Music Education Commons^™

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 …

From Tab To Standard Notation, Abigail J. Ferrell

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This poster will be over my Ed TPA portfolio.

Undergraduate Voice Students’ Understanding Of The Vocalize And Its Purpose, Natalie H. Bazemore

Honors College Theses

This research discusses undergraduate voice students' understanding of vocalizes and their purpose. To discuss this subject, a vocalize has been defined along with its purpose analyzed. By discovering what methods voice teachers are using to prescribe vocalizes tells us how they are educating their singers on developing technical singing skills. This research was collected through a survey conducted in Qualtrics and was shared via social media voice teacher forums and collegiate music settings. This 5-10 minute long survey included participants that are either undergraduate voice students or undergraduate voice teachers. The teachers and students completed different surveys, both asking about …

Accountability In The Musical Classroom, Austin Chambers

Music

Once the teacher explains the topic and works with the class, the students must be able to review, either individually or in groups, and make necessary changes to be able to correct themselves. When the topic or lesson is portrayed and explained to the class, the students must be able to observe any different changes they may need to make to what they have observed in themselves. Once they are able to reflect on themselves with little or no teacher support, students can move on to additional topics or the next section of the lesson they are discussing. This can …

Digital Griots Playing Lottery Tickets: A Study Of Hip Hop And Social Transformation In Ghana's #Fixthecountry Movement, Jaime M. Kowlessar

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

On June 28, 2021, activist Ibrahim Mohammed (Macho Kaaka) was murdered in Ejura, Ghana, after using social media to criticize government failures. When protesters demanding justice were shot by security forces, politically engaged Ghanaian hip hop artists refused silence, contributing to Ghana’s #FixTheCountry movement—the nation’s largest youth mobilization in a generation. Yet scholarly debates about how hip hop contributes to social change remain unresolved, divided between those celebrating its activist potential and those critiquing its limitations. This dissertation introduces the lottery ticket theory as an alternative framework for understanding cultural activism’s relationship to political transformation. Rather than asking whether hip …

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 …

A Curriculum To Cultivate Whole Musicians: A New Approach To Aural Skills Instructions Promoting Student Success In Other Music Classrooms, Caden J. Hirsch

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

The following thesis is founded on the construction of a new undergraduate aural skills curriculum. While many aural skills methods may exploit some varieties in exercise and assessment formats, this method attends to and prioritizes the advantages of those formats more purposefully, thus being more transparent toward students in their learning and introducing certain agency they may hold in their studies.

Students undergo a 5-semester curriculum in this method, organized into a fundamentals semester, and Aural Skills courses 1, 2, 3, and 4, the last of which is split into two modular options. Students who participate in this curriculum are …

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 …

White Supremacy In Music Theory Academia, Tristan Gianelli

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper explores the history of music theory academia in the West, and examines the hierarchical power structures from which music theory pedagogy was constructed.

Exploring Pedagogical Approaches And Discussion For Young Beginner Double Bass Players, Jiaying Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, early childhood education for the double bass has gained increasing attention and plays a crucial role in shaping the future development of the instrument. However, compared to other instruments, research on early childhood education for the double bass remains relatively underdeveloped, with a lack of written materials on the subject. This thesis introduces the formation of early childhood teaching concepts and explains why parents play an irreplaceable role in a child’s initial exposure to music learning. By collecting and analyzing traditional double bass teaching methods and integrating common principles from other string instrument teaching approaches, this study …

Audiotactile Music Theory And Jazz Education: Historical And Pedagogical Perspectives, Stéphane Audard

The IASJ Journal of Applied Jazz Research

The Audiotactile Music Theory offers new perspectives for considering the issues associated with the institutionalization of jazz education and the gradual transition from informal transmission situations to formalized curricula. The aim of this article is to show how certain central the concepts of the ‘Audiotactile Music Theory’ can be used in a dual historical and pedagogical perspective, to overcome certain dichotomies that structure discourses on jazz teaching at different times: written/oral, formal/informal and art/popular music. The Audiotactile Music Theory also allows us to question the place of jazz in music teaching institutions today, and our own pedagogical practice.

The Shape(S) Of Jazz To Come. Jazz Studies, Interpretation, Theory And Education Research Project, Ricardo Pinheiro

The IASJ Journal of Applied Jazz Research

Jazz Studies: interpretation, theory and education is a research project developed at Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa, Polytechnic University of Lisbon, that involved the collaboration between the Jazz and Composition Departments. The focus of the project coordinated by Ricardo Pinheiro (with the collaboration of Carlos Caires and Carlos Marecos) was to rethink artistic research outputs in the field of jazz studies, questioning the hegemony of the current musicological paradigm (Cook, 2014; Pinheiro and Caires 2019; Pinheiro, Caires and Neto 2024), and to explore the broad academic, scientific and artistic scope that this field can provide.

Dalcroze Eurhythmics: Origin, Development, And Considerations For The Choral Program, Leanna B. Iddings

Visions of Research in Music Education

This literature review describes the origin and development of Dalcroze Eurhythmics and the implications of utilizing this approach in the choral rehearsal. This information aims to equip choral directors with knowledge about how Eurhythmics can benefit their pedagogical practices and students’ experiences in choir. Émile Jaques-Dalcroze developed Eurhythmics in the late 19th century to facilitate profound musical learning experiences through mind and body integration. Current literature supports that the three Eurhythmics branches (rhythmics, solfège, and improvisation) can be applied to the choral setting and can impact student engagement, enjoyment, and musical achievement in the choral rehearsal (Butke & Frego, 2021; …

Purpose Makes Practice: Testing The Efficacy Of A Proposed Framework For Teaching Self-Regulation Skills In The Violin Lesson, Hannah Kabrick

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Development of self-regulatory (SR) skills in musicians is crucial for the self- examination necessary for successful practice. Teaching methods that facilitate SR skills can help musicians become independent in the practice room. The first aim of this study was to design a framework for teaching that includes a five-step thinking-action sequence that will allow participants to evaluate their own playing during practice and equips them to enact necessary changes to their technique to bring their playing closer to a more proficient result. The second aim of this study was to use microanalysis with a cross-case comparative design to test the …

Orff: How His Pedagogy In Early Music Education Came To Be And What Influences Projected His Philosophy Into Popularity Amongst Music Educators, Zachary Gnall

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

Carl Orff, a profound music educator, composer, and musician of his time, developed his methodology of teaching early music to young students in the 1920’s. This pedagogy, known as Orff-Schulwerk or simply the Orff Approach, encompasses a student’s ability to use movement, drama, and speech within the context of music to create an engaging and cognitively engaged environment for the students, similar to that of their typical play times. Orff, alongside his colleague Gunild Keetman, developed this approach with through scrutiny over his involvement with the Nazi party, albeit indirect, just after The Great War ended.

Dear Lee, Marsha Baxter

Visions of Research in Music Education

Lee often invited us to look back and reflect on our thinking and experiences in her classes at Teachers College through an assignment she called the Dear Lee letter. I chose this informal narrative to capture some of the ways her pedagogy and perspectives shaped—and continue to shape—my work in the classroom.

Approaching Fifth To Sixth Grade Flute Pedagogy Considering Vark Learning Styles Model, Julie Vanderlugt

Senior Honors Theses

The benefits of learning an instrument for childhood development intersecting with the positive growth trend in homeschooled families generates increased demand in value for supporting resources. Creating resources that would include learning styles defined by the VARK model (Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, Kinesthetic) designed to engage students during their particular developmental stage enhances at-home music education. The compiled research surrounding VARK learning styles and flute specific pedagogy would provide a foundation for specialized flute exercises and activities for fifth to sixth grade students learning to play the flute in a homeschooled or private lesson setting. The structure of the thesis is …

Walking Carefully Towards Bridging The Gap: Exploring Australian Music Educator Voices About Teaching Indigenous Music, Dawn Joseph, Bradley Merrick

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Facilitating an inclusive pedagogy to close the gap that exists within the teaching of Indigenous Knowledge in Australia is a tall order for many teachers. This paper draws on responses to a national study and explores how music educators include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music and culture into their practice. An online survey (December 2022-February 2023, N=109) informed the findings. Using thematic analysis, two themes (teaching challenges and opportunities, and bridging the gap) are discussed and key recommendations offered. Findings suggest that walking carefully towards bridging the gap is an opportunity for educational change in contemporary Australian classrooms.

The Kodály Method: Valid Or Missing The Mark For Developing A Musicking Musician?, Maggie Johnston

Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Student Scholarship

In the ever-evolving world of music education, a handful of “methods” have been identified as favorites, mainly Orff, Suzuki, Dalcroze, and Kodály. These are used in whole or in part in classroom and private music instruction, based on an expected understanding that they produce results. However, these methods are often used without regard for the quality of their delivery, and are relied upon without consideration for the context in which they are delivered. Many music educators are speaking up and analyzing their own teaching, conducting studies, and bettering their understanding of the principles behind these methods. It is from this …

Development And Pedagogy Of Vocal Jazz Ensembles According To Illinois High School Choral Directors: Perspectives, Andrew Baguisa Evangelista

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore instructional strategies and participation concerns regarding vocal jazz ensembles according to high school choral directors in Illinois who lead their schools’ vocal jazz programs. High school choir directors without jazz experience often recognize the need to expand their performance and pedagogical abilities in jazz and access to vocal jazz repertory; however, professional development opportunities in Illinois’ music education organization have yet to offer guidance. This leaves choral directors without jazz experience little insight on how to familiarize themselves with jazz styles, pertinent pedagogical ideas, and how to apply available resources towards the …

Use Of Rhythm Video Games As A Tool For Rhythmic Listening In Elementary School Music Students, Jennifer Webber

LSU Master's Theses

This posttest-only control group study sought to examine how rhythm video games, through the use of the rhythm game Rhythm Heaven, affect the rhythmic skills of elementary music students, in order to determine if rhythm video games are acceptable supplementary materials for aiding beginning music students in learning rhythm. Research questions were 1) Are participants who receive the rhythm game treatment able to reproduce rhythms more accurately than participants who do not do not receive the treatment? 2) Can participants who play a rhythm game more accurately imitate longer rhythms than those who do not play a rhythm game? 3) …

A Synthesis Of Contemporary Music Composition Pedagogy Practices For The Undergraduate And Graduate Level Sequences, And An Exploration Of Time, Sound, And Space: An Aleatoric Event Score In Collaboration With The Lsu Museum Of Art, Jeremi Wayne Edwards

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two parts. The first part consists of a synthesis of contemporary music composition pedagogy practices for the undergraduate and graduate level sequences. A conversation of the study of music composition pedagogy is used to investigate current pedagogical practices in music composition and present those findings as a resource guide for new and future teachers. The second part presents an Exploration of Time, Sound, and Space, an Aleatoric Event Score Collaboration with the LSU Museum of Art. This event score is a product of the development of this dissertation commenced with a straightforward question; can we experience/consume …

Music Theory Pedagogy For The Violin: Cognitive Philosophy And Three Model Curricula, Morganne J. Mcintyre

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Violin playing promotes a connection between mind and body that allows the performer to internalize, or embody, tactile features of the instrument, such as the distance between strings, the feeling of the fingertips on the fingerboard, the interval size between notes, and many other aspects. This thesis designs a pedagogy that employs the violin’s physical attributes to provide the beginning through advanced player with a deeper understanding of music theory. The thesis suggests pairing of physical learning and musical theory at each stage of a violinist’s musical education. Chapter 1 surveys embodied cognition and cognitive artifacts. Chapter 2 applies these …

“This Rigid Curricular Way”: Evaluating Expectations In Collegiate Music Education, Sophie Ailsa Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conversations surrounding curricular reform are abound in music education today. Much of the literature on this topic explores how professors can adapt their teaching practices to the presumed needs of students in the classroom, but student voices are infrequently centered in these discussions.

This thesis examines the study of music in the collegiate setting from the student perspective. Using a survey which I designed and interviews that I conducted, I examine the disconnect between student values and those of the institutions they attend. I then put these student perspectives in conversation with existing literature.

I discovered that student experiences revolve …

Constructivist Peer Review In Music Theory And Composition Courses: Technologies And Practice, Brendan Mcconville

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

This article considers the supporting technologies and practices for effective semi-anonymous peer review in traditional music theory and composition-related courses: orchestration, arranging, and composition. A coordinated approach probes two questions nested within one broad case study: (1) does the use of peer review in music theory and composition-related courses create meaningful, constructivist-inspired learning experiences, and (2) what web technologies can efficiently and effectively accomplish its activities? The article first provides a constructivist theoretical framework; next, it explains the methodologies, technologies, and resulting feedback from using peer review in a three-course study; and finally it provides concluding remarks on the many …

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 …

Amateurism In Music Education (1967-2019): Three Calls To Action, Tom Fitzstephens

Visions of Research in Music Education

John Kratus’ 2019 Music Educators Journal article "A Return to Amateurism in Music Education" contained what many may interpret as radical ideas to focus music education curriculum and instruction on amateurism. But upon further research, leaders within the profession have consistently affirmed the goals of amateurism. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare themes of Kratus’ concept of amateurism with declarative statements of the two most recent National Association for Music Education leadership summits, which charted the profession's future. Directed content analysis method and deductive content analysis of Kratus’ "Amateurism" article, compared to declarative reports of the …

A Pedagogical Approach To The Technical Aspects Of Eugène Ysaÿe’S Solo Violin Sonatas No. 5 And No. 6, Jianda Bai

Dissertations, 2020-current

Since the completion of Ysaÿe’s Six Sonatas for the Solo Violin in 1923, performances of this important work in the violin literature have continually been well received by the public. This collection is frequently compared with J.S. Bach’s Six Sonatas and Partitas for the Solo Violin, because of the clear connection between these two works. Each of Ysaÿe’s pieces were dedicated to six younger violinist contemporaries and were composed in consideration of the character of the dedicatee, forming a kaleidoscope of musical and technical delights for both the performer and their audience.

While each of Ysaÿe’s six sonatas offer …

Content Analysis Of Guitar Repertoire For Young People: The Michelson And Suzuki Collections, Brian Douglas Berlin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The guitar is a popular instrument choice in music education; however, most school guitar teachers in the United States neither majored on the instrument nor took a university guitar methods class. These self-taught teachers often rely on trial and error to select repertoire. Effective music curriculum design relies on teachers' ability to select and sequence proper repertoire based on student ability. Through exploration of the existing literature, deficiencies were found in guitar teacher training, pedagogy for young guitar students, and repertoire evaluation. In this study, the author analyzed two collections of printed guitar music in standard notation. The analysis yielded …

Music In Steam: Beyond Notes, Hao Huang

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Given current debates about STEAM, it would be well to remember that more than five centuries before STEM was conceived, the original Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci, wrote in one of his notebooks that "To develop a complete mind, study the science of art, study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else." (Spong 2006) A discussion of the effectiveness of teaching music and its accompanying technology in conjunction with math and the science education follows. .Given the recent shift from in-classroom teaching to online instruction compelled by the Covid 19 pandemic, an …