The "Heart And Soul" Of Music Education: Towards Sonic Egalitarianism In Classroom Practice, Doug S. Friesen, Laura J. Menard

Visions of Research in Music Education

As public high school teachers, we have independently come to the realization that we are both searching for ways that our music rooms can be spaces where everyone has a chance to sound (speak, sing, play an instrument), and students and teachers have the opportunity to hear others in the room. At the center of this realization stands the classroom piano: it could be an instrument of communal sonic enjoyment but, in our experiences, tends to be dominated by a few. What we are here calling sonic egalitarianism is about creating conditions whereby students have equal opportunities to sound out, …

A Content Analysis Of Graduate Degrees In Music Education In Nasm Accredited Institutions, Karen Koner

Visions of Research in Music Education

The purpose of this study was to examine graduate degree programs in music education in NASM accredited institutions with the specific areas of degree and institution information, admissions, and curricula. For this content analysis, I collected data through the websites of NASM accredited institutions that offered graduate degrees in music education, including master’s degrees (N = 203) and doctoral degrees (n = 53). The institution and degree information for these graduate degree programs included types of degrees offered, format of degrees (e.g., summers only, distance learning), location where the programs were located, and Carnegie Classifications (American Council on Education, 2023). …

Fostering Music Teacher Identity Development Through Mentoring Dialogues, Angela M. Munroe

Visions of Research in Music Education

In a prior investigation I focused on the cooperating teacher’s perspective during mentoring dialogues, reflecting on their role as a mentor (Munroe, 2021). Other researchers have focused on what the student teacher learns from the conversation, but not specifically on teacher identity development (Fernandez & Erbilgin, 2009; Tsui et al., 2001). In this study I recorded mentoring dialogues between three pairs of student teachers and cooperating teachers. Using stimulated recall interviews (Ericsson & Simon, 1999), I asked the student teachers to reflect on their perceptions of the cooperating teacher’s mentoring role and their teacher identity. I determined cooperating teachers’ mentoring …

Editorial Volume 46: New Beginnings...Yet Again, Joseph Abramo

Visions of Research in Music Education

No abstract provided.

Selected Commissioned Works For Solo Piano By National Artists For Music In The Philippines' National Competitions For Young Artists (Namcya) In The Philippines, Almond See Ponge

Theses and Dissertations

This document examines the importance of the role of the National Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) in the Philippines and its commissioned competition pieces for solo piano by Philippine National Artists for Music. It underscores the significance of NAMCYA’s contribution to nurturing young talents and enriching Philippine piano literature that helps strengthen its national identity. An analysis of selected commissioned works by Col. Antonino Buenaventura, Lucrecia Kasilag, and Ramon Santos, shows the integration of Western and Filipino musical idioms with neo-classical, neo-romantic, and contemporary composition techniques. Performance notes are also provided to assist future pedagogues and performers of these works.

Kodály Learning: A Qualitative Case Study Based On The Use Of A Blended Curriculum Using The Principles Of Zoltán Kodály In Beginning Piano Study, Megan Elizabeth Rich

Theses and Dissertations

This paper and its corresponding study were created to explore the effectiveness of the Kodály Method on traditional piano lessons and to hone a curriculum with long-term student musicianship at its core. The curriculum was written for a six-week period and intended for students ages six–eight years old. The curriculum follows the melodic and rhythmic sequences of the Kodály Method and blends these sequences with traditional approaches to beginning piano lessons. The purpose of the study is to share and evaluate this curriculum and its results as they pertain to the four study participants.

The study was conducted over a …

The Pedagogical Impact Of Injury Through The Experiences Of Three Professional Trombonists, Caleb Owenby

Dissertations

As the stigma surrounding performance-related injuries in the brass community is slowly lifting, more musicians are openly seeking assistance for injuries, more musicians are willing to share their experiences with injury, and the musical community is becoming more knowledgeable in the realm of musician health. This research is aimed at preventing future dysfunctions in brass players, offering avenues of recovery for musicians currently experiencing an injury, and examining the current state of trombone pedagogy through the experiences of three performing trombonists.

Megumi Kanda, Colin Williams, and David Vining are professional trombonists and educators who have experienced an embouchure dysfunction or …

Community Outreach: A Piano Concert Designed For Children, Hsin Shih Liu

Dissertations

Evidence exists that music community outreach has been practiced for at least around a century in Western countries. However, in Taiwan, the idea of music community outreach is relatively new and not as commonly seen as in the United States. This research provides mention of community outreach organizations and individuals in Taiwan and the United States. Additionally, it is aimed to assist in designing more successful programs in the future. Included in this dissertation are a methodology of designing an effective concert program for children and the concert feedback form provided to the participants. This project featured three piano concerts …

Expanding "Standards" Through Embracing Diversity: The Clarinet Quintets Of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Joyce Solomon Moorman, And James Lee Iii, Lauren Miller

Dissertations

Diversity in music education has been a long-standing discussion amongst educators. This document advocates for the recognition and acceptance of the intrinsic and extrinsic values of diverse peoples and their musical contributions while creating tolerance and respect. The focus lies with three composers, two African American and one African English, in service of promoting inclusion for composers of minority groups within the clarinet repertoire.

The goal is to expand standard clarinet repertoire, with “standard” defined as compositions considered important in building a well-rounded clarinetist in America, to include works such as Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in F-sharp …

Mental Practice: Practical Application In Violin And Viola Private Lessons, Natasha Sieczkowska

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation aimed to better understand how violin and viola private instructors teach Mental Practice in their studios, investigating different approaches on how to apply and teach auditory, motor, and visual imagery, score study, and auditory modeling, as well as its benefits. This research was divided into two different stages. In the first stage, the researcher conducted interviews (n = 19) and collected questionnaire responses (n = 14) from 33 upper-string instructors teaching at the pre-college and collegiate levels in the US. This research stage was based on the grounded theory approach since there was not much research …

Gender And Participation In Popular Music Ensembles: Perspectives Of Modern Band Teachers, Bryan Powell

Visions of Research in Music Education

This article explores gender dynamics in popular music education, focusing on the perspectives of modern band teachers across the United States. Drawing from existing literature and a survey of 390 modern band educators, the study examines the extent to which modern band teachers perceive their own gender identities influence student participation and enrollment in elective modern band classes. While the majority of respondents believed their gender does not significantly impact enrollment, female teachers were more likely to indicate that they felt that their gender had an impact on student enrollment compared to their male counterparts. Additionally, the study uncovers challenges …

Musical Engagement: A Conceptual Model Of Contextual Influences, Allison R. Durbin

Visions of Research in Music Education

The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual model of contextual influences on musical engagement in a person’s life. I developed this domain-specific conceptual model based on Bronfenbrenner’s (2001) bioecological theory of human development. The model accounts for multiple, interacting contexts that may influence an adolescent’s musical development. In this model, I consider one’s musical life as an acknowledgment of the multitude of ways that music is a part of their daily life. A musical life encompasses more than a formal music education, and as Abeles (2010) posits, “Music education does not exist isolated in the music classroom. …

Dissertations Chaired By Professor Harold F. Abeles: 1975-2021, Colleen Conway

Visions of Research in Music Education

This manuscript provides discussion of the 152 dissertations in which Dr. Harold F. Abeles served as the chair during his career in higher education. The first two were at the University of North Carolina Greensboro in 1975 and the next five were at Indiana University between 1979 and 1982. The final 145 (!) were chaired at Teachers College Columbia University between 1987 and 2021. Sections in the introduction include: (a) What Makes a Good Dissertation Chair?; (b) Who Was Studied?; and (c) How Studies Were Done. Topics of the collective works include gender, applied music study, and program evaluation, among …

Storying Research: A Conversation With Hal Abeles, Mary Hafeli

Visions of Research in Music Education

In this interview, Hal Abeles describes the conceptual and methodological origins and evolution of his published scholarship. With a focus on his work in gender studies in music education, evaluation of music studio teaching in higher education, and assessment of community arts and orchestra programs, he traces his scholarly passions and achievements over the course of his fifty-year career.

Applying Student-Centered Strategies In The Applied Teaching Music Studio, Jeanne Goffi-Fynn

Visions of Research in Music Education

Applied studio instruction is a field of education set in the context of a one-to-one setting, traditionally seen as a master-apprentice model, where the “training of skills” is said to be a priority. However, as the field evolves and is influenced by other areas in teaching and learning, one begins to look for ways to apply student-centered or constructivist strategies to the music studio. In this article, we will look broadly at what it means to be student-centered in the music studio, breaking down the areas into five categories of rapport, motivation, critical thinking, content specific areas such as practice, …

Epilogue: “Succinctness Is Next To Godliness”, Cara Faith Bernard

Visions of Research in Music Education

No abstract provided.

From Childhood To Seniorhood: A Developmental Study Of Identity And Challenge, Lori Custodero

Visions of Research in Music Education

I met with Hal Abeles in January, 2024 to interview him about his childhood and his career and to see whether there were connections between his past, present, and future aspirations. Although memories from his early years were a bit difficult to recall, he was able to take me through three quarters of a century of musical experiences that were reflective of who he is and what he does. In this essay, I discuss his early and middle childhood; learning environments including church, schools, and ensembles; his instrumental identity; and the various motivational conditions that created contexts for him to …

From Dissonance To Consonance: Bringing Clarity To Music Assessment And Program Evaluation, Rob Horowitz

Visions of Research in Music Education

Dr. Hal Abeles is a foundational leader in developing music performance assessments, conducting program evaluations of arts partnerships, and publishing basic research on the effects of arts instruction on learning in and across cognitive, social and personal domains. This article explores the theoretical and practical issues in music performance assessment and program evaluation, and how Dr. Abeles clarified, explicated, and created solutions with a broad and deep influence on music and arts education. Dr. Abeles modeled the application of the facet-factorial method for developing assessments of musical performances. Originally designed for assessment of clarinet performance, the method was adapted and …

Celebrating One “Hal” Of A Mentor, Colleen Sears, Lindsay Weiss-Tornatore

Visions of Research in Music Education

No abstract provided.

Articulatory Activity Of The Tongue, Jaw, And Lips During The Second Passaggio Transition Of The Soprano Voice, Richard C. Lissemore

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation describes three experiments designed to explore the acoustic and articulatory activity of a perceptible change in the soprano voice known as the secondo passaggio, or second transition, which typically occurs for the [ɑ] vowel between D♮5 (587 Hz) and F♮5 (698 Hz). Acoustically, the transition involves a shift in resonance strategy from second resonance tracking of the second harmonic (f_R2/2f_o) to first resonance tracking of the fundamental frequency (f_R1/f_o). To quantify the acoustics of the transition, we employed the measure L₁-L₂, the …