music educators are speaking up and analyzing their own teaching, conducting studies, and bettering their understanding of the principles behind these methods. It is from this …

Effect Of Vertical Alignment On Elementary, Middle, And High School Music Programs, Tamekia Denise Holliday

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effects of vertical alignment on elementary, middle, and high school music programs. Thirty-five (n = 35) elementary, middle, and secondary music educators participated in the study. Of the 35 participants, 41% (n = 15) were high school music educators, 25% (n = 9) were middle school music educators, 27% (n = 10) were middle and high school music, and 2% (n = 1) taught elementary, middle, and high school. Analysis of survey data revealed significant relationships related to vertical alignment. The most significant relationship was between vertical alignment and retention (r = .643, p < .01), suggesting that student retention increases as vertical alignment increases. As well, results indicated that as vertical alignment decreases, the number of students “who wish to continue in music classes but cannot” increase (r = -.530, p < .01). Analysis of open-ended survey questions revealed valuable themes related to consistent band participation, music teacher expectations, and the effect of vertical alignment on music programs. Applying the results of this study may improve understanding of the effects of vertical alignment and enhance effective teaching and learning in music.

Do The National Core Arts Standards (Ncas) Make A Difference In Music Education?, Jordan Mikaela Dues

Masters Theses

Fine arts advocates have pushed for arts to remain a foundation of education for decades Arguments have been made and published that participating in music courses increased scores in other subjects. A change occurred in the realm of music education when assessment-based learning and standardized curricula were introduced. The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) was assembled to revise standards for the arts and create a way to assess them. The NCCAS presented the National Core Arts Standards (NCAS) in 2014 which led to its adoption in most states. There are many schools, however, that do not adhere to …

The Great Generalization: Organizational Adaptation Strategies As Entrepreneurship In Higher Music Education, Jacob Bruce Hertzog

Music Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study sought to measure how higher music education has evolved in response to the music industry’s digital revolution. I utilized a framework of organizational adaptation theory to synthesize five distinct organizational adaptation strategies: decentralization, generalization, specialization, formalization, and inaction. Music leaders were surveyed (n = 100) to assess adaptations across ten common domains in higher education. Higher music education was found to have undergone a great generalization through the expansion of activities in nearly every domain. Consistent with elements of organizational adaptation theory, and like individual musicians, higher music education has been entrepreneurial in response to the digital revolution.

Jonathan Sandy In A Senior Percussion Recital, Jonathan Sandy

Student Concert Performances, Programs, and Posters

This is the program for the senior percussion recital of Jonathan Sandy held on April 22, 2022, in the McBeth Recital Hall in the Mabee Fine Arts Center.

Using Song To Teach Sight Words, Taylor Hagood Guin

Graduate Research Showcase

This research is about how a group of seven kindergarten classes used a short and straightforward song to recognize the following six common kindergarten sight words: on, off, up, us, no, & go. As a current music educator and former middle grades English teacher, I wanted to create an opportunity to establish cross-curricular connections in my music classroom. For this specific experiment, seven different classes, including General Education, Self-Contained Special Education, and English Language Learning classes, were selected. They were taught these six sight word songs through the “Sight Word Song.” I selected the sight words specifically because the students …

Recruitment And Retention In The Choral Classroom, Brianna Riley

Graduate Research Showcase

One of the distinguishing elements of a successful, flourishing music program is the number of students enrolled in a performing ensemble. This literature review examines sources that provide answers to a simple question: How can teachers use strategies to improve recruitment and retention in a music program? Music teachers have always worked to improve enrollment and retention of students in their classes, but as we move forward in a world affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional ways of recruiting may not always be successful. Considerations of current trends include lack of foundational relationships between programs and adherence to traditional, unsuccessful …

Shaping The Mind Through Music- A Family Challenge Of The 21st Century, Elisa H. Meyer

Honors Projects

This research provides reasoning for the importance of music education in America's schools. Music education is an integral ingredient in the cognitive development of the child- benefiting long term functions such as speech and language skills, memory, creativity, critical thinking, and general intelligence. Music allows a child to develop into their whole selves, encouraging the growth of their fullest potential. Various educational philosophies, such as the Rudolf Steiner philosophy and the Suzuki method describe the significance of this and outline substancial ways in which this integration is made possible. These philosophies are defined and discussed within this paper. Finally, insight …

Music, Our Human Superpower, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

Research about music pervades every discipline because music touches every area of life. Studies revealing the salutary effects of music can be found not only in music educator research, but in research in psychology, speech and hearing, child development, neuroscience, and increasingly, health and wellness, aging, rehabilitation and recovery. Since my focus is especially in the areas of language and literacy, I research the positive effects of music on reading, writing, and learning languages - and of this, there is no shortage. In this brief Academia article, I share what I’d like to call an “homage-with-references” to our great Superpower, …

Annotated Bibliography, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

An Annotated Bibliography discussing how the music education forum could further diversify.

Team/Co Teaching In The Instrumental Classroom: A Differentiated And Holistic Approach To Instruction, Robert Groves

Graduate Research Showcase

Team/Co-Teaching in the Instrumental Classroom:

A Differentiated and Holistic Approach to Instruction

Robert W. Groves

Department of Music Education, Georgia College and State University

MUED 6800: Research in Music Education

Dr. Tina Holmes-Davis

November 15, 2020

Abstract

The literature used in this review serves as a source for the identification and defining of music program quality/success, impacting factors that positively and negatively affect music programs, and the use of effective advocacy through connections made between music and other subject areas, as well as how the implementation of a Team/Co-Teaching instructional model positively affects the overall quality of instruction and student …

Is Parental Support Necessary For Children’S Piano Learning And What Implications Can Piano Teachers Take Away From This Finding?, University Of Denver

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Music Can Foster Communication Skills In Middle School Students, Haloye Camille Payabyab Johnson

Honors College

Music is important to the development of well-being, and it is part of the reason I am who I am today. In my thesis, I will be discussing how music shaped me, and why I think it is important in the lives of our youth. I will specifically be focusing on how music serves as a form of communication, particularly in the lives of middle school students. I will be discussing how music can be a comfort to students as they transition to adulthood. I will give examples from my childhood development and from data collected through interviews with two …

Ch. 04 - The Pursuit Of Happiness: Music Access In 21st Century America, Carla E. Aguilar

The Road Goes Ever On: Estelle Jorgensen's Legacy in Music Education

This chapter describes policy mechanisms that can be revised to support “music making by all.” Aguilar starts with the normative claim that engagement in music education in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions should encompass opportunities for a range of music-making experiences, especially those experiences that may be ignored or marginalized because of the traditional structure of post-secondary institutions. Broadening choices for musical engagement may provide greater relevance, as well as increased access and participation in learning music by all and for all.

Ch. 06 - Pilgrim And Quest Revisited, Iris Yob

The Road Goes Ever On: Estelle Jorgensen's Legacy in Music Education

In Pictures of Music Education, Estelle Jorgensen extends her analysis of the pilgrimage metaphor and its associated model of quest in music education. The purpose of the present chapter is not to refute or critique Jorgensen’s work with this metaphor but to build on it by exploring even further the possible meanings captured by the metaphor for music educators. While the notion of pilgrimage carries religious overtones from its long association with faith practices, in a secularized world our present understandings continue to be shaped by remnants of meaning from past mythologies. To that end, various notions associated with …

Ch. 09 - The Music Educator As Cultural Worker, David Lines

The Road Goes Ever On: Estelle Jorgensen's Legacy in Music Education

Estelle Jorgensen’s Pictures of Music Education provides an exploration of music education through figural and literal thinking stimulated by a selection of metaphors and models. This chapter takes inspiration from Jorgensen’s approach to music education and explores how the changing idea of culture resonates with thinking about music education. It is suggested that music education and culture can be thought of together through a more politically aware stance or image of thought that music teachers can adopt: the music educator as cultural worker. By adopting this stance, the music educator enacts music and culture together, is critically informed by the …

Ch. 11 - Becoming A Story: Searching For Music Educations, Patrick Schmidt

The Road Goes Ever On: Estelle Jorgensen's Legacy in Music Education

This short philosophical chapter borrows and diverges from Estelle Jorgensen’s In Search of Music Education. It aims to address the pertinent and defiant questions asked over two decades ago, while re-position them in light of current challenges. Following Jorgensen’s style—carefully and tactically—this chapter draws a line of flight between philosophical and policy-oriented ways of thinking, underlining some ways in which the two meet and how pertinent these encounters can be to music educators today. The chapter makes use and highlights the potential of craftly constructed epistemological familiarity and how it can engender practice. Specifically, it reminds and exemplifies to the …

Ch. 16 - Re-Discovering/Facilitating Intimacy In Borderscapes Of Higher Music Education, Eleni Lapidaki

The Road Goes Ever On: Estelle Jorgensen's Legacy in Music Education

The chapter explores intimacy as a critical site of power and resistance. More specifically, intimacy is considered as an arena in which social and political identities are negotiated, while inclusions and exclusions are continually established or disputed. I will argue for the adoption of a politics of intimacy that aims towards a more nuanced and less reductionist higher music education that can help us articulate the complexity of spaces of proximity as greatly as we live it. Such a reflection offers us opportunity to adopt a variable filter that sheds light on certain characteristics of borders, freedom, and the ways …

Ch. 17 - Traditions And The End Of Music Education, William Perrine

The Road Goes Ever On: Estelle Jorgensen's Legacy in Music Education

This chapter considers the question of how music educators determine the musical ends towards which their teaching is directed. Musical traditions, both “great” and “little,” as Estelle Jorgensen describes them, are inseparable from the philosophical traditions through which music educators determine consider their pedagogical ends. This chapter presents a three-part framework to describe how music educators might approach understanding their work as a socially embodied enactment of contrasting traditions. The term tradition is first defined as a means of categorizing philosophical schools of thought from which various musical practices can be understood. The liberal philosophical tradition that grew out of …

Ch. 21 - When I Grow Up, Or Just Another Love Song, Cathy Benedict

The Road Goes Ever On: Estelle Jorgensen's Legacy in Music Education

One’s journey is never made alone. Relationships with the other begins with the desire to live mutually and responsively. Jorgensen’s lives work has been to both broker and live these relationships with others; modeling scholarly and intellectual companionship that will reach beyond time now as it has been experienced. In this essay I frame Jorgensen’s influence through the lens of Martin Buber, the caring relationship and the creation of spaces that embrace plurality.

The Road Goes Ever On: Estelle Jorgensen's Legacy In Music Education

The Road Goes Ever On: Estelle Jorgensen's Legacy in Music Education

A collection of essays celebrating Estelle Jorgensen's legacy in music education, edited by:Randall Everett Allsup & Cathy Benedict

The Use Of Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures In Music Education To Promote Rhythm Skills And Knowledge, Emily Labes

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine if Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures produced greater achievement in music education than those who did not have the opportunity to engage in Kagan structures. The participants included 114 fourth grade students attending a public school in southern Minnesota. The scores of pre and post-tests determined student growth and achievement for both the control and treatment groups. The specific music skill assessed was rhythm. Results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference on rhythm when assessed by a paper and pencil exam when Kagan Structures were used. Analysis of a performance …

For The Culture: The Importance Of A Critical Social Theory Within The Music Education Classroom, Brianna Thomas

Senior Honors Theses

This paper will analyze the history of music education in the United States and discuss how the music classroom can contribute to and dismantle social inequalities including social class, gender, and race. Class effects music education by creating barriers to necessary resources and opportunities as a result of economic positions.[1] Gender is the second focus because music has historically been a male-dominated profession. As a result, many textbooks and curriculum highlight the achievements of men while erasing the contributions of women which has taught women to devalue their own work.[2] The last focus is race. While the arts …