Music Pedagogy Commons^™

“Tell Your Papa”: Aesthetics Of Confrontation And Visual Witnessing In Nigerian Protest Music, Omotayo Jemiluyi

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This study analyzes the music video “Tell Your Papa” (2025), a politically charged protest song by Nigerian artiste Eedris Abdulkareem, as an exemplary case of aesthetics of confrontation, here conceptualized as a multimodal strategy in which direct address, anti-spectacle visual style, literalism, and discomfort converge to confront political power. Focusing on the song’s explicit critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his son Seyi Tinubu, and other prominent political figures, the analysis demonstrates how Abdulkareem renders indistinct the line between music and political discourse through a visual-sonic language that is accusatory, documentary-stylized, and unflinchingly courageous. While building on the lineage …

Learning How To Practice Takes Practice, Micah Killion, Robert Duke

John J. Cali School of Music Scholarship and Creative Works

Effective music learning depends on effective music practice. Although time spent with teachers is an important component of young musicians’ development, time spent alone practicing is perhaps even more consequential. Researchers and teachers have offered many prescriptions about effective music practice, yet observations of young musicians’ actual practice reveal that their behavior in the practice room is often quite unlike what teachers envision. The most important aspects of effective practice are the thinking, perceiving, and decision-making that serve to organize how musicians spend their time. We discuss how to help students focus their attention in ways that lead to the …

The Self-Curating Musician: An Innovative Concept And An Intensive Learning Experience By Systemic Design Thinking, Joris Blanckaert, Ellen Loots, Saskia Westerduin, Pawan V. Bhansing

Journal of Arts Entrepreneurship Education

Self-curation is an emerging notion in the artistic practice that we propose as an alternative to the questioned notion of entrepreneurship in the realm of classical music. Systemic Design Thinking (SDT) methods helped conceptualize self-curation and develop an intensive, week-long learning experience. Participants validated the self-curation concept and its five components: activating creativity, seeking uniqueness, developing a discourse, understanding the performance practice and engaging communities. Our study further highlights that rather than suffering from a tension between arts and commerce, young (performing) musicians experience a tension between the expectation of the outside world that they need to be exceptional as …

2025-2026 Master Class And Piano Recital - Hieyon Choi (Piano), Hie Yon Choi, Ana-Maria Uzunova, Ziling Wang

Master Classes

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Master Class - Nancy Goeres (Bassoon), Nancy Goeres, Jacob Lomboy, Aneliya Novikova, Derek Lund, Ethan Thompson, Keegan Neely

Master Classes

No abstract provided.

Parental Attitudes And Expectations Regarding Piano Study For Their Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Lin Zhong

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates parental attitudes and expectations regarding piano study for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although music has been recognized for its therapeutic and educational benefits among individuals with ASD, research examining these outcomes from the perspective of parents has been limited. This study focuses on in-depth interviews with nine parents of children with ASD enrolled in the Carolina LifeSong Initiative, a specialized piano program serving students with diverse developmental disorders.

The interviews explored parents’ motivations for initiating piano study, expectations for both musical and non-musical outcomes, and observations of their children’s growth and challenges through music. Parents reported …

2025-2026 Master Class - Ian Hobson (Piano), Ian Hobson, Laura Gonzales, Nia Morgan, Roey Dushi, Verse Tomac, Rebeca Sierra, Aidan Quintana, Nabil Hetman, Caroline Dratnal

Master Classes

No abstract provided.

“It’S Like Mental Marginalization”: Stories Of Four Music Students At A Hispanic Serving Institution., Sarah Minette

Visions of Research in Music Education

Researchers have explored the ways in which P-12 teachers and students negotiate Latino/a/x/e cultural and musical identities in the classrooms (Abril, 2009; Lechuga & Schmidt, 2018; Palkki, 2015). While some have connected culturally responsive teaching to the needs of the growing number of Latino/a/x and Hispanic students in P-12 settings (Abril & Kelly-McHale, 2015), currently, no studies within music education address the experiences of music students at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), as well as the music making practices, curriculum, and faculty experiences at HSI. This case study examined how a music department at an HSI served the needs of its …

Transformational Choral Spaces And Trans-Formational Experiences, Dillon E. Beede

Visions of Research in Music Education

Despite a significant increase in the trans and gender expansive (TGE) population in the US (Ghorayshi, 2022), pedagogies and policies have not changed at the same rate in cis-dominant choral spaces (Aguirre, 2018). Drawing from bio-ecological systems theory and trans-identity development frameworks, this qualitative research highlights the challenges and affirmations faced by TGE singers. This study also examines the pedagogical and policy-oriented frameworks within a trans and gender-expansive choral ensemble, aiming to share the unique perspectives of performers and examine how these frameworks influence identity development. This study further contributes to the growing body of literature advocating for equity and …

Music Making To Transgress: A Phenomenology Of Transgressive American Music Educators, Anders P. Lewis

Visions of Research in Music Education

This phenomenological case study examined four self-described transgressive music teachers in the United States. Transgressive teachers may be described as those who challenge oppressive structures, both in educational settings and in the broader social context, to support marginalized students. Findings suggest that teacher identity creation and analytic frameworks of oppressive structures shape the elements of their transgressive pedagogies. These findings also suggest varied paths of becoming for transgressive teachers. The researcher concludes with suggestions for further research and implications for current teachers.

Autonomous Instrumental Music Learning On An Online Platform: How Is Study Motivation Related To Engagement And Study Outcomes?, Kai Tuuri, Jukka Vahlo, Oskari Koskela

Visions of Research in Music Education

Musical instruments have been recognized as attractive targets of volitionally developed long-term engagement. However, in music education research, the significance of autonomy in fostering learning motivation has mainly been perceived through the prism of student-teacher interaction. Addressing this gap, this study shifts the focus towards an autonomous learner perspective embracing the learner’s volitional approach and interest in engaging with musical instrument learning. Through an analysis of a survey sample (N=215) involving participants’ experiences with an online music learning platform, the study explores participants’ study motives and their association with study engagement, alongside the subsequent learning and wellbeing outcomes. An exploratory …

Conducting Inclusion: A Udl-Inspired Approach To Choral Education, Maria Varvarigou

Visions of Research in Music Education

In this paper I explore the possibilities of a Universal Design for Learning (UDL)-inspired curriculum developed over four years of teaching a module on choral conducting education in three formats: online, as blended, and in-person. The learners were primary school generalist student-teachers. They had diverse backgrounds, experiences, and levels of confidence in choral singing and conducting. Examining UDL through the theoretical lens of inclusive pedagogy offered a theoretical foundation to discuss my approach to creating inclusive choral conducting environments that promote learning and participation. At the same time, implementing inclusive pedagogy through UDL brought to the surface institutional challenges and …

Editorial: A Vision For Research In Music Education? New Answers To A Perpetual Question, Cara Bernard

Visions of Research in Music Education

No abstract provided.

The Spaces Between: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Classical Music Performance Practice, Fifi Zhang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In his theory of duration, the philosopher Henri Bergson (1859-1941) asserts that the present moment is “both a perception of the immediate past and a determination of the immediate future…a joint system of sensations and movements.” In an ideal musical performance, this sensori-motor apparatus guides every one of the performer’s decisions on stage, resulting in an aural experience that is spontaneous, visceral, and deeply personal. In practice, much of today’s classical music performance culture, which relies heavily on visual notation and prioritizes fidelity to the composer’s intent, is antithetical to fundamental artistic values such as creativity, individual self-expression, and direct …

Tradition, Individuality, And Innovation In Western Classical Music Performance: A Quantitative Analysis Of Bach’S Fourth Cello Suite Prelude, Clare Monfredo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Why do we seek out new performances of a commonly performed piece of music? An essential tradition of Western classical music (WCM) is the performance of canonical works by composers, an activity that requires the interpretation and execution of written scores by individual performers. In this practice, performers are not only expected to determine the composer’s “intentions,” but also somehow (paradoxically) share these in a “unique” performance interpretation. In musical education, performers are trained by teachers to create these “unique” interpretations by learning how to intuit composers’ intentions in a system that passes down interpretative traditions through master-apprentice one-on-one lessons. …

It's Deeper Than Rap. Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Black Faculty With Hip-Hop Epistemologies Through Counterstory, Austin Ashe

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation study explores the experiences of Black professors who carry Hip-Hop epistemologies and utilize Hip-Hop as a method to navigate the social and structural systems within their predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Grounded in Critical Race Theory, the study utilizes narrative inquiry and counterstorytelling. The analysis involved the development of a composite counterstory featuring the fictional protagonist, Hampton Franklin. The findings highlight common experiences among participants. Findings suggest that Black faculty are insiders whose positions grant them access and influence. Second, they are outsiders that navigate hypervisibility, invisibility, and racial battle fatigue. Third, each participant was a “pedagogue of the …

Integrating World Percussion Into Graduate Jazz Training: A Practitioner Reflection, Eugene Seow

Publications and Research

This reflection explores the pedagogical and artistic impact of a non-traditional instructional choice made during the author’s final semester of graduate study at Queens College (CUNY). Initially enrolled in the Jazz Studies: Performance Track (Drum Set), the author elected to substitute formal principal study lessons with a personalised programme of world percussion study under Professor Michael Lipsey. This decision, initially motivated by artistic restlessness, led to foundational experiences in frame drumming, South Indian rhythmic structures, gamelan ensemble, and classical snare etude work. The outcomes of this shift have since permeated the author’s teaching, performance, and curriculum development practice, including the …

Teaching Students Who Have Been Identified With Autism In The Private Piano Teaching Studio: An Application Of General Music Resources And Interviews With Specialists In The Field, Joy Parker

Dissertations

This dissertation is a practical resource for private piano teachers seeking to gain a better understanding of teaching students with autism. Resources used in general music instruction of students with autism were consulted, and relevant information was adapted for the private piano setting. Additionally, resources that are tailored to private piano teaching of students with an identified disability were consulted.

Interviews with three individuals who have experience working with individuals with autism were conducted, and methods and strategies that they found to be most successful were ascertained. One of the interviewees was Dr. Derek Polischuk, Professor of Piano and Director …

An Application Of Vocal Pedagogy For Thai Singers, Phitchaya Klimov

Dissertations

Vocal pedagogy incorporates diverse techniques and methodologies that aim to maintain longevity of the voice and to improve vocal performance, range, and tone. While vocal pedagogy has been extensively studied in Western music traditions, its application in the context of Thai singers remains unfamiliar. This dissertation will investigate the application of vocal pedagogy for Thai singers, with a focus on understanding the unique challenges faced by them. It will outline pedagogical approaches to address these challenges and will therefore lead to more authentic performances. “Complete mastery of the voice as an instrument is an idea toward which every singer must …

Modifying Italian Consonants In The Voice Studio: An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Elisa Ramon

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

The body of lyric diction literature, particularly on Italian, has grown substantially in the second half of the twentieth century. Lyric diction courses are now a required part of many voice programs across the United States. The widespread use of International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions and transcription rules has significantly contributed to the field. However, relatively few sources focus on the pedagogical strategies needed to teach and modify Italian consonants effectively.

This two-phase exploratory sequential mixed methods study identifies the features of Italian consonants that differentiate the lyric diction of novice singers from that of native speakers. It also proposes …