Music Education Commons^™

Heuristic Inquiry As A Research Method In Music Education, Austina F. Lee

Visions of Research in Music Education

This article presents heuristic inquiry as a form of autoethnography and its potential as a methodological resource for music educators. Rather than reporting findings from a single study, the article illustrates how heuristic inquiry can serve as a structured yet flexible process of critical reflection that helps teachers navigate the cultural and political contexts of their work. Drawing on the author’s experiences as a high school choral director, the discussion highlights the six phases and seven processes of heuristic inquiry, showing how personal reflection, cultural awareness, and relational care can be interwoven into professional practice. By framing autoethnography as both …

Disrupting The Silence: A Case For Critical Race Theory In Music Education, Preston Wilson Jr.

Visions of Research in Music Education

In response to the inequities within music education, Critical Race Theory (CRT) offers an approach to analyzing how race and racism operate within music education and prompts educators to critically examine existing structures and practices. CRT is a comprehensive framework that offers fundamental insights, perspectives, methods, and pedagogical approaches. Its primary objective is to identify, analyze, and transform the structural and cultural factors that perpetuate the marginalization and subordination of People of Color. CRT’s origins can be traced back to the legal system, where it emerged as a means to challenge and dismantle the pervasive influence of race and racism …

Professionalizing Folklore In Latin America: Four Paradigms Of The Musician And The Coloniality Of Music Education, Matias Recharte

Visions of Research in Music Education

In this article, I discuss the professionalization of folklore and its entanglements with coloniality through an analysis of four paradigms of the musicians I encountered in conversations with students, administrators and instructors at the Escuela Nacional de Folklore Jose Maria Arguedas in Lima, Peru. I contrast two pairs of paradigms, the empírico with the académico and the chivero with the professional in order to show how the “professional folklore musician” is constructed through similarities and differences with these paradigms. For my analysis, I use a coloniality theory framework (Casto-Gomez, 2021; Quijan, 1980, 2000, 2007; Segato 2011, 2022) which considers social …

Consequences Of Teacher Violence Among Musicians, Karla María Reynoso Vargas, Basilio Fernández-Morante

Visions of Research in Music Education

This is a standalone work, but it is complementary to the study, “Teacher violence in university music education: An exploration in a Mexican context.” It presents the analysis of emerging information found in 53 stories of victims of teacher violence in university music programs. We incorporated reflections and contributions from students, professionals, and dropouts of music careers in the Mexican Republic, who voluntarily shared their stories. The first category describes the consequences of teacher violence. On one hand, there were effects interpreted as positive, including the activation of achievement orientation, overexertion, and self-demand. It is pointed out that these consequences …

Teacher Violence In University Music Education: An Exploration In The Mexican Context, Karla María Reynoso Vargas, Basilio Fernández-Morante

Visions of Research in Music Education

This article presents the results of an exploratory phenomenological study aimed at identifying expressions of teacher violence in university music training environments in the Mexican context. We analyzed 53 accounts from students, professionals, and dropouts of music degree programs who studied at universities or conservatories across nine Mexican states and voluntarily shared their testimonies through the Mexican Association of Music Psychology (AMEPSIM). We address sociological assumptions about the dynamics of violence, the socio-educational weight of the conservatory tradition and its potential link to the limited application of contemporary pedagogical principles, as well as the normalization of teacher violence. Various forms …

A Sociological Framework For Spatial Analyses Of Institutional Musicking In Conflict Spaces, Carol Frierson-Campbell

Visions of Research in Music Education

This essay presents a framework that brings spatial sociology together with Small’s (1998, 1999) concept of musicking and Born’s (2011, 2012, 2015) Planes of Music Sociality. It was developed as an analytical scheme for an ongoing case study of musicking via the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM), the national music conservatory of Palestine. Small’s notion of musicking reminds music educators that musicking activities communicate meanings beyond the obvious: Individual and collective ideals about relationships with sound, with other people, and with the spaces they inhabit. Born’s conception of musical socialities as four interacting planes goes beyond Small’s ideas …

The Voices In Our Heads: Interrogating And Unsettling Internalized Ableism In/For Music Education, Juliet Hess

Visions of Research in Music Education

In this article, I grapple with the internalized ableism I have been navigating upon becoming disabled in 2023. The task of this article is to consider the external forces that shape our ideas about disability with particular attention to socialization processes and larger oppressive systems such as neoliberalism. I specifically consider the messages that different representations, ideologies, and structures communicate to the population at large about disability in order to address why these messages are so often internalized in detrimental ways. Exclusion, I argue, is the societal default for disability and I historicize the different movements that have contributed to …

The High School Piccoloist: A Resource Guide, Rebecca Needham

Dissertations, 2020-current

This project aims to curate a piccolo resource guide for high school music educators and their students. Currently, there are limited pedagogical materials available for beginning piccoloists or their music educators, and these materials are primarily scattered across decades of The Instrumentalist and the now-defunct Flute Talk journals. In addition, future band directors are rarely required to study auxiliary instruments like the piccolo in their collegiate coursework. These two factors combine to create a detrimental situation: frequently, neither teacher nor student in a typical high school setting has appropriate resources to understand the instrument and its essential differences from the …

Resonant Cracks In The Music Curriculum: Integrating Social And Emotional Learning In The Secondary Music Classroom, Margaret E. Lerch

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Music education has long been recognized as a subject that encourages student learning beyond the walls of the music classroom. While elementary music programs often foster language development and social awareness, secondary music instruction tends to emphasize performance skills and technical development. The explicit secondary orchestra curriculum for this middle school includes only instrument skill-development standards and learning-target descriptions. In this fourth-marking-period sixth-grade orchestra class, coursework—including students’ journal reflections, classroom dialogue, and comparison soundscape projects—operated intentionally “within the cracks” of the formal curriculum to create opportunities for the students to express and engage with emotions, identity, belonging, empathy, perspective-taking, and …

Afterword: On Reinstating An Arts Agenda In Our Schools, Leonard Slatkin

Music & Musical Performance: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Chapter 4. A Shared Dream, Robert S. Freeman

Music & Musical Performance: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Chapter 3. The Remarkable Career Of Leonard Slatkin, Robert S. Freeman

Music & Musical Performance: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Interlude. A Colloquy On The Future Of Music, Music Education, And The American Orchestra, Robert S. Freeman

Music & Musical Performance: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Chapter 2. Music Education And How To Save The American Orchestra, Robert S. Freeman

Music & Musical Performance: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Chapter 1. A Brief History Of The American Symphony Orchestra And Its Future, Robert S. Freeman

Music & Musical Performance: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Foreword, Mark Adams

Music & Musical Performance: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Music & Musical Performance: An International Journal

The late Robert S. Freeman (1935–2022) was a pianist, conductor, and musicologist, but most of all a major administrator in the field of higher education in music: the director of the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music (for twenty-four years), president of the New England Conservatory, and, finally, dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas (Austin). The present book was intended by Freeman to draw together a number of arguments and suggestions—his own and those of notable American figures in American musical life—that aim at reviving the American symphony orchestra.

Freeman’s four chapters trace …

From Vision To Practice: Developing A Field-Informed Framework For Music Education In Catholic Schools, Melita Mudri-Zubacz

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This study aimed to develop a sustainable and mission-focused framework for music  education in Catholic elementary schools, in order to bridge the gap between the theological ideals of Catholic education and the lack of operational models for its implementation. The problem had significant implications for school leaders, music teachers, and students, as it restricted the potential of the school’s music programs to support the development of Catholic identity and liturgical participation.

The purpose of this study was to develop a field-informed and consensus-driven framework based on Catholic identity, sustainability, and expertise. The conceptual framework for this study integrated theological and …

Student Retention In Music Programs: An Analysis Of Relationships Between Selected Student Demographics And Continued Enrollment In Music Programs With The Presence Of School-Provided Supports, Jessica Wiese

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Music education provides significant cognitive, social, and academic benefits; however, elective music programs often face substantial annual attrition. While existing literature has documented material barriers (e.g., instrument costs, transportation, scheduling conflicts), this study investigates the persistence of attrition within a medium-sized suburban district on Long Island that has systematically mitigated these obstacles. The district provides free instruments, flexible scheduling, and dedicated transportation for all students. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine whether demographic disparities in music enrollment remain predictive of withdrawal in such a post-barrier environment.

The research used a two-phase explanatory sequential design. In the first …

The Impact Of Music Education On Language Acquisition Of English Language Learners, Andrew David Frey-Gould

Theses and Dissertations

Schools continue to face increasing accountability pressures to improve English language proficiency outcomes for English Language Learners (ELLs), while access to arts education, particularly music, has declined in many districts. This study examines whether music education can serve as an effective and equitable support for language development among elementary ELL students. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to determine whether participation in ensemble-based music programs (i.e., band, orchestra, and chorus) is associated with greater gains in English language proficiency than participation in compulsory general music instruction. This study is grounded in Krashen’s Second Language Acquisition theory and Patel’s resource-sharing …

Sight-Singing Requirements Of Choral Festivals: A Fifty-State Comparison Of The Methods Used To Adjudicate Ensemble Literacy, William Griswold Jr

Dissertations

Standardized testing in the United States has permeated all levels of education including the choral music classroom. Across the country, state music organizations have implemented yearly evaluations of high school choral ensembles in which directors prepare choirs to be judged against a particular standard. While many organizations utilize similar methods of evaluating performances at adjudicated choral festivals, the methods used for evaluating sight-singing vary greatly from state to state. Throughout the country, various types of rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic exercises are used to evaluate an ensemble’s ability to sight-sing, however in certain states no form of sight-singing is required for …

Resources For The Beginning And Intermediate Jazz Educator: Reviews Of Modern Resources And Implementation In The Classroom, Bryan Canonigo

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

This document is a compilation and discussion of different modern jazz education resources geared towards beginning and intermediate students. It is intended for the younger high school jazz educator who may have just started their careers and are searching for new(er) resources to aid their teaching and rehearsal techniques. For the seasoned high school jazz educator, this document may suggest additions to their current lesson plans and/or updates to their current resource compilations and rehearsal practices. A primary goal of this document is to suggest ideas to aid these educators in teaching jazz music more wholistically, in small or large …

An Exploration Of The Implementation Of Social-Emotional Lessons In The Secondary Music Ensemble Classroom, Neva Rowland

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) impacts student relationships with themselves, others, and the world around them. The researcher sought to determine the presence, level of awareness, and implementation of social and emotional lessons within the context of music education in 3A or smaller high school bands in Kansas.

An electronic survey questionnaire was emailed in October 2025 to 208 music educators, inviting them to participate. The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) provided the list of band directors at a 3A or smaller high schools. Thirteen participants responded in detail about their observations and opinions regarding SEL in their band ensemble …

Musical Self-Efficacy Through Active Music Listening: A Phenomenological Approach, Amy Marie Fraser

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

Music is often perceived as a talent reserved for the naturally gifted, rather than a fundamental human ability. This study questioned that perception by examining how active music listening can develop musical self-efficacy and reshape attribution beliefs about musical ability. Using a phenomenological approach, this study explored the experiences of students in a university music appreciation course, investigating how structured listening exercises, peer interactions, and reflections contribute to their perceived musical beliefs and competence. Grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and Weiner’s attribution theory, the study considered whether musical engagement can be accessible to all and not limited by perceived talent. …

Too Loud To Ignore: Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Regarding Hearing Protection In Student Musicians And Ensemble Directors, Lucile Donald, Ashley G. Flagge

Ashley Flagge Publications

Musicians are at an elevated risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) due to repeated exposure to sound levels exceeding occupational safety guidelines. Although many strides have been made in educating music students on the potential dangers of noise exposure and the mitigating effects of hearing protection devices, the current attitudes on this topic among high school and college-level student musicians remain largely unknown. An electronic survey was administered to high school (n = 195) and university (n = 161)-level band students and ensemble directors (n = 15) regarding knowledge of noise/music-induced hearing loss (MIHL), personal practices with HPDs, and types …

General Music Pedagogies Through The Lens Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, David Dockan, Carla Aguilar, Martina Vasil, Brent M. Gault, Jason D. Jones, Robin Giebelhausen, Sandra Sanchez Adorno

School of Music Faculty Publications

Common general music pedagogies include Orff-Keetman, Kodály, Dalcroze, Music Learning Theory, and World Music Pedagogy. These approaches engage learners through moving to music, playing instruments, and developing aural skills with repertoire from around the globe. As we look toward the future, general music classroom teachers are working to create engaging and relevant learning spaces. To help make the music classroom relevant for their students, music educators might consider incorporating culturally relevant pedagogy into general music pedagogies. The framework of culturally relevant pedagogy uses academic success, cultural competence, and critical consciousness as pillars for practice. In this article, authors share their …

The Relationship Between Language And Musical Skill Development In Individuals With Complex Communication Needs: Implications For Interprofessional Pedagogical And Research Practice, Lisa Pierce-Goldstein

Educational Studies Dissertations

The relationship between music and language has long fascinated scholars and educators. Observational and experimental research has yielded evidence of music’s positive impact on language development. However, research has largely focused on individuals who primarily use speech to communicate. Individuals with complex communication needs (CCNs), who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to communicate, are underrepresented in the literature.

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between language development and musical skill development in individuals with complex communication needs using alternative assessment tools: the Communication Matrix (CM; i.e., language) and the …

“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 …

Instrumental Teachers And Their Musical And Pedagogical Decisions Around Gender, Caroline Shadman

Honors Scholar Theses

This study investigated how secondary-level band teachers navigate musical and pedagogical decisions related to gender in ensemble classrooms. Prompted by the author’s personal experiences as a female trombonist and the observed underrepresentation of women in band settings, the research explores the ways gender influences repertoire selection and classroom practices. Drawing on semi-structured focus groups with practicing band teachers, findings reveal that while educators generally prioritize student needs in repertoire selection and classroom management, explicit consideration of gender is often limited. Teachers reported that music publisher offerings and district policies significantly influence repertoire choices, frequently resulting in a continued predominance of …

Good Bassoon Reeds: Where And How To Find Them, Mads A. Barajas

2025 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Among bassoonists, it is understood that store-bought bassoon reeds are not manufactured to meet the needs of bassoonists. This study identifies commercial reed brands which permit school age bassoonists to play without unnecessary resistance and response issues, thus increasing awareness of reed selection to reduce formation of bad habits such as biting, improve tone, and reduce reed costs. Three reeds from four of the most common commercial bassoon reed brands were tested, accounting for variability in agricultural goods and handmade products across brands. Crowing, stability and intonation, high note responses, and low note responses were tested on each reed. These …