Music Pedagogy Commons^™

A Survey Of Elementary And Secondary Music Educators’ Professional Background, Teaching Responsibilities And Job Satisfaction In The United States, Wendy K. Matthews, Karen Koner

Research & Issues in Music Education

The focus of this exploratory study was to examine the current trends of K – 12 music educators in the United States regarding their (a) professional background, (b) classroom teaching responsibilities, and (c) job satisfaction. Participants included seven thousand four hundred and sixty-three (N = 7,463) currently employed music teachers who were members of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) during the 2015 – 2016 academic year. To assess the variables, participants responded to a researcher created 49-item Music Educator Survey for K – 12 Teachers. Results indicate that overall, K – 12 music educators were predominately Caucasian …

Music Education From Birth To Five: An Examination Of Early Childhood Educators’ Music Teaching Practices, Jonathan Bolduc, Melanie Evrard

Research & Issues in Music Education

Children from birth to five are generally enthusiastic about music. However, because many early-childhood educators (ECEs) feel that they have insufficient knowledge to foster musical development, music education practices are not equivalent across ECEs. This study aimed to identify and determine the frequency of music activities used by ECEs. In all, 108 French Canadian ECEs (N = 108 women) from mixed areas (urban and rural) participated in the study. All participants completed an online questionnaire addressing their music education practices. The data analysis considered three profiles: 1) ECEs with little musical knowledge, 2) ECEs with good musical knowledge, and …

Predictive Ability From Eportfolios Of Student Achievement Associated With Professional Teaching Standards: An Exploratory Case Study, Phillip Payne, Frederick Burrack

Research & Issues in Music Education

This exploratory case study, focused on a music teacher preparation program, examined the coursework ePortfolios of pre-service music teachers to determine if any parts of the ePortfolio process predicted teaching effectiveness in the classroom during the student teaching semester. Sixty-five undergraduate pre-service music teachers made up the sample of the study. Data collected for each student consisted of coursework ePortfolios, summative student teaching assessments from both elementary and secondary placements, and selected licensure-related requirements as mandated by the state board of education. Multiple regression analyses revealed significant relationships between ePortfolio performance and student teaching assessments. Specifically, student teacher reflections (as …

Children’S Musical Empowerment In Two Composition Task Designs, Elizabeth Bucura, Julieanne Weissberg

Research & Issues in Music Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary students’ creating processes and perspectives through composition. Two fourth-grade classes took part in this action research, which consisted of creating four compositions—two with acoustic instruments and two with computer software. For each of the two sound sources, the first composition was written with specified constraints and the second with freedom. Research questions included: 1) how do students respond to composition tasks with differing levels of freedom and constraint; and 2) how does composing in different group sizes impact composition? Data included field notes, recordings, student interviews, and response forms. Major themes …

Overwhelmed, Overworked, And Under-Appreciated: A Mixed Methods Study Of Undergraduate Music Education Students, John P. Riley

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The primary purpose of this study was to compare burnout levels of college music education students by National Association for Music Education division, year in school, primary instrument, and certification track (i.e., instrumental, vocal, general). The secondary purpose of the study was to examine relationships among perceived burnout, academic, and personal variables. Moreover, in this study I explored participants’ experiences with burnout, why participants think burnout occurs, and how participants try to combat burnout. Respondents were 320 undergraduate students studying music education across the United States. Results revealed percussion students exhibited the highest levels of emotional exhaustion. Juniors reported the …

Finding Jean-Blaise Martin: An Italianate Approach For A Modernized Baryton-Martin Fach, Aaron D. Agulay

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The voice type or ‘fach’ baryton-Martin was named for Nicolas Jean-Blaise Martin (1768–1837), a French baritone celebrated for his agile voice, brilliant timbre, and extensive range. Historical accounts described his voice as having the depth of a bass-baritone with a tenorial upper range. Unfortunately, with the departure of Martin and the evolution of voice types during the bel canto era, this particular voice category fell out of favor. However, there is a voice type that successfully evolved and survived the bel canto era: the modern lyric tenor. The manner in which we have grown accustomed to hearing singers of this …

The Origins And Development Of The Euphonium Concerto With Brass Band, Joel M. Collier

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Since shortly after its invention, the euphonium has been utilized as a solo instrument, both in chamber music settings with piano, and with large ensembles such as brass bands and wind bands. However, it was not until the composition of Joseph Horovitz’s Euphonium Concerto in 1972 that the euphonium was genuinely regarded as a serious solo instrument in the brass band, capable of performing large-scale, substantial works.

In the following two decades, several composers wrote concerti for euphonium and brass band, each building on the technical demands of their predecessors. Their contributions established the basis of the genre, and also …

The Creation Of A Skills-Based Grading System For Solo Trumpet Repertoire, Charles R. Ahlhorn

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This research organizes a sample of solo trumpet literature, selected from state music educators associations’ repertoire lists, into a bi-level, skills-based grading system. At the first level of classification, each work is assigned an overall difficulty rating of 1, 2, or 3, with the latter being the most demanding category. The second level of classification evaluates the requirements of each work in six particular skill areas: range, rhythm and meter, articulation, flexibility, endurance, and phrasing. The rating scale for these parameters ascends from 1 to 5, where 1 represents beginner-level skills and 5 connotes virtuoso-caliber challenges.

The goal of this …

Vibrato Rate In Female Opera Singers And Female Sertanejo Singers, Melissa Mccann

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

The aim of this study was to compare female vibrato rates in two styles of singing, western classical and sertanejo. This study was conducted in order to determine if different technical approaches yield a different mean vibrato rate in female singers. Examples were taken from well-known, operatic sopranos and popular female sertanejo singers. The program Vocevista was used to gain quantitative data on the singers’ vibrato rates and vibrato extent. A purpose of this study is to determine if the findings of similar mean vibrato rate for tenors singing in operatic and sertanejo genres, also hold true for female vocalists …

Effective Elements Of Conducting: A Study Of High School Orchestra Directors, Matthew J. Brooks

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how effectively current high school orchestra directors demonstrate the elements of conducting. To do this, I first selected what elements of conducting would be evaluated and then defined what is effective for each. From this, I created a conductor evaluation form consisting of a 1-Not Effective to 5-Effective rating scale to score how effectively each element is demonstrated. The results would later address the primary research questions:

1. What elements of conducting do high school orchestra directors demonstrate most effectively?
2. What elements of conducting do high school orchestra directors demonstrate least effectively?

Current …

Use Your Words: A Lyrical Guide To The Opera-Inspired Paraphrases Of Antonino Pasculli (1842-1924), Aaron S. Hill

Dissertations, 2014-2019

There are currently ten available works by Antonino Pasculli (1842-1924) for solo oboe or English horn and accompaniment inspired by themes from nineteenth-century operas by Bellini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer, and Verdi. These pieces are so virtuosic that Pasculli has been dubbed the “Paganini of the Oboe.” The technical demands can be so high that performers can neglect to approach artistic and scholarly interpretation of his lyrical passages. Some editions of his music list the referenced act and scene number from the original source. No existing editions include complete text from the original vocal excerpts or the context from the plots of …

What Do I Assume? An Applied Lesson Approach Integrating Critical Thinking And Student-Directed Learning, Ayn T. Balija

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The applied music lesson remains a revered symbol of Western European tradition in American music education. Very little research exists assessing its continued viability as a method in its current form. This paper examines eight author observed assumptions about applied music lessons which flaw the learning process. Through available research, the assumptions demonstrate that the traditional applied lesson is teacher centered and difficult to assess. Exposing the resultant delusions of the eight assumptions reveals how a holistic approach in a studio can engage students in critical thinking and enhance student self-awareness. These primary goals place the educational emphasis on the …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Middle School Handbell Participants, Debbie Rohwer

Research & Issues in Music Education

The purpose of the current study was to describe the process of music learning and the perceptions of members in a school-based middle school handbell setting. The participants were 39 students and one music teacher in a middle school in Texas. The design of the current study was a case study using observation and interview data. The results highlight a successful middle school handbell ensemble setting that could be used as a model for a different form of music learning environment than the traditional options generally found in the schools. The study describes the practices and perceptions of a handbell …

“If It Fits Into Their Culture, Then They Will Have A Connection”: Experiences Of Two Latina Students In A Select High School Choir, Joshua Palkki

Research & Issues in Music Education

In the United States, Latino/a students are underrepresented in secondary school music programs (Elpus & Abril, 2011). By understanding the needs of Latino/a students, music educators can create programs that will better serve this student population. This intrinsic case study chronicles the experiences of Cassandra and Elena, two students enrolled in a high school choir in a mid-sized Midwestern community. The main research questions were: (a) Which lived experiences of these Latino/a students play a role in school choral music, and (b) Which elements of culturally relevant pedagogy have played a role in choral music education of these two students? …

The Variety Show: Why Classical String Musicians Are Exploring A Multistyle Approach To Teaching, Kelly C. Wiedemann

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The Variety Show: Why Classical String Musicians are

Exploring a Multistyle Approach to Music

Kelly C. Wiedemann

This case study examines the experiences of five classically trained string teachers who now include alternative styles in their teaching. The research questions are: (1) What factors inspire a classically trained string educator to begin teaching alternative styles to their students? (2) Why is it important to keep classical music in string pedagogy? (3) How have these teachers, their peers, students, and community reacted to multistylism? The interviews revealed four major points of motivation: Opportunities for developing creativity and finding a personal voice …

Call For Papers, Bruce Gleason

Research & Issues in Music Education

St. Augustine Symposium on the History of Music Education

Flagler College, St. Augustine, Florida

May 28 – 31, 2014

CALL FOR PAPERS, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, AND PERFORMANCES

The Relationship Between Collegiate Band Members’ Preferences Of Teacher Interpersonal Behavior And Perceived Self-Efficacy, Natalie Steele Royston

Research & Issues in Music Education

The purposes of this study were to describe collegiate band members’ preferred teacher interpersonal behaviors and perceptions of self-efficacy based on the gender, year in college, instrument, and major and to measure the relationship between preferences of interpersonal teacher behavior and self-efficacy scores. The sample (N = 1,020) was composed of band members at 12 universities from different regions of the United States. Participants completed the Teacher Interaction Preference Questionnaire (TIPQ) and the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SEQ). Descriptive statistics were calculated for each of the questionnaires. Results for the TIPQ showed that all sub-groups most preferred the dominant-cooperative behaviors, followed …

A Community Of Peer Interactions As A Resource To Prepare Music Teacher Educators, Jihae Shin

Research & Issues in Music Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate interactions between two doctoral students and their colleagues in a graduate music education program and determine how a community of peer interactions functions as a resource to prepare music teacher educators. Results of this study showed that peer interactions between two participants and other students in graduate classes demonstrated characteristics of communities of practice (Wenger, 1998). The domain was the commonality of working as full-time music educators at the college-level and wanting to be better music teacher educators. While reflecting on this common goal, they developed a shared repertoire including their own …

Curriculum Reform In Rural China: An Exploratory Case Study, Patricia E. Riley

Research & Issues in Music Education

This case study consisted of an examination of the perspectives of students, teachers, and administrators at the Shuangling Primary School, a rural Chinese school in Shaanxi Province, as they relate to themes of China’s most recent curricular reform efforts. The intent was to understand these perspectives and determine how to best assist teachers in rural primary schools in Shaanxi Province, and perhaps more broadly in other rural Chinese primary schools, in implementing the themes outlined in the reform document (Ministry of Education of the Peoples’ Republic of China, 2010). Researcher narrative describes this exploration, and data include student, teacher, and …

High School Band Students’ Perspectives Of Teacher Turnover, Thomas E. Kloss

Research & Issues in Music Education

Teacher turnover remains an important issue in education. The least researched perspectives, though, are those of the students who experience teacher turnover. The purpose of this study was to examine how high school band students experience teacher turnover. A total of twelve students were interviewed, representing three schools that experienced a teacher turnover that year. Students were asked to give advice to teachers leaving a program, teachers coming to a new program, and for students who learn that their teacher is leaving. The study shows that reactions to teacher change vary, and that there is more to the turnover process …

Assessment In Music Education: Relationships Between Classroom Practice And Professional Publication Topics, Sarah H. Mcquarrie, Ronald G. Sherwin

Research & Issues in Music Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between actual current assessment practices of elementary music teachers and the assessment topics as published in the literature aimed at those teachers. Specifically, this study sought to: 1) identify the current assessment techniques utilized by elementary music teachers; 2) identify the types of assessment techniques included in the current music teacher literature, and 3) identify any relationships between the assessment techniques that are most frequently utilized by teachers and those that are most frequently included in teacher-focused music education publications.

The researchers first examined data collected from the 100 elementary …

Preferences Of And Attitudes Toward Treble Choral Ensembles, Jill M. Wilson

Research & Issues in Music Education

In choral ensembles, a pursuit where females far outnumber males, concern exists that females are being devalued. Attitudes of female choral singers may be negatively affected by the gender imbalance that exists in mixed choirs and by the placement of the mixed choir as the most select ensemble in a program. The purpose of this research was to determine student and choral educator perceptions of and attitudes toward treble clef choral ensembles.

Results support the existence of a stigma toward treble clef choirs as second-place ensembles. A majority of students who were surveyed and interviewed chose the mixed choir as …

How Participants Envision Community Music In Welsh Men’S Choirs, Debbie Rohwer, Mark Rohwer

Research & Issues in Music Education

The purpose of this study was to describe choristers’ perceptions of Welsh men’s choir participation. Four choirs were observed in concert and rehearsal settings across Wales. Focus group interviews were conducted with between 4 and 10 members in each of the 4 choral settings for a total of 24 total interview respondents. The interviewees had a spread of years of male choir participation, from 4 months to 47 years, and a spread of ages, with members ranging in age from 32 to 89. The interview questions were designed to be flexible, yet focused. An interview guide was organized with a …

Composition Instruction And Cognitive Performance: Results Of A Pilot Study, Jennifer Bugos, Edward Jacobs

Research & Issues in Music Education

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a composition program, Composers in Public Schools (CiPS), on cognitive skills essential for academic success. The underlying hypothesis is that composition instruction will promote creative expression and increase performance on music-specific skills such as music reading, as well as foster general analytical/aural skill development associated with vocabulary, arithmetic, and processing speed abilities. Two sixth-grade classes assigned to the experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 13) groups completed a series of standardized neuropsychological and cognitive assessments pre and post-instruction. Results of a Repeated Measures ANOVA (Group …

Himie Voxman: His Contributions To Music Education, Bruce Gleason

Research & Issues in Music Education

Himie Voxman is a name few instrumental teachers and students of the past fifty years would fail to recognize. His method books and arrangements are in school districts and private studios across the United States, serving as a testimony to his influence as a teacher, scholar, editor and arranger. His life and career as a prominent U.S. music educator is certainly worthy of the attention of anyone with an interest in the history of American music education.

Spirituality And Synagogue Music: A Case Study Of Two Synagogue Music Ensembles, Carol Shansky

Research & Issues in Music Education

Participation in community music ensembles is an important and popular form of music education—with members of ensembles that perform within religious services having the opportunity of experiencing a possible extra dimension of a spiritual experience. Thus the intent of this study was to survey adult choir and band members at Temple Emeth in Teaneck, New Jersey, USA in terms of connections between music performance, educational experiences and spirituality. Thoughts and reflections of the participants as well as those of the clergy and choir director were gained through qualitative, open-ended interviews. Overall, it was found that participating in a synagogue musical …

Review Of Menc Handbook Of Research On Music Learning (Vols. 1 & 2), Oxford University Press, 2011, Edited By Richard Colwell And Peter Webster., Nathan Buonviri

Research & Issues in Music Education

Music educators and researchers regularly seek new ideas and current information about effective teaching and learning at all levels of instruction. The vast quantity of completed studies, and the time required to review, edit, and publish them, often puts readers at a disadvantage when trying to collect and organize current, relevant literature on a given topic. The MENC Handbook of Research on Music Learning provides excellent syntheses of the most recent research on multiple topics with “a laserlike focus on what is at present known about learning [italics added for emphasis] in music” (p. v).

This handbook provides a thorough, …

Notes From The Editor, Bruce Gleason

Research & Issues in Music Education

I’m having difficulty believing that I’m writing notes for the tenth anniversary issue of Research and Issues in Music Education.  What began as an experiment a dozen plus years ago seems to have caught on, and I’m grateful for our editorial board, web managers, contributors and to our readership—all of whom have made this possible. It’s been quite a decade and I’m looking forward to seeing where the next one takes us.

Notes From The Editor, Bruce Gleason

Research & Issues in Music Education

As the editorial board presents the ninth issue of Research and Issues in Music Education, I’m reminded that teaching and learning have been going on for a very long time, and that there are all kinds of ways to undertake these tasks with new ways of teaching being constantly developed—but that the musical functions with which Merriam challenged us remain as true now as they did when he published them in 1964. An examination of the variety of this issue’s topics indicates that student, teacher, composer, conductor, professor and audience member all have much at stake as we continue …

The Identification Of Conductor-Distinguished Functions Of Conducting, Alan J. Gumm, Sharyn L. Battersby, Kathryn L. Simon, Andrew E. Shankles

Research & Issues in Music Education

The purpose of the present study was to identify whether conductors distinguish functions of conducting similarly to functions implied in previous research. A sample of 84 conductors with a full range of experience levels (M = 9.8) and of a full range of large ensemble types and ensemble age levels rated how much they pay attention to 82 research-derived conducting considerations as they conduct. The subject-to-variable ratio was smaller than advisable for factor analysis, yet the representatively diverse sample provided reliable ratings (a = .95) and factor results that corroborate traditional music-related functions—Mechanical Precision Function and Expressive Function—and …