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Music reading is an essential yet difficult skill, one with which many students and professionals alike struggle (Sloboda, 1974; Gromko, 2004; Pike & Carter, 2010). It is a complex task requiring the processing of many skills including cognitive as well as perceptual and motor processes through reacting to stimuli (Jensen, 2016). Unsuccessful attainment of music reading proficiency leads to frustration and often results in lesson abandonment in the early years of instruction (Gordon, 2000; Brand, 2001). In the pedagogical community, it has been said that students vary widely in their progress towards fluent reading (Mills and McPherson, 2006). Meanwhile, those at the professional level with music reading difficulties feel like it is an obstacle they regularly face in their careers. While many causes have been suggested for music reading difficulties, over the past few decades, it has been suggested that dysmusia (also known as musical dyslexia) might be a cause of these music reading difficulties (Cuddy & Hébert, 2006; Gordon, 2000). The current dissertation explored dysmusia in musicians, particularly young piano students, in the form of four articles. The first article reviewed accounts of dysmusia in musicians to organize manifestations (clusters of difficulties) and indicators (specific difficulties). Four manifestations found comprised music reading, music writing, sequencing, and skills. Musician accounts suggested dysmusia shares auditory, processing speed, motor, visual, and memory deficits with dyslexia. For the most part, literature surrounded pianists. The second article reviewed tests to quantitatively measure dysmusia, and found a gap in testing for music reading and writing in particular. Writing tests were developed to match the existing music reading tests in our laboratory on 1-note, 2-note, and 3-note stimuli. Auditory skills may be sensitive to music reading expertise according to the literature. Article three sought to generate baseline data for music reading and music writing tests, as well as for audiation, in a population of young piano students with neither dyslexia nor suspected dysmusia. Furthermore, given the relationships between text reading and writing, and text reading and auditory skills, article three compared music reading to writing on paired conditions, and music sight-reading to audiation (for tonal, rhythm, and composite parameters). Results provided baseline data for music reading, writing, and audiation tests in both beginner and intermediate-advanced students. For music reading to writing, tasks are comparably difficult for 1-note conditions, but as the tasks increase, writing performance is superior to reading. While audiation performance is not affected by sight-reading proficiency in a statistically significant way, there are some visual differences that indicate within our participant sample, there was some affect of expertise on tonal performance and not for rhythm. Article four concerns the case of EA, a 10-year-old piano student with dyslexia. While EA demonstrated music reading difficulties early in her musical training, she currently demonstrates average to superior music reading ability according to her parent, piano teacher, and most recent Conservatory Canada exam. Interview findings reveal that EA has significant family involvement in her music learning, and she has a positive attitude towards learning, which may have impacted her test performance. While a test for processing speed confirmed EA’s deficit associated with her dyslexia diagnosis, she neither demonstrated a deficit in motor skills as measured by a pegboard test nor in her music test performance. EA scored slightly lower than matched controls in 1-note identification and 2-note pattern playing, which was less than 1 SD before the mean. Her superior performance in music writing tasks including copying and dictation with 1, 2, and 3 notes is in contrast to her dysgraphia for letter writing. Specific to music sight-reading, EA made more rhythm mistakes than matched controls, though she played most of the pitches correctly. Finally, her audiation percentile ranks were about average, and within the same ranges as matched controls, with a comparatively stronger performance on the rhythm parameter, and weaker performance on the tonal parameter. The four articles of the dissertation combine to explore what dysmusia could be, and how it could be measured, while considering that dysmusia could appear differently depending on the individual. Furthermore, the case study results from article four are evidence that not all individuals with dyslexia have dysmusia, and that dysmusia may be a domain specific condition as posited by Cuddy & Hébert (2006).

This monograph explores the development and variety of signs for musical expression and discusses strategies for identifying and teaching them, enabling students to communicate musical expressivity. Chapter 1 provides a background for this study, including a brief survey of how writers from ancient times to the present conceived of expression, along with findings from recent psychological research into the connection between emotion and music. Chapter 2 delves into the signs themselves and proposes how students can learn to recognize them at different levels of study. An overview of musical topics and structural features that contribute to musical expression leads to an analysis of the expressive states in the first movement exposition of Mozart's Sonata in C minor, K. 457. Chapter 3 discusses particular strategies for connecting the discovered signs with performance at the piano. To help their students communicate expressively, teachers first need to guide students to a recognition of musical signs, then help them to highlight expressive features through deviations in tempo, dynamics, and articulation. Instructors can use a variety of strategies ranging from metaphors and specific language through aural and physical modeling. Additional work with Hevner's mood wheel, supplemented by student projects in the visual arts, writing, movement, and drama, can create a connection between students and musical expression. / Music Performance

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From the beginning of this undertaking, its aims were related to certain weaknesses which many college students had displayed as they undertook to learn to play the piano. Starting from the assumption that most, if not all students would encounter such in the mastery of the piano, the study proceeded to identify several psychological concepts deemed necessary to an intelligent grasp of the problems confronting students of the piano. These concepts were set forth as: Listening, Touch, Relaxation, Power and Strength, Rhythm and Time, Principles of Learning and Practicing, Individuality of Technique, and Pleasure From Music. From years of observation, it had seemed that most students of piano had never been taught to study that instrument by thinking through problems related to it before attempting to practice; that most of them appeared to try learning to play almost entirely by physical effort and by countless repetitions of whatever passages they might desire to learn. In consequence, this study was directed towards evolving a way of attacking certain problems in piano playing which would put emphasis on thinking out the things to be accomplished;. on wisely selecting the means and manner of achieving these ends; and on making constructive evaluations of the final results. Pertinent to the over-all picture of present-day piano playing were the background of the instrument and the various schools of playing from which modern piano technique had originated and developed. The piano and its mechanism were found to be comparatively new in music, since the piano had been invented fewer than 150 years ago. Although the piano was a keyboard instrument, it had been determined, shortly after its.invention, that a different and suitable technique would have to be developed in order to play this instrument adequately, if its fullest possibilities were to be realized. Consideration was then given to various schools of piano playing, which had sprung up to meet the demands made by each advancing composer: from Haydn and Mozart, through Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, and on into the realms of the modern composers like Debussy, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofieff. These various schools had culminated in the efforts of Matthay in London, Breithaupt in Berlin, and Philipp in Paris, all of whom had succeeded Leschetizky in Vienna. The approach, or method which evolved from a study of learners' and performers' difficulties, on the one hand, and of the writings of musical authorities, on the other, was concerned mainly with conceiving mentally the problems to be worked out within the scope of piano technique. That approach was analyzed and found to include eight aspects, each of which was discussed and evaluated in the light of the writings of various authorities in this field. They were further tested by observing the effects of applying them in actual teaching situations, the outcomes of which were, in turn, reported in the form of case studies. The case studies, presented in this writing, were considered to embrace several different types of individuals. That differences existed was shown by variations in the results of using the approach of intelligent foresight in the several cases. However, the testing process did seem to produce in each instance greater understanding of the piano as an instrument and, within the range of each student's capability, some definite progress toward more intelligent performance. Just as everyone who attempts to write a poem does not aspire to the crown of poet laureate, so everyone who studies the piano does not hope to become a famous professional pianist. Thus, the students who became the subjects of observation and testing derived satisfaction from the knowledge that they had made marked progress; that they had done so without strain and in a manner that revealed possibilities for further growth and achievement. The teacher, in turn, was rewarded by the realization that every student who had given serious consideration to the approach described in this study showed evidence of having increased his pleasure in playing as well as of having gained considerable skill as a performer. Some had progressed more rapidly, some more slowly; but it was felt that, without exception, all has attained a greater appreciation of music and of the piano. Thus, as the study was concluded, it seemed that whatever merit it might have lay in its possibility of provoking a more intelligent approach to the study of the piano; of guiding students of that instrument to skill in playing it in somewhat the same manner as other skills are learned, i.e., by careful and thoughtful analysis of the problems to be overcome. In undertaking any task greater interest seems to be aroused through simple explanations of its nature, of how it may be performed, and of what results may flow from its successful execution. Merely to tell a student to do something because this is the right way, without due analysis and explanation, can hardly hope to kindle inspiration and zeal enough to conquer its difficulties. Fundamentally, it is hoped that this study has lent support to the view that the piano does not necessarily belong exclusively to those with marked talent; that the joy of reproducing music may be made accessible to anyone with average mental and physical endowments. / M.S.

This teaching guide for adult piano study has been designed to be used with many of the methods which already exist, and to serve as a guide for the teacher who failed to keep abreast with the progress of modern piano study.

This study is an examination of the Surrealist movement and its influence on the piano music of twentieth century American composers. The first chapter explores the philosophies of the Surrealists as well as the characteristics found in Surrealist art and literature. The characteristics discussed include: 1) the practice of automatism; 2) the juxtaposition of unrelated themes or images; and 3) the creation of dream-like atmospheres.

[EN] The use of sound spectrograms as a resource for the analysis of a musical performance, has rarely been used by performers. The aim of this research is to provide a methodology that allows to make objective assessments of an individual performance using not only sound spectrograms, but several graphs derived from them. This could ultimately contribute to the musician's personal artistic development. Pilar Bayona, one of the foremost Spanish pianists of the twentieth century, has been the baseline of the study as her figure had hitherto not been studied from the technical and interpretive perspective. In addition, several other cases are analyzed to validate this methodology. / [ES] La utilización de espectrogramas sonoros como recurso para el análisis de una interpretación musical, ha sido muy poco utilizada por los intérpretes. La presente investigación pretende aportar una metodología que permita realizar un diagnóstico objetivo de una interpretación mediante imágenes, utilizando no sólo espectrogramas sonoros, sino las gráficas derivadas de ellos. Ello puede redundar en el desarrollo artístico personal de cualquier músico. Se ha tomado como modelo a la pianista aragonesa Pilar Bayona, figura relevante del piano en España durante el siglo XX, que no ha sido estudiada, hasta la fecha, desde el punto de vista técnico e interpretativo. No obstante, se analizan algunos otros casos de intérpretes variados, para validar esta metodología. / [CA] La utilització d'espectrogrames sonors com a recurs per a l'anàlisi d'una interpretació musical, ha estat molt poc utilitzada pels intèrprets. La present investigació pretén aportar una metodologia que permeta realitzar un diagnòstic objectiu d'una interpretació per mitjançant imatges, utilitzant no tan sols espectrogrames sonors, sinó les gràfiques derivades d'ells. Això pot redundar en el desenvolupament artístic personal de qualsevol músic. S'ha pres com model la pianista aragonesa Pilar Bayona, figura rellevant del piano a Espanya durant el segle XX, que no ha estat estudiada, fins avui des del punt de vista tècnic i interpretatiu. Malgrat això, s'analitzen alguns altres casos de intèrprets variats, per a validar aquesta metodología. / Lorenzo Gracia, R. (2015). Pilar Bayona: un estudio de caso para el análisis del estilo interpretativo pianístico mediante la utilización de espectrogramas sonoros [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/59472 / Premios Extraordinarios de tesis doctorales

This paper addresses the crucial need for comprehensive guidance in repertoire selection and technical development for pre-collegiate collaborative pianists. By compiling an annotated repertoire list, this research aims to assist teachers and pianists in navigating the developmental stages of collaborative piano work. The guide focuses on establishing foundational skills and techniques necessary for effective collaboration with various instruments, emphasizing the pianist's role as a musical partner. Drawing from the University Interscholastic League (UIL) list, the repertoire choices span a range of musical styles and periods, ensuring a balanced progression of difficulty. The paper talks about essential collaborative piano techniques, including hand and wrist position, physical coordination, listening, voicing, balance, pedaling, and breathing, providing a comprehensive overview to aid in successful ensemble performances. Each piece in the repertoire list is accompanied by detailed performance notes, addressing both pianistic and ensemble considerations. Additionally, the difficulty levels of the compositions are assessed with reference to established pedagogical literature. By offering a structured approach to repertoire selection and technical development, this annotated guide serves as a valuable resource for pre-collegiate collaborative pianists and their instructors, facilitating their growth and proficiency in collaborative music-making.