Music Commons^™

A Principled Approach To Teaching Music Composition To Children, Michele Kaschub, Janice P. Smith

Research & Issues in Music Education

Building on an apposition of the theories of neurobiologist Antonio Damasio and music theorist Heinrich Schenker, we posit a new model for developing composition instruction based upon the organic connections between humans and music. Parallels are drawn between Damasio’s theory of consciousness in which meaning arises from the relationships between body, emotion, and feeling; and Schenker’s theory of musical structure in which opportunities for meaning making are revealed between the ursatz (background), mittelgrund (middleground), and vordergrund (foreground) layers of a musical work. The resulting principles-based approach to instruction reprioritizes the roles of elements and compositional techniques to foster greater expressivity …

The Perfect Pitch 2009, Wmu School Of Music

School of Music News

The Perfect Pitch 2009:

• Letter from the Director
• Trent Kynaston: Master Teacher
• Accelerated Degree in Music
• Tours and Road Trips
• The 21st Century Musician
• Sparks of Innovation
• Faculty Ensembles-in-Residence Portrait
• The Joy of Middle School Band
• Farewells & Welcomes
• 2009 Pioneer Symposium
• Giving Back
• Student Success
• Alumni News
• New Recordings & Books
• Faculty Achievements
• Aaron Dworkin to visit SoM
• Bullock Performance Institute
• Remembering Mel Ivey
• All-Steinway Project Update

Leaders Of The Pack: Responsibilities And Experiences Of Collegiate Drum Majors, Wesley D. Brewer

Research & Issues in Music Education

This study explored the responsibilities and experiences of three collegiate drum majors as student leaders of a marching band at a major university. Marching band continues to be a prevalent and highly visible aspect of music education in the United States. The preparation and utilization of student leaders in music remains common, but little research examining the actual experiences of student leaders in music has been conducted. As we continue to recruit student leaders for these positions, it may be of use to understand, from the student leader perspective, the challenges and perceived responsibilities associated with these positions. The participants …

Assessing Individual Performance In The College Band, Mark U. Reimer

Research & Issues in Music Education

Semester assessment of college wind band members is an issue that conductors would probably agree falls within their academic freedom. Institutions may award as little as no credit or even a percentage of a credit for ensemble participation, although the time and effort required of the students and their conductor is undoubtedly equivalent to, or exceeds, that of a three-credit course. If an academic administrator, seeing a large percentage of A’s in an ensemble, were to question the assessment process of the conductor and/or the rigor of the course, could that conductor produce tangible evidence, such as grades or numeric …

Directors' Attitudes Regarding Parental Involvement In The Middle School Choral Setting, Jeff Rapp

Research & Issues in Music Education

Educational research strongly suggests that parental involvement is beneficial for academic achievement and scholarly studies have pointed to parents’ seminal role in the education of young children as well as the need for continued nurture. Researchers indicate that parental involvement, however, tends to diminish over time and in many cases nearly disappears altogether during the middle-school years. This decline in parent-child connection, as Rutherford and Billig (1995) suggest, occurs at a most inopportune time in that the early teen years are crucial in making personal, relational, and educational decisions that have both immediate and lasting impact. In their study of …

Engaging Music And Media: Technology As A Universal Language, Glen Carruthers

Research & Issues in Music Education

The ambiguity in the first half of the paper’s title – “Engaging music and media” – is intentional. Music is engaging in the sense that it implicates our hearts and minds. Music can also be engaged by and with media. And, of course, engagement is core to effective learning.

The role of music education is always in flux. Aesthetic aims sometimes take primacy, while at other times music is taught as a means to some other end. As in ancient times, today music is taught largely for its ancillary benefits so that, in a curious twist, ancillary aims have become …

A Constructivist Application For Online Learning In Music, Dan A. Keast

Research & Issues in Music Education

The purpose of this article is to extend the published knowledge and practices of distance learning in music to include constructivism. Dan Keast describes his techniques for the implementation of constructivism to an online two-course series of Music History. The courses’ structure, activities, assessments, and other key functionality components are shown as an example of current practices. Keast discusses the process for developing the two courses, in conjunction with copy editors, course design specialists, and technology reviewers. The courses highlight the need for additional improvements such as new software and legal clarification for the use of sound recordings. Keast’s suggestion …

Ua1c11/2 Dwight Pounds Photo Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Photographs taken by Dwight Pounds, Music Faculty. The majority are of WKU faculty members and student music groups. The collection also contains some Pounds’ art photography and family photographs.

An Examination Of Conductors’ Leadership Skills, Tiffany Hsu Han Chang

Honors Papers

Through my experiences as a member of various large orchestral ensembles, I have been intrigued by how diverse my musical experiences were with different conductors. Some of these experiences have been thoroughly inspiring; I felt compelled to achieve higher levels of performance and convinced that I was a crucial part of creating something much larger than the notes on the page. Other experiences have been less musically fulfilling for me; I became disinterested and bored and felt little affective connection with the music. Reflecting on these different personal responses, I realized that the conductors in these experiences, in part, influenced …

Music And Community: Interdependence And Shared Learning In An Undergraduate Elementary Music Methods Course, Lisa Huisman Koops

Faculty Scholarship

In this study, the author investigated the creation of a community of learners in an under- graduate elementary music methods course. Participants included undergraduate students (n = 23) and a professor at a Midwestern liberal arts college. Data consisted of fieldnotes from class observations and interviews with the professor and students. The following priorities and concepts emerged as themes: interdependence, shared learning, personal growth, safe environment, and inclusiveness. The success of the community of learners seemed to be due in part to the professor’s dynamic, student-centered, interdependent approach to the course. Transferable aspects related to the creation of a community …

Bassoon In The Baroque Era, Emily Spradley

Theses and Dissertations

Good afternoon! Welcome to my lecture recital. I hope you will enjoy learning about the bassoon in the Baroque era. This lecture focuses on the origins and developments of the Baroque bassoon, elements of Baroque style found in music for bassoon, and the application of those elements through Antonio Vivaldi's composition for bassoon, Concerto in G minor, Op. No. 23.

In the 1901 edition of his book, The Holy Cross and Other Tales, Eugene Field states:

If you have never beheld or heard a bassoon you are to understand that it is an instrument of wood, of considerable more length …

Jazz And Gender : Teaching Improvisation To Girls, Valerie A. Shanley

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to examine the reasons that girls do not pursue advanced jazz education and to suggest teaching strategies that could encourage greater female participation. I have observed that the number of female students is approximately equal to that of the male students in concert band, and in a concert band setting these girls do seem to advance more quickly than boys. Through literature review and interviews with music educators and female jazz musicians, this study will examine whether some of the teaching techniques that allow girls to succeed in concert band could be adapted to …

When Repetition Isn’T The Best Practice Strategy: Examining Differing Levels Of Contextual Interference During Practice, Laura Stambaugh

School of Music: Faculty Publications

Two experiments examined the effects of blocked and random practice schedules on the performance accuracy, speed, and temporal evenness of performance by wind players. Blocked schedules used repetitive practice orders, while random schedules constantly changed the order of tasks practiced. Beginning clarinet students completed three days of practice on three short technical tasks, in either a blocked or random order. Twenty-four hours after practice, beginning students who had practiced in the random order were able to play significantly faster than students who had practiced in the blocked order (F1,38=24.95, p

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: The Effects Of Using Music With Young Children, Eileen Heck

Graduate Research Papers

One way for children to experience music and develop early literacy skills is through nursery rhymes such as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. This project addresses the benefits of using music with young children and the importance of professional development with early childhood educators. More and more research is being done to explore and study the effects of music with young children. It is becoming evident that music has many benefits that can enhance young children's lives. Some of these benefits include expanding children's communication skills, building oral language skills, developing phonological awareness skills, and extending concepts of print. Some …

The Effect Of Musical Characteristics, Exposure, And Individual Difference Variables On String Student Musical Preference: Implications For Introducing Western Art Music, Michael Reed Bollero

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

This study explores the influences of various musical, environmental, and personal factors on string students' preferences for selections of Western Art Music. The purpose of this study was to provide insight into the information of music preferences by young string students in order to allow teachers to introduce Western Art music most effectively. Participants (n = 498) from northwest Arkansas public school string programs were given the String Student Music Preference Questionnaire (SSMPQ) developed by the author. Part One of the SS~MPQ measured preference for six one-minute selections of Western Art music by Beethoven, Berlioz, Mahle1; Saint-Siiens, and Schoenberg. In …

Highlights In Jazz Concert 292- Salute To Jay Leonhart, Jack Kleinsinger, Danny Gottlieb

Jack Kleinsinger Presents Highlights in Jazz

Jack Kleinsinger presents Highlights in Jazz. The concert was held at The Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Thursday, December 11th, 2008 at 8:00 pm. Jack served as producer and master of ceremonies for the series of concerts. Artists for the concert include Jay Leonhart, Barbara Carroll, Carolyn Leonhart, Wayne Escoffery, Ken Peplowski, Byron Stripling, Harry Allen, Ted Rosenthal, and Alvin Atkinson, with surprise guests Michael Leonhart, Donna Leonhart, John Colianni, Adam Nimmer, and Houston Person.

Piano Study And Gender Associations: A Query Into The Perceptions Of Children Ages Five To Fourteen, Richard C. Winfree

Music Theses & Dissertations

From its inception, male composers and performers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Cliburn, and Kempffhad dominated piano performance. Recent research suggests, however, that the piano has been designated with a feminine gender stereotype. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of public school children ages five to fourteen years old relative to gender association and piano study to determine if a gender stereotype existed and at what age, if any, the stereotype stabilized.

To achieve this purpose, two surveys were created and implemented by the researcher. The first survey was administered to 879 students in …

New Mexico Musician Vol 56 No 2 (Winter 2008)

New Mexico Musician

No abstract provided.

The Efficacy Of Smartmusic® Assessment As A Teaching And Learning Tool, Michael William Buck

Dissertations

This study examined the effects of SmartMusic® assessment on student music performance while integrating research-based teaching and learning components. Over approximately three weeks, 46 high school band students (N=46) received five 15-minute teacher-led music lessons, totaling 75 minutes of instruction. Two groups, teacher-led instruction or teacher-led instruction using SmartMusic® assessment, were determined by randomly splitting pairs of matched-subjects within woodwind, brass, or mallet percussion families. Constant for both groups, instruction and evaluation materials included teaching and learning practice rubrics, a criterion-referenced performance evaluation form, and short lyrical and technical etudes complemented with respective skill development exercises. Pre- and post-test measures …

Music And Literacy: Current Trends And Common Approaches Of Music Therapists In Early Childhood And School Settings, Julie A. Palmieri

Masters Theses

Reading and writing is the key to all learning, and providing children with effective literacy practices is one of the primary goals of educational systems. The purpose of this study was to identify the current trends and common approaches of professional music therapists who incorporate literacy learning into their practice. A total of 192 participants responded and completed the survey entitled Music and Literacy: Current trends and common approaches of music therapists. The study investigated if music therapists address the specific areas of literacy (vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, phonemic awareness, and phonics) that had been identified through a review of literature. …

Making The Grade: Authentic Assessment Through Music Portfolios, Kendra June S. Aylor

Theses & Honors Papers

Research shows assessment is an important part of education. However, information on assessment in music is often limited to secondary education leaving elementary music teachers to devise their own systems of evaluation students. This teacher research addresses elementary music assessment by examining the implementation of student portfolios as a way to manage the data that is created in the music classroom. The portfolios were compiled using fourth grade student work which was divided into section that mirror the MENC National Standards. This research shows that student portfolios provide tangible evidence of student understanding to be shared with teachers, parents, and …

Highlights In Jazz Concert 290- Jazz Is My Passport, Jack Kleinsinger, Danny Gottlieb

Jack Kleinsinger Presents Highlights in Jazz

Jack Kleinsinger presents Highlights in Jazz. The concert was held at The Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Thursday, October 16th, 2008 at 8:00 pm. Jack served as producer and master of ceremonies for the series of concerts. Artists for the concert include Eldar, Trio Da Paz, Warren Chiasson, Roni Ben-Hur, Dr. Lyn Christie, and surprise guest Fukushi Tainaka.

A Critical Review Of Violin Solos Section Of The Nyssma Manual, Di Su

Publications and Research

The New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) runs an annual evaluation of students' musical performance. The purposes of the evaluation are to promote music programs in the schools and communities of New York State, and to provide a means of objective evaluation of musical performance. The evaluation is influential because the selections of participant for All-State, All-County, and other music festivals are mainly based upon NYSSMA scores. To familiarize the evaluation criteria and to prepare students to meet the requirements, New York State music teachers use the "NYSSMA Manual" as an important teaching guide. Aiming at future revisions, this …

Highlights In Jazz Concert 289- Keely Smith In Concert, Jack Kleinsiner, Danny Gottlieb

Jack Kleinsinger Presents Highlights in Jazz

Jack Kleinsinger presents Highlights in Jazz. The concert was held at The Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Thursday, September 18th, 2008 at 8:00 pm. Jack served as producer and master of ceremonies for the series of concerts. Artists for the concert include Dennis Michaels, Jerry Vivino, Michael Morelli, Mike Merritt, Steve Bargonetti, Ray Marchica, and surprise guest Kenny Ascher.

New Mexico Musician Vol 56 No 1 (Fall 2008)

New Mexico Musician

No abstract provided.

International Teacher Perspectives On Using Computers To Teach Music, Jun-Ting Sun

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how four expert teachers from Australia, Japan, Taiwan and the United States integrated computers into their music classrooms. Through the use of qualitative interviewing methodology (Kvale, 1996), in-depth interviews were conducted between the participants and the researcher. The questions focused on the decision making process behind how these expert teachers chose to integrate technology in their music classes as well as the impact of various cultural, societal, and political influences (parents, teachers, students, school administrators, government officials and policy, and the community) on the development and implementation of their curriculum. Findings from this study suggest that music …

Highlights In Jazz Concert 288- An Evening With Dave Brubeck, Jack Kleinsinger, Danny Gottlieb

Jack Kleinsinger Presents Highlights in Jazz

Jack Kleinsinger presents Highlights in Jazz. The concert was held at The Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Thursday, May 15th, 2008 at 8:00 pm. Jack served as producer and master of ceremonies for the series of concerts. Artists for the concert include Dave Brubeck, Bobby Millitello, Michael Moore, Randy Jones, and surprise guests Hilliard Greene and Freddy Bryant.

The Effect Of Home Musical Environment On Child Attitude And Aptitude, Donna Lyon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent the home musical environment affects a child's attitude towards and aptitude in music. Factors that were explored were parent attitudes, parent music background, child attitudes, child aptitudes, age, and gender roles. Parents (N=95) from a suburban elementary school completed an online survey to determine the nature of the musical environment of their home. Their children (N=121), who were first and fourth graders, completed a student attitude survey. The Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation was administered to determine student aptitude. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyze the data …

Tradition And Innovation: The Lives And Music Of Women Composers, Shannon K. Kane

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

My Capstone Project, entitled “Tradition and Innovation: The Lives and Music of Women Composers,” is a combination of a creative project and written thesis that explores the struggles that women faced as members of society and composers throughout history. The written portion details the expectations set for women by society and how these expectations had a role in their personal lives and their music. I explore stereotypes and societal values that women lived regularly, including the expectation of women to never perform for a public audience, to obey their fathers and husbands and therefore only receive training with their permission, …

An Analytical And Educational Survey Of Kenneth Hesketh's Vranjanka, Alisha Marie Wooley

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will explore Kenneth Hesketh's "Vranjanka" in both analytical and educational domains. Timothy and Hilary Reynish commissioned this piece in 2005 in memory of their son William. Tim Reynish is the former conductor of the Royal Northern College of Music's Wind Ensemble. He has also been deeply involved with the Commissioning Project of the Royal Northern College of Music (1982-2002), which produced over seventy compositions for wind band, and the William Reynish Commissioning Project (2002-2007) that has commissioned over twenty works for wind band. The piece is based on the Serbian Folksong Sano Duso. Vranjanka, literally translated, means "from …