Music Education Commons^™

The Concert Pianist Myth: Diversifying Undergraduate Piano Education In Australia, Helen Mather

Theses : Honours

As classically-trained pianists we are in the unique position among musicians of having many employment opportunities in performance areas. In an industry where so many talented musicians are struggling to find work, pianists are regularly being offered performing work. With opportunities to pursue careers in solo performance, chamber music, accompaniment, conducting, opera or ballet repetiteur work, and in many more related disciplines, pianists are arguably the musicians with the most opportunities to create a career involving performance. However, are pianists in tertiary institutions developing the skills that would enable them to work in the music industry? Upon entering a university …

Effect Of Self-Evaluation On Jazz Improvisation Achievement, Ollie Eugene Liddell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Using Mathematical Research Methods To Solve A Problem In Music Theory Instruction, Specifically, The Teaching Of Secondary Dominant Chords, Angela Ulrich

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The mathematical method for research is used to find a solution to a problem in music theory: understanding and identifying secondary dominant chords. By reviewing and assessing the teaching methods of university professors and theory textbooks, and comparing those findings with student reviews, a new method for teaching the concept is developed. The proposed system incorporates aural, visual, and kinetic exercises to serve every learner. The literature review and sample unit plan are followed by a possible procedure for testing the effectiveness of the new method.

The Art And Science Of Becoming A Successful Studio Teacher, Teresa A. Bellamy

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For most professional musicians, it is important to possess the skills necessary to be a studio teacher. While it is crucial to be confident in the actual pedagogical technique required of an instrumental teacher, it is imperative that music teachers also have a thorough knowledge of proper business and marketing tools. In this project, a close examination of the methods used to acquire and use such skills has been made. The research for this project was done in the form of interviews. Four professional music teachers were interviewed on the above topics.

Challenges In Beginning Trombone Pedagogy, Robert Sobnosky

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The development of strong fundamental skills is essential for success on any instrument. Beginning wind players must be carefully monitored so they can develop the good playing habits and basic skills that form the foundations of strong musicianship. Each instrument presents its own unique challenges. The trombone could be considered the most unique of the beginning band instruments due to size, slide, and technique. These challenges can lead to a number of problems that music educators must be able to recognize and correct. For this project, six music educators with experience teaching beginning trombone students were interviewed about common problems …

Teaching Music History With Your Mouth Shut, Anne Stone

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Transferring Writing Skills To A 3rd Grade Music Classroom, Megan A. Wilson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this action research study was to examine the use of writing skills in a third grade general music classroom. Students wrote narratives based on music they heard, used an interactive notebook to reflect on musical experiences, conducted a short composer research project and wrote a biography about the composer. The study was designed to investigate the following research question: Will the use of writing in the music classroom help the students apply writing skills from their general education classes while learning music content? The duration of the study was for an entire semester and the students attended …

To Make A Better Music School, Alissandra Henkle

Honors Program Theses

This paper seeks to examine the elements that make an effective and high quality School of Music that prepares students for success beyond graduation. Through interviews with University of Northern Iowa (UNI) School of Music faculty, a deeper understanding of the skills and knowledge currently emphasized in the music core at UNI was gained. A survey of UNI School of Music alumni provided an understanding of how well the current mix of skills and knowledge align with those that are necessary in the work force. Through this research, an understanding of the skills and knowledge required to work in the …

Observations Of Music And Literacy In Early Childhood Education, Ann Strom

Honors Program Theses

Students spend as many as nineteen years in a classroom by the time they are twenty-two. They have countless teachers who all teach in a different style and say that it is the best way for their students to learn. Students have experienced classrooms where they are given a lecture for an hour and then expected to know and understand the content when the test comes. They have also experienced classrooms where they are up and moving, creating models, doing research, or conducting experiments, throughout the class to come to an understanding to share with their peers on the topic …

Transgender And Black, Looking For An Audience, Brian C. Josephs

Capstones

Commodore Barry Park is an unappealing mid- sized space on most days. It sits next to Farragut Projects, tucked a few blocks away from Fort Greene Park andits neighboring brownstones. But today is Aug. 22, Day 1 of the Afropunk Music Festival. It’s 5 p.m — the hundreds of attendees gathered under the hot sun press against the barricade separating them from the empty main stage. No one wants to miss a moment of Ms. Lauryn Hill, who’s scheduled as the next performer. But Ms. Lauryn Hill isn’t the performer who gets on stage next. Transgender activist Cherno Biko leads …

Diva Diversity: National Vocal Schools And Qualities, Emma Plotnik

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Hearing the term “opera singer” for many triggers an image of a German dramatic soprano bearing viking horns and powerfully bursting into a high C. Yet, what is it that perpetuates this stereotype that German singers possess weighty instruments with dark timbres? Why are classically trained North American vocal students told by their teachers to sing lightly and delicately when performing French mélodie, and not any other genre?

Research in vocal pedagogy has demonstrated that singers from particular regions have been typified by their vocal qualities in terms of size and color. These qualities by nation mainly stem from contrasting …

From A Chat In The Parlor To Viral Music Videos: An Analysis Of Music As A Social Occasion, Emma Plotnik

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Imagine an intimate room filled with people playing cards and casually chatting, while one of Chopin’s piano sonatas plays elegantly in the background. This scenario is characteristic of the atmosphere surrounding Classical and Romantic European salons. Salons served as havens of musical discourse from the Baroque era to the early twentieth century. However, with the advancement of technology from the mid-twentieth century to the present, there has been a decline, or, arguably, even a cessation of salon life.

The aim of this project was to recreate the salon environment through the generation of the online discussion forum, "Music Soirée." To …

Prodigies On Youtube: Finding The Genuine Artist In Youth, Priscilla Peraza

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

There seem to be more child prodigies today than ever before. This growth can be attributed to the way society contributes to and facilitates young talent. For instance, shows such as “America’s Got Talent”, “American Idol”, and “The X Factor” cultivate the younger generation to desire fame. Though these children are exceptionally talented, they are also discovered and forgotten at such a rapid pace as well, no doubt due to the amount of social medial accessible in the 21st century. YouTube has become a part of the easily accessible social media trend and is often used as a common source …

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

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

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 …

Music Theatre Directing For The Vocal Performance Student: A Practical Application Of Knowledge And Skills, Samuel Martin Snyder

Honors College

As an application of skills acquired in the course of a four-year Bachelor of Music program, this thesis constitutes the physical documentation of the creative process for Jeanine Tesori’s Violet, the musical production selected for this project. Encompassing in a linear format license contracts, casting, creative development, rehearsal planning and conducting, administrative duties, musical analysis, and artistic instruction, the contents of this document represent in part the steps and components required to realize a full musical production – each one accomplished by the student director. In addition to the physical elements, a full recording of the final performance is available, …

The Production Of Sticky Notes And Bible Quotes: Godly Answers For Sticky Situations A Children’S Musical As Directed By Julie Brinkman, Julie Elizabeth Brinkman

Honors College

This thesis reflects upon a director’s experience while directing her first production: Sticky Notes and Bible Quotes: Godly Answers for Sticky Situations by Dennis and Nan Allen. This children’s musical was produced in cooperation with Wylie United Methodist Church of Abilene, TX. Over forty children, with the help of ten adult volunteers, shared the importance of memorizing scripture and looking to God’s Word in times of trouble through song, skits, and the recitation of scripture. While reflecting upon the production process after each rehearsal, the director makes connections between her experiences as director, the content of her music education undergraduate …

New Mexico Musician Vol 63 No 2 (Winter 2015)

New Mexico Musician

No abstract provided.

The Elements Of A Perfected Song Cycle: A Lecture Recital On Schumann’S Frauenliebe Und Leben, Kristen M. Christopherson

Senior Honors Theses

A lecture recital is a quintessential representation of the music student’s knowledge and skill in a synthesis of performance and instruction. This thesis will encompass the extensive research and preparation necessary to perform a lecture recital about Robert Schumann’s song cycle Frauenliebe und Leben (A Woman’s Love and Life). This marvelous work is an excellent example of Schumann’s enhancement of the song cycle genre. A standard work in soprano repertoire, Frauenliebe und Leben provides the opportunity for extensive musicality through vocal coloring, legato lines, ornamented turns, various phrasal structures, and clear dramatic direction. In addition to its rich history and …

About This Issue, Michael E. Ruhling

HAYDN: Online Journal of the Haydn Society of North America

No abstract provided.

Dissecting Dialogue: The Value Of Music Education In Esl/Ell Programs, Kyle R. Furlong

Student Publications

Among educators and philosophers alike, critical dialogue is widely regarded as one of the most effective ways to communicate and educate in the classroom. In his quintessential work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire reflects upon the importance of dialogue stating, “Only dialogue, which requires critical thinking, is also capable of generating critical thinking. Without dialogue, there is no communication, and without communication there can be no true education.” This point is reinforced in other notable texts such as Teaching as a Subversive Activity, which describes the “new education” as not only student and question centered, but “language-centered” as well. …