This thesis explores the professional knowledge of three choral music educators from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. My primary research purpose was to explain what constitutes the professional knowledge of each of the research participants as revealed through their life stories; to illustrate how such professional knowledge has been shaped by experiences throughout each of the participants’ lives; and to understand how the participants’ experiences of developing as educators within the specific social, cultural, and political contexts of Newfoundland and Labrador have shaped their professional knowledge. Through this inquiry, three choral music educators engaged in a process of teacher development, as they discovered for themselves, through a narrative process of self-exploration, the meaning that could be made of the relationships between their life experiences and their knowledge of music teaching and learning. Data-gathering included a series of four in-depth interviews, which consisted of open-ended questions that engaged the participants in reconstructing their life experiences and articulating their professional knowledge within the context of developing as choral music educators. Choral rehearsal observations provided another source of data. These observations enhanced my understanding of the participants’ teaching practice, and assisted in my understanding of the relationships between the personal and the professional that they expressed in initial interviews. Analysis of the data is represented through narratives of the participants’ life stories and a thematic discussion of their professional knowledge as revealed through those stories. Each participant’s narrative and professional knowledge are presented in individual chapters, followed by a chapter that explores the resonances (Conle, 1996) amongst the participants’ narratives and my own personal-professional narrative. I propose that we begin to reconceptualize professional development in order to acknowledge the complexity and personal nature of professional knowledge, and I assert that the exploration of life stories is a meaningful form of professional development for music educators.

Practicing is an ineluctable component in the pursuit of achieving musical goals. This is particularly true in the Western model of music education that is, for the most part, characterized by private lessons or ensemble rehearsals that typically occur only once each week. How dependent is the motivation to learn music on effective practicing? Novices often abandon music education simply because “it’s too hard.” Is the frustration the result of a lack of success due to ineffective practicing? Effective practicing evolves naturally with increased musical knowledge and expertise. Overall, a musician’s development towards effective practicing may be described as the acquisition of a metacognitive awareness of one’s own learning and hence a more active participation in that learning that is characterized by self-regulatory behaviours. This research asks if guided practice at an early age might prove a catalyst in the development of effective practicing which naturally occurs with musical expertise. Over the course of an academic school year, 13 novice musicians engaged in guided practice sessions with the researcher. The participants were private piano students and young band members. Data gathered through interviews, questionnaires and video recordings of lessons and practice sessions at the musicians’ homes were analyzed within the theoretical framework of self-regulation. Data were also analyzed according to a self-system theoretical framework of expectancy-value theory, self-determination theory, attribution theory, and goal orientation. Evidence from the data suggests an increase in cognitive and metacognitive processes that characterize self-regulated learning. Musicians also indicate an increase in motivation to engage in practicing as well as greater self-efficacy in addressing musical challenges. Effective pedagogical approaches for guided practice are discussed as are implications for music education. Suggestions are made for further research.

Gamification refers to the process whereby game design and game mechanics are applied in non-game contexts to influence behaviour. This research study explores the effects of gamification on piano students' practice of technical elements such as scales, chords, and arpeggios, within the private lesson environment. A control and a treatment group of 10 piano students each were formed across two different private piano studios. A game called Technique Tower was designed for the treatment group, in which the players experienced game elements such as rewards (points, badges, and levels), avatars, and the sharing of their progress in an online social context. Gamification was found to have a positive effect on the number of technical elements students mastered, and on their attitude toward practicing technical elements, while self-efficacy levels were not affected. The educational implications for this finding are discussed.

Master of Music / Department of Music / Frank C. Tracz / This document is based on the preparation, rehearsal, and performance of selected pieces for the Graduate Conducting Recital of Darren S. Brooks. The pieces examined in the theoretical and historical analysis for this report are Brasiliana by Joao Guilherme Ripper, Irish Tune from County Derry by Percy Grainger and arranged by Frank Erickson, and Celtic Hymns and Dances by Eric Ewazen. This document also contains rehearsal plans and procedures for the preparation of the literature. The recital was performed on March 12, 2008 in McCain Auditorium on the campus of Kansas State University, and was performed by the members of the Kansas State University Symphony Band.

Master of Music / Department of Music / Frank C. Tracz / This document was written after examination, research, score analysis, and lesson planning in preparation for the Graduate Conducting Recital of Travis M. Johnson. This recital was held on Monday, March 8, 2010 at the Cheney High School Auditorium at 6:00 pm. A philosophy of Music Education and criteria for quality literature selection is followed by the theoretical and historical analysis of four works; Flourish for Wind Band by Ralph Vaughn Williams, Air for Band by Frank Erickson, An American Elegy by Frank Ticheli, and Rough Riders by Karl King arranged by James Swearingen. Lesson plans, rehearsal aids, warm up exercises, and student assignments are included in the examination of this process.

Master of Music / Department of Music / Joshua Oppenheim / Julie Yu Oppenheim / The Te Deum chant began in the Roman Catholic Church in prayer, and like many other psalms used in the Mass, it has evolved into a concert piece with settings composed for coronations, military victories, and other festive occasions. This author has identified two significant settings of this text by Joseph Franz Haydn and Antonín Leopold Dvořák for this discussion to study how common factors (primarily a common text) influence their compositions. Chapter I provides the purpose of the study, a brief description of related research, description of the appendices, and analytical criteria for examining the Te Deum settings. Chapter II presents a study of the ancient Te Deum psalm and its text. Topics for discussion include a brief overview of the history of chant. In regards to the Te Deum, further studies are included on its history, uses within prayer, the text, melody, and other uses of the Te Deum. Chapter III contains an in-depth analysis of the Haydn Te Deum (HXXIIIc:2) and the Dvořák Te Deum (Op. 103, B176, [Op. 93, Op. 98]). Analytical criteria for examining these settings consist of: a brief biographical sketch along with each composers compositional characteristics and reasons for commissioning this piece; discussions on general characteristics, structural and formal design, themes, melodic/harmonic characteristics, rhythmic/metrical/tempo characteristics, articulations, dynamics, texture, performance, pedagogical, and conducting considerations. Chapter IV summarizes general trends in the usage of the text of Te Deum. Information for this final chapter is derived from the in-depth analysis, the ancient history of the Te Deum, and other settings of the Te Deum text examined in sources similar to this document. The findings contain summaries of the musical elements listed above as well as general and specific commonalities of textual influence between the selected Te Deum settings. Appendix A provides the complete text of the Te Deum psalm with English translations and melody. Appendix B provides a score analysis of Te Deum (HXXIIIc:2). Appendix C provides a score analysis of Te Deum (Op. 103, B176, [Op. 93, Op. 98]).

Master of Music / Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance / Amy Underwood / The following report is extended program notes that focus on the expression of love in various ways. These songs were presented on a graduate recital March 31, 2015 in All Faiths Chapel at Kansas State University. It is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Music degree in vocal performance. The works included are by Bellini, Bernstein, Hahn, Koechlin, Obradors, Saint-Saëns, Schumann, and Sullivan. Below is a detailed description explaining the focus of the report. Many musicians discuss the musical elements including key signatures, time signatures, harmony, rhythm, and melody. They may also discuss the understanding of the music through the viewpoint of the vocal text. The musical elements and how the subject matter connects the two together is important to understand when giving a recital. It makes the music come alive for the audience and it is a true interpretation of how it should be performed. Love is a topic which many composers explore because of the natural emotion people feel about its perception. Different feelings and emotions conjured in the hearts and minds of humankind. Love is a personal feeling, and after studying the poetry and music, I assigned an adjective or verb to each song that describes a more specific facet of love’s emotional spectrum. These adjectives and their portrayal by various composers will comprise the focus of this paper.

Master of Music / Department of Music / Frank C. Tracz / This document is comprised of research and analysis of the comprehensive examination of the graduate conducting recital of Shawn Michael Knopp. This recital was performed by the Smoky Valley High School Concert Band, on February 27, 2009, at the Century II Concert Hall in Wichita, Kansas. The examined repertoire for the recital includes Dance Sinfonia, by Dennis W. Fisher, Linden Lea, by Ralph Vaughan Williams, arranged by John W. Stout, Strawflower, by Ralph Hermann, Emperata Overture by Claude T. Smith, and Foshay Tower Washington Memorial March by John Philip Sousa, edited by Daniel Dorff. This document contains theoretical and historical analysis and outlines the method of planning and preparing a graduate conducting recital according to the Blocher, Miles and Tracz formats.

Master of Music / Department of Music / Frank C. Tracz / This document was constructed on the comprehensive examination questions based on the Graduate Conducting Recital of Kyle D. Hopkins. The theoretical and historical analysis includes The Star-Spangled Banner by Jack Stamp, Tharsos by Jeff Jordan, Americans We by Henry Fillmore, and Cajun Folk Songs by Frank Ticheli. Along with the analysis, this document contains rehearsal plans and procedures used in the preparation of the literature. The recital was performed in two parts by the McPherson High School Band on February 5, 2009 in the McPherson High School Roundhouse at 7:30 pm and April 30, 2009 in the McPherson High School Auditorium at 7:30 pm.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Jana R. Fallin / This qualitative study sought to inquire into, identify and examine elements of musical expression as exemplified in jazz performance from a phenomenological approach. The purpose was to identify the various elements utilized by expert performers and listeners in perceiving musical expression, to determine whether or not these elements are held in common between performer and listener, and to explore the relation of personal experiences of the phenomenon with aesthetic philosophy and educational practice. Aesthetic concepts were drawn from the writings of Stephen Davies and Peter Kivy while jazz principles and foundations were drawn from Ted Gioia and Gunther Schuller. Ten subjects, five world-class jazz artists and five nationally recognized jazz critics, were selected based upon reputation and professional standing and interviewed in naturalistic settings of their own choosing (home, office, studio). Each subject listened to six recordings of the jazz standard My Funny Valentine as recorded by established jazz icons: Miles Davis, Paul Desmond, Gerry Mulligan, Bill Evans with Jim Hall, Sarah Vaughan, and Keith Jarrett. All were encouraged to comment in a stream-of-consciousness manner while listening to the examples. Additionally, fifteen statements drawn from the literature were read for subjects to rate on a five-point Lykert scale ranging from “totally agree” to “totally disagree”. Interviews were transcribed and coded into themes. Lykert responses were analyzed within group using means and ranges and between groups utilizing difference of means. Results, as interpreted by this researcher, reflect seven themes identified by performers (Sound, Individuality, Virtuosity and Intellect, Communication, Specific Musical Elements, Mood or Character, and Originality and Innovation) and six themes enumerated by critics Individuality, Virtuosity and Intellect, Communication, Specific Musical Elements, Mood or Character, and Originality and Innovation). No attempt was made at stratification of themes, as this was exploratory research. While both groups used the concept of sound, context placed it under the concept of individuality for critics while performers used it more specifically towards the establishment of mood. Lykert responses confirmed strong similarity of thought between the two groups.