Instrumental Music Education: Teaching with the Musical and Practical in Harmony
This article introduces samulnori (Korean percussion ensemble), its cultural background, and instructional methods as parts of a classroom approach to teaching upper-level general music. We introduce five of eight sections from youngnam nong-ak (a style of samulnori) as a repertoire for teaching Korean percussion music to beginners in general music classrooms. When playing samulnori, students will learn the origin of this music, the symbolism of each instrumental timbre, yin yang philosophy, and oral and aural music practices. In addition, students will have opportunities to participate in a type of song writing that originates from Korean farmers’ chanting. To help music teachers learn to use samulnori in the classroom, video clips are provided. Music teachers can encourage students to engage in Korean percussion ensemble using classroom or handmade instruments if traditional Korean ones are unavailable.
The primary purpose of this study was to investigate relationships among impulsivity, achievement goal motivation, and the performance achievement of high school wind players (N = 60). An additional purpose was to examine how impulsivity and achievement goal motivation were related to observed practice behaviors. Subjects practiced in three, 25-minute sessions and completed the Eysenck Impulsiveness7 Questionnaire (Eysenck, Pearson, Easting, & Allsop, 1985) as well as a researcher-adaptation of the Elliot and McGregor (2001) 2 × 2 Achievement Goal Questionnaire. Reliability for the impulsivity and achievement goal sub-scales, performance ratings, and observed behaviors ranged from adequate to excellent. Results showed significant (p < .01) curvilinear growth in performance achievement with rapid gains made across day one, a peak in the rate of improvement at day two, and a plateau at day three. Impulsiveness, venturesomeness, and mastery-approach motivation were significant predictors of performance achievement. Multi-level model analyses indicated that including venturesomeness and mastery-approach as simultaneous predictors explained 19% of the variance among subjects' initial performance achievement scores. Small correlations were detected between impulsiveness and the behaviors whole-part-whole and slowing and between mastery-goal motivation and skipping directly to or just before the critical musical sections of the etude.
For the past several decades, education researchers have devoted a lot of time, energy, and practice to gaining an understanding of literacy and the cognitive processes that control it. This research has developed, evidence has converged around certain findings, and teaching methods for reading and literacy have changed for the better because of it. Unfortunately the information and research, by and large, has not trickled out of the realm of reading education. Nevertheless, there is a great deal that teachers of Classical languages can learn and gain from an understanding of the ideas that have evolved from this research. After all, reading is a key component to any Latin or Greek classroom, regardless of whether the teacher espouses a reading method, a traditional grammar-translation method, or an approach that focuses more on productive proficiency. By using the products of the past years of literacy research, Latin and Greek teachers can perform better as educators, since they will have a stronger construct for how reading works as a cognitive process and they will be more able to provide students with help and support by isolating problem skills and developing activities specifically to remedy those issues.
Cunningham, A.E., & Ryan O’Donnell, C. (2015). Teacher Knowledge in Early Literacy. In Alexander Pollatsek & Rebecca Treiman (Eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Reading. (pp. 447-462). New York: Oxford University Press.
In order to prepare pre-service teachers and meet the needs of practitioners in the field, music teacher educators need resources to guide the development of curriculum, specific courses, professional development workshops, and other environments where composition education can begin, grow, and flourish. With chapters ranging from practical information to solid theory to useful best practice examples, Composing Our Future offers fresh insight into composition in music education from authors who are directly engaged in this work.
Minds on Music provides pre-service and practicing music educators with the tools
and understanding to successfully engage children in music composition. It offers a rationale for the presence of composition in music education programs and a thorough review of what is known of children’s compositional practices. Assessment and the creation of compositional communities are discussed. Separate chapters addressing pedagogical concerns are organized by grades K-2, 3-4, 5-6, middle school and high school (classroom and ensemble). The final chapter outlines what a composition program would look like if created in parallel to a 5-12 instrumental music program in American schools.
The purpose of this multiple case study was to gather musical and nonmusical perspectives from three experts on teaching Black gospel music in the African American aural-oral tradition. Research questions included: (a) What is the process Black gospel music experts engage in when preparing for and teaching gospel music in the aural-oral tradition? (b) In the view of Black gospel music experts, how does race intersect with the preparation, teaching, and performance of gospel music? (c) How do Black gospel music experts advocate for incorporating gospel music into public school vocal music programs? Participants were purposively selected, and data collection included observations, researcher-singer participation, and multiple interviews. Expert agreement emerged regarding teaching processes as a nonmusical “state of being” deeply infused with cultural, community, and spiritual values. Rehearsals were uninterrupted musical experiences with limited nonverbal instruction made possible from robust aural-oral immersion preparation. While participants insisted race was not a prerequisite for engagement in gospel music, they agreed the influence and mediation of race plays an active role, citing the proliferation of anti-Blackness in the academy as foremost among the barriers to rigorous preparation to teach Black gospel music. Experts advocated for teaching gospel music in schools to offer students the opportunity to participate in the accessible, inclusive, participatory, and communal experience available in gospel music.
Hermann von Helmholtz (1821–94) was a leading scientist who made important contributions to physiology, psychology, physics, philosophy and early neuroscience. Following his foundational work in ophthalmics during the 1850s, he became Professor of Physiology at Heidelberg and, in 1863, published On the Sensations of Tone. This investigation into the physical theory of music remains a central text for the study of physiological acoustics and aesthetics. In it, Helmholtz applies physics, anatomy and physiology. He explains how tones are built from a base tone with upper partial tones, and his later discussions on consonance and musical scales develop this theory and discuss how the ear perceives these tones. His work on consonance and dissonance was of particular interest to composers and musicologists well into the twentieth century. This English translation, published in 1875 from the third German edition, retains the original's straightforward language, making this classic work accessible to non-specialists.
Culturally responsive pedagogy in music education is becoming increasingly crucial for all students, in all types of music programs, and at all levels of education as demographic shifts occur in schools. In music ensembles, the selection of repertoire is a critical component of culturally responsive pedagogy. The purpose of this study was to investigate student perceptions of repertoire in college music ensembles. This study was guided by the following research questions: (a) Do students perceive current ensemble repertoire as representative and supportive of their self-identities? (b) What are these perceptions according to students’ race or ethnicity, gender, and ensemble type? (c) What factors do students consider important in directors’ selection of repertoire? (d) How are directors’ current repertoire selection practices, as experienced by the respondents, informed by or responsive to gender and racial diversity in the ensembles? Respondents ( N = 278) were graduate and undergraduate college students enrolled in band, choir, or orchestra. Data were collected through an online questionnaire. Overall, respondents felt that current repertoire practices were representative and supportive, although male respondents rated composer gender as lower in importance in repertoire selection than both females and those not identifying as male or female. White students indicated that they felt repertoire selection was more representative of their gender than Black, Indigenous, and other students of color. Respondents also indicated a desire for more underrepresented composers in ensemble repertoire. Numerous implications are provided, including the need for an increased focus on culturally responsive repertoire selection processes in teacher preparation programs.
Researchers attempting to show that music has positive effects on children need to understand and control for preexisting differences between those who do and do not select into musical participation in the first place. Within a large-scale, communitywide, prospective, longitudinal study of predominantly low-income, ethnically diverse students ( N = 31,332), we examined characteristics of students who did and did not enroll in music elective courses (band, choir, orchestra, guitar, other) in public middle schools (sixth, seventh, and eighth grades) in Miami. Predictor variables included gender, ethnicity, poverty, special education, English language learner status, fifth-grade English proficiency, prior academic performance (fifth-grade grade point average [GPA], standardized math and reading test scores), and initial school readiness skills (social, behavioral, cognitive, language, and motor skills) at age 4. Only 23% of middle school students enrolled in a music class in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade, with band having the highest enrollment, followed by choir, orchestra, and guitar. Being male and having greater cognitive skills at age 4 and higher fifth-grade GPA and reading skills were related to later music participation. Black students, students in special education, and those not proficient in English were less likely to participate in middle school music classes. Results varied somewhat by type of music.
Achieving Musical Success in the String Classroom describes the author’s pragmatic pedagogical approach toward developing complete musicianship in beginning through advanced-level string players by incorporating the ideas of Mimi Zweig, Paul Rolland, and Shinichi Suzuki. The author’s philosophical assumptions are explained in regard to the structure and purpose of string teaching contributing to a high level of musical artistry among students. Introductory through advanced string concepts relating to instrument setup, posture, left- and right-hand development, music theory, aural skills, assessment procedures, imagery in playing, the development of individual practice and ensemble skills, and effective rehearsal strategies are explained in a sequential approach that benefits the classroom teacher and student. In addition, several score examples, sample lesson plans, and grading rubrics, as well as videos of the author demonstrating his pedagogical ideas and techniques with musicians, are included.
The purpose of this study is to construct a complete demographic profile of high school music ensemble students using nationally representative data for the U.S. graduating high school class of 2013. We make use of restricted-use data from the National Center for Education Statistics High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS). Results showed that 24% of the class of 2013 enrolled in at least one year of a course in band, choir, or orchestra at some point during high school. Music students were 60% female and 40% male, and the racial/ethnic composition of music ensemble students was 58% White, 13% Black or African American, 17% Hispanic or Latino, 4% Asian or Pacific Islander, 8% two or more races, and under 1% American Indian or Alaska Native. Students from the highest socioeconomic status quintiles were overrepresented among music students. Fully 61% of music ensemble students participated in some form of arts activity outside of school, and 71% of music students attended a play, concert, or live show with their parents as ninth graders. Complete results presented in the article include disaggregated profiles by type of ensemble and a multivariate logistic regression analysis.
This book examines the inter-relationship between music learning and teaching, and culture and society: a relationship that is crucial to comprehend in today’s classrooms. The author presents case studies from diverse music learning and teaching contexts – including South India and Australia and online learning environments – to compare the modes of transmission teachers use to share their music knowledge and skills. It is imperative to understand the ways in which culture and society can in fact influence music teachers’ beliefs and experiences: and in understanding, there is potential to improve intercultural approaches to music education more generally. In increasingly diverse schools, the author highlights the need for culturally appropriate approaches to music planning, assessment and curricula. Thus, music teachers and learners will be able to understand the diversity of music education, and be encouraged to embrace a variety of methods and approaches in their own teaching. This inspiring book will be of interest and value to all those involved in teaching and learning music in various contexts.
I: Background.- 1. An Introduction.- 2. Conceptualizations of Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination.- II: Self-Determination Theory.- 3. Cognitive Evaluation Theory: Perceived Causality and Perceived Competence.- 4. Cognitive Evaluation Theory: Interpersonal Communication and Intrapersonal Regulation.- 5. Toward an Organismic Integration Theory: Motivation and Development.- 6. Causality Orientations Theory: Personality Influences on Motivation.- III: Alternative Approaches.- 7. Operant and Attributional Theories.- 8. Information-Processing Theories.- IV: Applications and Implications.- 9. Education.- 10. Psychotherapy.- 11. Work.- 12. Sports.- References.- Author Index.
The purpose of this pilot study was to examine members of a high school marching band to determine their sound exposure during two days of summer band camp. Excessive sound exposure can lead to noise-induced hearing loss so it is important to determine whether high school marching band members are at risk. Criteria determined by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for preventing noise-induced hearing loss were used to determine whether subjects experienced excessive sound levels. Fifteen of sixteen subjects experienced sound levels greater than 100% on both days of band camp as compared to the NIOSH criteria. In fact, the majority of subjects experienced daily mean sound levels in excess of 800% on day one and 496% on day two. Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.
This book explains musical instruments in their various forms: how they work, what they can do, and how they came to be the way they are. It concentrates on instruments of western music built to play in musical traditions transmitted in large part by notated scores and parts. The recent growth of early music performance is reflected in an emphasis on the historical development of the main types of instrument. For each class of instrument, the underlying acoustical principles are outlined and the commonly found members of the family are described. Their manufacture, playing techniques, and performance practice are treated. © Murray Campbell, Clive Greated, and Arnold Myers 2004. All rights reserved.
This paper examines provenance of source material for five contemporary band methods and an historic instrumental method. Melodies were analyzed for composer, type of music, culture, and whether authentic or contrived. Most current method books represent more cultures, compared to the Universal Teacher of 1923, and contain more non-Western European source material. Six countries besides the USA comprised over 5% of the material in at least one current method (Austria, England, France, Germany, Italy, Russia). Two countries not seen in the Universal Teacher were included in all current methods. On average, material from the USA accounted for 36% of the current methods' melodies, compared to 41% for the Universal Teacher. Modern methods include far more classical and folk music and structure many more exercises in specific pedagogical sequences. Results reveal contributions of specific composers, including music educators of the early 1900's. Societal aspects, such as reliance on singing, are discussed.
The purpose of this study was to examine teacher stress among a sample of music educators over a seven-year interval. A pre- and post-test longitudinal research design was selected, using the ten subscales of Fimian's (1988) Teacher Concerns Inventory (TCI) as the instrument to measure stress. Music educators in 25 school districts in a Midwestern state participated in both the 1996 and 2003 administrations of the test (N = 62 matched participants). A multivariate analysis yielded a significant main effect for the variable of Time (1996 vs. 2003). After the seven-year interval, significant decreases in stress were noted in the TCI categories of Time Management, Work-Related Stressors, Professional Distress, and Discipline and Motivation. Other multivariate analyses noted no significant differences for Gender or Teaching Setting (urban vs. nonurban).
The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of changes in tone quality on the perception of pitch and to determine the extent to which the same tone-quality conditions would affect the performance of pitch. The experiment was conducted in two segments: a perception task that involved judgments of paired comparisons of tones, and a performance task that involved tone matching. High school and university wind instrumentalists participated in perception and performance tasks that were similar to provide a basis for comparison. Results indicated that tone-quality conditions had significant effects on the perception and performance of pitch. Subjects judged “bright” tones “brighter” in tone quality and sharper in pitch than reference tones and performed sharp when matching “bright” stimuli. Subjects judged “dark” tones “darker” in tone quality and flatter in pitch than reference tones and performed flat when matching “dark ” stimuli.
This article reviews How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony (and Why You Should Care) by Ross W. Duffin
, 2006. 196 pp. Price: $25.95 (hardcover). ISBN-13: 978-0-393-06227-4
Comparaison des conceptions esthetique et pratique de la philosophie de l'enseignement de la musique, l'une developpee par B. Reimer, et l'autre par D. J. Elliott. Examinant la critique de l'education musicale comme education esthetique chez Elliott, fondee sur les notions d'objet et de perception musicale, l'A. montre que les deux approches impliquent des positions differentes sur la nature esthetique et cognitive de la musique, ainsi que sur l'experience de la musique comme performance et interpretation. En conclusion, l'A. defend une position intermediaire entre l'esthetique et la pratique qui consiste en une polarisation du concept et de l'activite musicaux
The purpose of this article is to introduce the characteristics of Korean rhythmic patterns and provide effective ways to teach Korean rhythms based on the theoretical and pedagogical approaches derived from 5,000 years of Korean musical tradition. First, we have provided the fundamental principles of Korean rhythms that represent the culture from which the music originated. Then, we have introduced the pedagogical process of Korean music, which includes the use of gu-em (Korean verbal syllables of music) and improvisatory practice. Finally, we have offered the resource of composition and the school-wide performance using Korean rhythms that would be suitable to a contemporary educational context. By doing this, music educators will gain an understanding of the characteristics of Korean rhythms and acquire the skills necessary to teach them in the classrooms; as a consequence, they can confidently incorporate Korean rhythms in general music classes.
Studied were trends in instrumental music education leadership among women and minorities from 1996 until 2008. Gender data of primary band conductors at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic from 1947 were reviewed by year and ensemble level. Also investigated was the distribution of gender and ethnicity among graduate students studying wind-band conducting from 1999 until 2008 and participants in conducting workshops or symposia from 1996 until 2008. Ethnicities were categorized as American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, White, and Other. Findings revealed that men overwhelmingly outnumbered women as primary conductors throughout the history of the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. Women were more represented at the junior high/middle school level than any other. Similar distributions were found among graduate windband conducting student populations and among conducting symposium/workshop attendees. White participants dominated graduate study and workshops populations. Results underscore the importance of revisiting reasons for the dearth of females and people of color in band-conducting leadership positions and begin discussion of actions that would ameliorate inequities.
To clarify the role of decoding in reading and reading disability, a simple model of reading is proposed, which holds that reading equals the product of decoding and comprehension. It follows that there must be three types of reading disability, resulting from an inability to decode, an inability to comprehend, or both. It is argued that the first is dyslexia, the second hyperlexia, and the third common, or garden variety, reading disability.
The purpose of this study was to (1) reexamine academic achievement motivation orientations within the context of instrumental music, and (2) examine relations among achievement motivation orientations, self-concept in instrumental music, and attitude to band in relation to teachers' ratings of performance achievement and effort, and students' grade level, gender, instrument, self-reported practice time, and selected music experience variables. Participants ( N= 300) were band students (Grades 7-12) in four school districts. Data were gathered concerning students' (a) motivation orientations (mastery, intrinsic, individual, cooperative, ego, competitive, approach success, avoid failure), self-concept, and commitment to band; (b) instrument, grade level and gender, practice time per week, and experience in private lessons, solo festival, and all-county band; and (c) performance achievement and effort as rated by their teachers. Results indicated that ratings of performance and effort were most strongly correlated with self-concept and intrinsic motivation, respectively. Practice time was most strongly correlated with intrinsic motivation. Factor analysis revealed three factors of motivation: Learning/Task Orientation, Performance/Ego Orientation, and Individual Orientation. The factors essentially replicated those found in a general academic achievement setting. Learning/Task Orientation was positively correlated with practice time, ratings of performance and effort, solo festival and private-lesson experience, and grade level. Performance/Ego Orientation was negatively correlated with grade level and solo festival ratings. Individual Orientation scores were positively correlated with ratings of performance and effort and solo festival ratings. Differences by gender and instrument group were nonsignificant.
October 11, 2004
March 20, 2005.