Music Commons^™

The Student Voice: Perception Of Students’ Representation Of Themselves In The Secondary Band Curriculum, Lori Schwartz Reichl

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the United States becomes more socially and culturally diverse, there is a greater need for diversity and inclusivity in music education. This goal can be challenging as the classical traditions of westernized music often dominate music classrooms and performing ensembles. The secondary band curriculum is no exception. Despite numerous sources stating that students must perceive a representation of themselves in an educational curriculum, secondary band students have yet to be surveyed about their perceptions of the music curriculum in which they are engaging daily. Educators must understand if students see themselves reflected in the curriculum. This reflection can be …

Guide To The Charles 'Chuck' Suber Collection, Charles Suber

CBMR Collection Guides / Finding Aids

The Charles 'Chuck' Suber collection reflects his activities as the First Chorus columnist for Down Beat magazine, his work toward restoring funding to Chicago Public Schools for music and arts programs, and his interview by Richard Wang recalling memories and musicians from his life.

Assessment Literacy Of Middle School Music Educators, William Gordon Daines

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a school district in the Southwestern region of the United States, middle school music educators did not participate in district-wide initiatives to improve teacher assessment literacy, which encompasses the assessment knowledge and practices of teachers in support of student learning. The educators varied widely in their grading and assessment knowledge and practices. The purpose of this qualitative explanatory case study was to explore the middle school music educators’ perspectives of their assessment knowledge and practices in the classroom and how they used assessments to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills in music. Xu and Brown’s teacher assessment literacy in practice …

The Hybrid Teacher: Expanding The Vocal Pedagogy Regime, Mary Joy Nelson

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The world of professional vocal training is becoming more and more eclectic and demanding in the United States. Academic music programs, and subsequently, vocal and vocal pedagogy programs are still predominantly classical in 2022, due to the American university system’s historical roots. In the 21st century, the commercial music industry is at an all-time high. However, in contemporary academia, vocal and vocal pedagogy degree programs remain primarily classical. In recent years, voice professionals have been discussing the implications of academic programs updating their programs and pedagogy in order to include professional CCM and hybrid training. Classical, CCM and hybrid singers …

The Muted Woman: A Lovey-Dovey Themed Recital, From A Man's Point Of View, Raven Williams

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This senior thesis consists of a vocal recital, accompanying program notes, and research regarding the struggles of women composers as music evolved through its Ancient, Baroque, Classic, Romantic and Contemporary periods. The recital includes a compilation of love songs by French, Italian, English, and German composers, in particular Gabriel Fauré, the often-forgotten Stefano Donaudy, Samuel Barber, Roger Quilter, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Joseph Haydn. This paper incorporates biographical information, analysis, performance history and cultural insights into the overshadowed women composers that prospered around the same time period as the men of the former. Specifically, Nadia Boulanger, Nannerl Mozart, Alice Mary …

Addressing The Accessibility Gap In Music: A Review Of The Literature, Rachel Ann Vaughan

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Youth Musicians’ Executive Functioning And Its Impact On Emotional And Behavioral Health, Michael A. Tate

Dissertations and Theses

A growing body of neuroscience literature shows that music promotes brain development, as learning a music instrument involves multiple brain regions and neurocognitive systems. In partnership with a non-profit organization with a mission to strengthen New York City communities through music education programs, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of music training on children’s executive functioning (EF), as well as emotional and behavioral outcomes. We hypothesized that (i) children’s EF would develop more rapidly with exposure to the program; (ii) the intensity of practice would be associated with rate of growth of children’s EF, emotion regulation and behavior; (iii) …

The Benefits Of Offering Classroom Piano Lessons As Part Of The Curriculum In Public Elementary School, Denise Cheeks Mundy

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the potential benefits of offering classroom piano lessons as part of the curriculum in public elementary schools. The research reviews the educational, neurological, and cultural potential benefits a child may receive if they study the piano. Further study examines the availability for teachers to receive training in teaching group piano, the methods of setting up a piano classroom, and materials needed for such a program in the school system. Records of the history of group lessons showed that this method of teaching has had periods of success and periods of decline in …

Mural: An Online Space For Co-Creating Meaning And Understanding, Kimberly James

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Building an online community around learning has been challenging throughout the academic and artistic disruptions caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. In order to promote remote interaction and educe student contributions, I utilized MURAL, a virtual, collaborative whiteboard, several times during AY2020-2021 to co-create meaning and understanding of common pedagogic topics that are applied in my studio. This practice allowed all participants to contribute ideas, make revisions, and enjoy new “aha” moments in real-time with far less pressure and concern for feeling “called out” or being “wrong.”

These activities benefitted the students and the overall wellness of the student participants …

Architone•Ics: The Music Of Architecture — Music As An Entry Point For Understanding Architectural Design, Deborah J. Oakley, Diego Vega

Creative Collaborations

Architecture and Music share many fundamental concepts in common. German polymath Goethe famously described architecture as “frozen music.” Numerous renowned architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Kahn among others, were also accomplished musicians and wrote of the connections between the two disciplines. A particularly noteworthy example of overlapping and crossing boundaries is the Greco-French composer Iannas Xenakis. Regarded as an influential figure in late 20th century avant-garde music, his first education and occupation, was actually as a structural engineer for famed architect LeCorbusier. He later practiced architecture himself before focusing on music composition, for which he is better known. …

V.1 Winter 2022, Center For Arts & Language, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

v.1 is a publishing platform for the ongoing work, ideas, discussions, debates, and aspirations of students at the Rhode Island School of Design. The Winter 2022 issue is a special edition "art writing capsule," with three zines that each feature a student writing about a work of art, and a fourth zine with an editor's note and postscript. Writing 1 is Angelina Rogers on Salman Toor's "Two Boys with a Dog," Writing 2 is Maxwell Fertik on Shahzia Sikander's "Epistrophe," and Writing 3 is Sabo Kpade on Lynette Yiadom-Boakye's "Any Number of Preoccupations."

Elementary String Orchestra: A Hybrid Curriculum, Deborah Jeannette Hickey

Masters Theses

Remote and distance musical instruction can be traced back to the earliest transmissions of radio and television. In the last few decades, it has made considerable strides due to the development of the internet and growing supportive software and online platforms. However, when the COVID-19 virus swept the world, many school districts were forced to convert to full- remote instruction instantaneously. While some unique and beneficial strategies developed out of this, many aspects and strategies proved to be less than ideal and inferior to in-person instruction, particularly where it pertained to performance and ensemble-based instrumental instruction. This project strives to …

Systematic Approach To Recruiting And Retention Of Instrumental Students In Division One University Marching Band, Michael G. Yopp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines recruitment and retention in Division One (D1) university marching bands, while understanding high school and university directors’ perspectives and impact on student choice. This project surveyed university band directors, seeking commonalities for recruiting and retention of instrumental students. Based on the results, universities will have better strategies on what, how, and why recruitment and retention issues should be addressed. Student enrollment is important to the well-being, development, and continuity of marching band programs. They may result in better recruitment and retention for other university ensembles, applied studios, the music department, and the university enrollment overall. This study …

A Critical Interpretive Synthesis Of Research Linking Hip Hop And Wellbeing In Schools, Alexander Crooke, Cristina Almeida, Rachael Comte

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Hip Hop is recognized as an agent for youth development in both educational and well-being spaces, yet literature exploring the intersection of the two areas is comparatively underdeveloped. This article presents a critical interpretive synthesis of twenty-two articles investigating school-based well-being interventions which used Hip Hop. The critical stance taken aimed to identify or expose assumptions underpinning this area of scholarship and practice. Our analysis suggested several assumptions operate in this space, including the idea rap represents a default for Hip Hop culture, and the default beneficiaries of Hip Hop-informed interventions are students of color living in underprivileged, inner-city US …

Use Of The Music Syllabus From The National Standards Curriculum Nsc, At The Lower Secondary Level, In Kingston And St. Andrew, Jamaica, Ornisea Williams Hird

Masters Theses

The Jamaican music education landscape has had a positive shift in the demand for music teachers who are educated to become classroom music teachers. Despite the growing need for trained music teachers to be placed in many high schools in Jamaica and the implementation of two curricula, there has been minimal study that assess how music teachers use the music syllabus from the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) in teaching and learning. The study joins a set of vibrant discussions on the development of music education in Jamaica and examines the use of the NSC at the lower secondary level (grades …

The Pedagogical Value Of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music In A New Jersey Elementary Music Setting, Eric James Mclaughlin

Masters Theses

Elementary music educators’ analyze and select song repertoire based upon a variety of factors and influences. These can include an educator’s level of training, the preexisting standard song literature collection, resources obtained in undergraduate study, the context of the song material, and a song’s pedagogical application. Educators must be selective when choosing literature for pedagogical purposes, such as teaching specific melodic and rhythmic elements. The vast body of musical literature by renowned theatrical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is not often used for that purpose in the elementary general music classroom. In addition, a recent national effort calling for the reexamination …

Improvisation And Interpretation For High School Instrumental Students, Jeffrey J. Bianchine Jr.

Masters Theses

Improvisation is associated with jazz or rap in modern western culture, but classical music has a long tradition of improvisation featuring famous improvises such as Mozart and Liszt. Improvisation develops critical thinking and problem solving, essential skills in the American job market. The typical instrumental student does not often get the opportunity to use this. Bloom’s Taxonomy explains that students who do critical thinking activities in class have a better understanding of the course material. This course will equip students to improvise with others, make executive decisions about artistic elements in the repertoire, self-cretic playing, and compose a short cadenza.

Breaking The Cycle: Incorporating A Pedagogy Of Expression In Secondary Ensembles, Autumn Mortenson

Senior Honors Theses

Western music education is caught in a cycle of constant concert preparation. Even though teaching expression is an important standard of music education, it is not often the focus of secondary ensembles. This thesis explores the rationale for teaching secondary instrumental students to think expressively, the benefits of teaching expressive performance, and the methods to successfully incorporate this pedagogy. This project aims to show that the creation of expressive opportunity and responsibility during regular rehearsals would allow the students to further develop these skills without detracting from the quality of public performances. The conclusion of this project will provide ensemble …

Remixed, Remastered: Investigating Organizational Adaptation In Higher Music Education, Jacob Bruce Hertzog

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher music education presents a unique opportunity to examine change within higher education due to the digital revolution in the music industry over the past two decades. The purpose for conducting this study was to describe, map, and explain the strategies that higher music education programs are using to adapt to the digital revolution in the music industry. This study was grounded in organizational adaptation theory, drawing upon nine well-established theories: population ecology, life cycles, strategic choice, isomorphism, symbolic action, resource dependence, cybernetics, and network theory. Critical concepts of the turbulent environment, environmental perception, and organizational adaptation strategy emerged from …

Texas Administrators' Perspective Of Music Educators In Classroom Evaluations In Regards To T-Tess, Thomas C. Kennedy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the perspectives of music educators in classroom evaluation processes, the perspectives of Texas administrators using the newest teacher evaluation process, the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS), have yet to be examined. The administrators’ perspectives matter because the complexity of the T-TESS process coupled with the uncertainty of music educational knowledge may lead to inconsistency in evaluation. This qualitative study aims to examine the perspectives of Texas administrators concerning their preparation in music teacher evaluation. Current research fails to identify the perspectives of Texas administrators in the evaluation of music educators in classroom instruction. Views on evaluation training, …

Serving Special Education Students In The Music Classroom: Accommodating And Advocating For Learners With Exceptionalities, Kathryn Lambert

Masters Theses

Music education programs positively impact the lives of students both socially and emotionally. As the following research suggests, music may have an even greater impact on students with disabilities or exceptionalities. Due to the lack of accessibility, funding, time, training, and other issues, opportunities in music education programs may be limited to groups of students who may not fit the standard music education student profile. As teachers of common core classes may struggle to accommodate students with exceptionalities and may feel as if they are lacking in resources or other needed preparation to adequately serve these students, these struggles are …

Commercial Violin: Creating A Hybrid Twenty-First Century Collegiate Violin Curriculum, Ryan Joseph Ogrodny

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the stylistically diverse professional music opportunities available to twenty-first century violinists, modern collegiate violin students are most often exclusively trained through traditional classical pedagogy. Conversely, violinists who perform commercial music often do not experience formal classical training, which provides functional foundational skills required of the professional violinist. There has yet to be a collegiate violin curriculum developed that incorporates elements of both classical and commercial music, allowing for diverse musical opportunities through structured and sequential pedagogy. This qualitative research study identifies, examines, and compares current classical and commercial collegiate violin methodologies simultaneously as a framework for the development of …

The Perceptions Of High School Choral Students Regarding Sight-Singing Using Solfege Syllables And Hand Signs, Kimberly Moak Costanza

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the theorized benefits of sight-singing in the choral classroom, little research has focused on the changing perceptions of high school choral students regarding sight-singing. The goal of this qualitative study with a historical approach and a grounded theory design is to assess the changing perceptions of high school choral students concerning the task of sight-singing using solfege syllables and Curwen hand signs. The study used a qualitative research approach with a pre-study and post-study questionnaire on sight-singing skills. The students received 1 twenty-minute lesson for four consecutive weeks. The goal of the questionnaire was to assess high school choral …

An Analysis Of Effective Practice Strategies For The Performing Undergraduate University-Level Pianist, Elizabeth Ann Duncan

Music Theses & Dissertations

The intent of this study was to provide awareness of the trends surrounding piano practice pedagogy as determined by students either immersed in a university piano program or graduates thereof. The areas of study include a historical context of university music programs and the field of piano pedagogy, trends of imitative instruction, the importance of qualitative and quantitative practice, and the discovery of piano practice routines of collegiate pianists. This research project was approved for an IRB exemption by the Old Dominion University College of Arts and Letters.

Within this study, the subjects were either graduates of a collegiate piano …

Treble Clef Club Collection. 1922-2015, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

Finding Aids

A collection of the club’s meeting minutes, secretary and treasurer’s notes, programs, yearbooks, scrapbooks and music sheets.

The Treble Clef Club was chartered in Pittsburg, Kansas in 1904 by women interested in the study of music. The club originally agreed to have no more than 20 members who would meet twice a month to study composers and perform their works. In 1908 the club expanded membership due to increased interest. The first junior club, for high school girls, was started in 1922 but did not succeed. The club tried again in 1944, creating a club with 28 girls. By 1964, …

V.1 Fall 2021, Center For Arts & Language, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

v.1 is a publishing platform for the ongoing work, ideas, discussions, debates, and aspirations of students at the Rhode Island School of Design. The Fall 2021 issue is formatted as a zine and contains notes from students displayed on their phones and otherwise, along with student creative writing.

Virtual Piano Instruction For The College Learner, Gena Greher, Dominique Haughton, Jacob Hiser, Brandon Vaccaro

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

This article investigates the affordability and feasibility of conducting virtual piano lessons for the college level learner. It proposes an approach that works well and requires equipment costing approximately $300 per student. We outline the pros and cons of conducting virtual piano lessons online. The main benefit is overcoming geographical distances, whereas limitations include challenges such as the instructor being able to check issues such as fingerings or dynamics. Latency is not a major problem as long as only one person is playing at any given time, as found in past work. The process of teaching and learning online requires …

Fiddler's Fund Collection, 1970-1981, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

Finding Aids

The collection of the Fiddler’s Fund consists of letters, newspaper clippings; article, meeting minutes, IRS tax information, deposit checks, non-profit filings, scholarship applications, and bank account balance reports for a musical-support organization.

Created in 1970, the Fiddler's Fund of Pittsburg Inc. was a non-profit organization (501c3) dedicated to raising money and providing scholarships for K-12 students in need of musical instruments and lessons. In 1980, after its dissolution, the Fiddler’s Fund donated its remaining funds to the Pittsburg State University Music Department for scholarships.

Purcell, Arleen, Collection, 1919-1991, Special Collections, Leonard H. Axe Library

Finding Aids

A collection of documents and items related to Fort Scott and southeast Kansas, and Arleen Purcell’s travels and studies.

Arleen Purcell (1912-2001) was an elementary school teacher in Fort Scott, Kansas who collaborated in writing the musical Footprints on the Frontier. She was married to Ralph Emerson Purcell, with whom she had two sons. Purcell took great interest in local history and community organizations. In the 1970s, she took study abroad trips through Western Illinois University and the Kansas State College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University) to South America.

Recording Studio Living Archive-Melbourne: Diy Histories, A Social Justice Approach, Lilith Lane

Postgraduate

This dissertation serves as the theoretical underpinnings for development of the digital archival project [recordingstudios.net.au]. It examines the background methodologies of excavating existing ethnographic data of Melbourne recording studio histories from previous research by the author. As a female studio recording engineer in a sector where very few women are present, the researcher is positioned as an inside-outsider. Long-term involvement in the Melbourne music industry as a songwriter, musician, audio engineer and educator, offers an immersive approach to the project and research. Original research excavated for this current project focused on examining the contribution of recording studio spaces to Melbourne …