Formal study of music in the United States is based on the Western art music tradition. Nevertheless, there is a philosophy rapidly spreading throughout the United States which holds that musics of many cultures must be taught in the schools. The underlying belief in multicultural music education is that the study of various cultures and their musics will affect our expectations, and consequently broaden our musical preferences. This study investigated the effects of ethnicity on the stated musical preferences of university non-music majors. It was conducted on two university campuses that are in the same area. One campus has a population that is predominantly white American and the other predominantly African American. The subjects were students enrolled in music appreciation classes on both sites. The subjects listened to musical examples from each of the Western art music style periods. They then completed a questionnaire which contained an ethnic attitudes dimension. A week later, they were asked to listen and respond to four musical examples. The playing of this series of musical examples was preceded by biographical information on fictitious composers. The data supported the alternative hypothesis which stated that ratings assigned to music of African American composers and white American composers by all listeners, without regard to ethnicity, would be significantly different. The value of Omnibus p was.002 and is significantly less than the stated alpha level of significance at.05. The data between ethnic groups supports the alternative hypothesis that ratings assigned by white Americans and African Americans would be significantly different. The Omnibus p here is equal to.02. There was no relationship found between the ethnic attitudes and musical preferences of white Americans and African Americans as stated in the null hypothesis. Non-hypothesized questions investigated the effects of the subjects' rank in school, gender, age, grade point average, and university attended. The data supports the conclusion that rank, age, and grade point average, for this investigation, were not significant. Conversely, the data does reveal that gender and universities were found to have a relationship to the ethnic attitudes and musical preferences of the subjects.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the classroom environment in choral music programs with both low Hispanic enrollment and proportionate Hispanic enrollment in order to identify the aspects of the classroom environment that may encourage Hispanic participation. In addition, this study investigated whether there was a difference in how Hispanic students, White students, and students who are neither Hispanic nor White assess the classroom environment in choral music programs. Finally, this research compared the classroom environment in the choral music classroom with a normative sample of representative high school classes. Four hundred and five high school students enrolled in ten choral music programs completed the Classroom Environment Scale. The students' responses were then analyzed using a multivariate analysis of variance. The results of this analysis indicate there is a difference between the classroom environments in programs with proportionate Hispanic enrollment and programs with low Hispanic enrollment. Students in programs with proportionate Hispanic enrollment report a lower level of affiliation, less competition between students, and a lower level of teacher control. There is also a difference in the assessment of the classroom environment among Hispanic students, White students and students who are neither Hispanic nor White. Hispanic students feel less affiliation with the choir regardless of program enrollment. In addition, there was an interaction effect with regards to innovation. Hispanic students in programs with low Hispanic enrollment assess the teaching in the choral music classroom as more innovative than Hispanic students enrolled in programs with proportionate Hispanic enrollment and students who are neither Hispanic nor White and who are enrolled in either type of program.* ftn*Originally published in DAI Vol. 58, No. 4. Reprinted here with corrected author name.

<p>This researcher had two purposes. The investigator's purpose in this action research was to develop a working prototype of a music teacher digital portfolio within the Moodle environment, which included artifacts, as they relate to New York State's Annual Performance Review (APPR) legislation. The regulation on teacher evaluation is New York State Code &sect;3012-c. In order to develop the prototype, a first step involved working collaboratively with a panel of instructional leaders in music education to determine what a music teacher digital portfolio template should contain as per this new APPR Legislation. To achieve this goal in an open source course management system, Moodle was used to collaborate digitally with music education leaders from New York State. This researcher did not seek to establish rubrics for assessment. At the same time, however, by presenting artifacts as they relate to the APPR legislation, &sect;3012-c, the investigator presented prototypical evidence of quality teacher performance in student growth and student achievement, and these data entries may be used as a point of reference by supervisors who evaluate professional music educators. The report of this study took two forms: there is a report of the collaborative efforts that constitute action research and there is the presentation of the portfolio prototype. </p><p> The subjects were 12 instructional leaders in music education from Long Island, New York. Upon completion of the action research, the subjects completed a questionnaire designed to measure their perceptions of the action research study method of instruction and the use of a course management system (Moodle) as a tool for the construction of digital portfolios. </p><p> The results of the questionnaire showed that both purposes were achieved. Furthermore, a consensus was developed that the use of action research study is a valuable method of learning and a course management system, Moodle, is an effective and useful administrative tool for school administrators. </p>

<p> Since being introduced into classrooms in the late 1990s, online instruction has grown substantially both in student enrollment and the number of programs offered at state, district, and multi-district levels. Although having been applied liberally to all core subjects and many supplemental subjects, online instruction has yet to be utilized extensively in the musical arts. Courses in music performance present a unique set of technological and logistical challenges when adapted to an online setting. Nevertheless, private music teachers have utilized Internet resources extensively. Similar techniques applied to public school music programs, however, have yet to be explored thoroughly. Utilizing a combination of asynchronous instruction and synchronous instruction for teaching online music performance courses offers a potential for study and development. </p><p> The purpose of this study was to establish the feasibility of an online music performance course that included both asynchronous and synchronous instruction. An approach that utilized both a multimedia blog format and real-time video instruction was developed, implemented, and delivered to a limited group of trombone students as a pilot study. Nine students participated in online trombone lessons that focused primarily upon the development of performance fundamentals. The delivery of content was assessed to determine a feasible format for music performance instruction in an online setting. Although typical technological shortcomings were experienced during instructional settings, students were able to identify, explain, and apply concepts gleaned from the blog and real-time video lessons. </p><p> Internet-based resources have been applied to independent and collegiate music performance instruction; pedagogical approaches, however, have not been developed for use in secondary level online learning programs. Consequently, online music performance instruction has not evolved as rapidly as online instruction of core academic subjects. As technological advances become available, the possibility for delivering online instruction in areas of the performing arts, and especially in music performance, becomes more feasible and likely will be integrated into the curricula of many online learning programs. Until such time, the implementation of viable online instructional models is essential for the development of traditional music performance courses.</p>

<p> Immigrant and refugee students who have been entering the United States have a pressing challenge and that challenge is the learning and comprehension of the English language. School administration and faculty have struggled to meet the needs of immigrant and refugee students in urban schools. The purpose of the quantitative correlational study was to test the hypothesis that sixth, seventh, and eighth grade immigrant and refugee band students scored higher on the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test than did junior high immigrant and refugee non-band students in the reading and comprehension of the English language, as assessed by the 2010 and 2011 reading and 2011 writing test scores of the AIMS. The target population consisted of the immigrant and refugee student population in three junior high schools in the A1 district, a Title 1 district in Phoenix, Arizona. The federal government created and developed Title 1 schools in the United States for students who were living at or near poverty and who may have been at risk of failure. The data clerks, faculty, and administrative members collected the reading and writing scores of the band and non-band sixth, seventh, and eighth graders of the three junior high schools from the Microsoft Excel&reg; program of the A1 District and the data were input into the Microsoft Excel program, then into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences&reg; (SPSS) program and analyzed. Two-tailed <i>t</i>-tests were conducted to analyze differences in the reading and writing scores between the band and non-band students in three junior high schools in Central Phoenix. A statistically significant difference in reading and writing scores was found between those students who were band participants and those who were not.</p>

<p> This quasi-experimental research study examined the cognitive effects of background music used with middle school students during mathematics classes and mathematics testing. Eight schools, nine teachers, 23 classes, and 302 students participated in the project. A series of five compact discs of Mozart selections, a specifically selected composite of 12 CD albums, was used over a period of 10 class days and one testing day. The tests were teacher-designed for use during the regular regimen of testing for their specific classes. The conditions of music and no-music were reversed so students were their own controls. Results showed a nonstatistical gain overall; however, sixth grade females had a net music gain that superseded all other male and female groupings. In addition, an incremental gain was found with those who had played instruments. Other gains/losses were noted for these conditions: if students liked or did not like background music during classes and testing, if they liked or did not like listening to music while doing homework, if they liked singing or not, and whether they felt that the music was a help or hindrance to their attention, concentration, and/or distraction. The students' perspectives concerning the quasi-experiment were reported as supplemental qualitative data which included impressions about the experiment, opinions about the experience they had, and suggestions for future experiments.</p>

This study traces the development of violoncello bowing technique in France, Austria and Germany between the years 1785-1839. Using evidence obtained from contemporary violoncello methods, periodical reviews, iconographic materials, diaries, letters, musical manuscripts, first-edition performance repertoire, and first-hand research at the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institute and University of California at Berkeley, the technical methodology of each school is examined. By this process, diverse qualities in the playing manner of J. P. Duport, J. L. Duport, Janson, Tricklir, Breval, J. H. Levasseur, Lamare, Hus-Desforges, Baudiot, Norblin, Vaslin and Franchomme, and that of A. Kraft, Ritter, Romberg, N. Kraft, Dotzauer, Lincke, Bohrer, Merk and Kummer are discernible. Such divergences in bowing technique form the basis of dissimilarities present in French and Austro-German violoncello performance of 1785-1839, a circumstance occasioned by a variety of contributing factors. These issues are segregated for investigation. Following the Introduction, Chapters 1 and 2 provide background information regarding the development of the instrument, bow, and bowing techniques before 1785. Chapter 3 discusses design modifications that occurred to the instrument and bow between 1785 and 1839. Chapters 4 and 5 present the biographies of each of the violoncellists examined, while Chapter 6 discusses the influence of performers from the French violin school and the musician interaction brought about by the French Revolution and subsequent wars. Analysis of the varying performance characteristics of the French and Austro-German schools begins with Chapter 7, this chapter and Chapter 8 surveying the performance methodology of each of the violoncellists included in this study. Chapters 9 and 10 assess the consequential relationship of performance technique to performance repertoire and Chapter 11 summarizes the findings of the accomplished research. These findings detail differences in the performance methodology of the French, Austrian and German violoncello schools in the period 1785-1839. The variants evinced include the manner in which the bow and instrument were held, the type of bowing techniques incorporated into the performance repertoire of each nationality and the method of their execution, the way in which the violoncello's varying sonorities were exploited, and the regard for sound quality and volume by performers of each school. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

This study traces the development of violoncello bowing technique in France, Austria and Germany between the years 1785-1839. Using evidence obtained from contemporary violoncello methods, periodical reviews, iconographic materials, diaries, letters, musical manuscripts, first-edition performance repertoire, and first-hand research at the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institute and University of California at Berkeley, the technical methodology of each school is examined. By this process, diverse qualities in the playing manner of J. P. Duport, J. L. Duport, Janson, Tricklir, Breval, J. H. Levasseur, Lamare, Hus-Desforges, Baudiot, Norblin, Vaslin and Franchomme, and that of A. Kraft, Ritter, Romberg, N. Kraft, Dotzauer, Lincke, Bohrer, Merk and Kummer are discernible. Such divergences in bowing technique form the basis of dissimilarities present in French and Austro-German violoncello performance of 1785-1839, a circumstance occasioned by a variety of contributing factors. These issues are segregated for investigation. Following the Introduction, Chapters 1 and 2 provide background information regarding the development of the instrument, bow, and bowing techniques before 1785. Chapter 3 discusses design modifications that occurred to the instrument and bow between 1785 and 1839. Chapters 4 and 5 present the biographies of each of the violoncellists examined, while Chapter 6 discusses the influence of performers from the French violin school and the musician interaction brought about by the French Revolution and subsequent wars. Analysis of the varying performance characteristics of the French and Austro-German schools begins with Chapter 7, this chapter and Chapter 8 surveying the performance methodology of each of the violoncellists included in this study. Chapters 9 and 10 assess the consequential relationship of performance technique to performance repertoire and Chapter 11 summarizes the findings of the accomplished research. These findings detail differences in the performance methodology of the French, Austrian and German violoncello schools in the period 1785-1839. The variants evinced include the manner in which the bow and instrument were held, the type of bowing techniques incorporated into the performance repertoire of each nationality and the method of their execution, the way in which the violoncello's varying sonorities were exploited, and the regard for sound quality and volume by performers of each school. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

This study traces the development of violoncello bowing technique in France, Austria and Germany between the years 1785-1839. Using evidence obtained from contemporary violoncello methods, periodical reviews, iconographic materials, diaries, letters, musical manuscripts, first-edition performance repertoire, and first-hand research at the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institute and University of California at Berkeley, the technical methodology of each school is examined. By this process, diverse qualities in the playing manner of J. P. Duport, J. L. Duport, Janson, Tricklir, Breval, J. H. Levasseur, Lamare, Hus-Desforges, Baudiot, Norblin, Vaslin and Franchomme, and that of A. Kraft, Ritter, Romberg, N. Kraft, Dotzauer, Lincke, Bohrer, Merk and Kummer are discernible. Such divergences in bowing technique form the basis of dissimilarities present in French and Austro-German violoncello performance of 1785-1839, a circumstance occasioned by a variety of contributing factors. These issues are segregated for investigation. Following the Introduction, Chapters 1 and 2 provide background information regarding the development of the instrument, bow, and bowing techniques before 1785. Chapter 3 discusses design modifications that occurred to the instrument and bow between 1785 and 1839. Chapters 4 and 5 present the biographies of each of the violoncellists examined, while Chapter 6 discusses the influence of performers from the French violin school and the musician interaction brought about by the French Revolution and subsequent wars. Analysis of the varying performance characteristics of the French and Austro-German schools begins with Chapter 7, this chapter and Chapter 8 surveying the performance methodology of each of the violoncellists included in this study. Chapters 9 and 10 assess the consequential relationship of performance technique to performance repertoire and Chapter 11 summarizes the findings of the accomplished research. These findings detail differences in the performance methodology of the French, Austrian and German violoncello schools in the period 1785-1839. The variants evinced include the manner in which the bow and instrument were held, the type of bowing techniques incorporated into the performance repertoire of each nationality and the method of their execution, the way in which the violoncello's varying sonorities were exploited, and the regard for sound quality and volume by performers of each school. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

This study traces the development of violoncello bowing technique in France, Austria and Germany between the years 1785-1839. Using evidence obtained from contemporary violoncello methods, periodical reviews, iconographic materials, diaries, letters, musical manuscripts, first-edition performance repertoire, and first-hand research at the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institute and University of California at Berkeley, the technical methodology of each school is examined. By this process, diverse qualities in the playing manner of J. P. Duport, J. L. Duport, Janson, Tricklir, Breval, J. H. Levasseur, Lamare, Hus-Desforges, Baudiot, Norblin, Vaslin and Franchomme, and that of A. Kraft, Ritter, Romberg, N. Kraft, Dotzauer, Lincke, Bohrer, Merk and Kummer are discernible. Such divergences in bowing technique form the basis of dissimilarities present in French and Austro-German violoncello performance of 1785-1839, a circumstance occasioned by a variety of contributing factors. These issues are segregated for investigation. Following the Introduction, Chapters 1 and 2 provide background information regarding the development of the instrument, bow, and bowing techniques before 1785. Chapter 3 discusses design modifications that occurred to the instrument and bow between 1785 and 1839. Chapters 4 and 5 present the biographies of each of the violoncellists examined, while Chapter 6 discusses the influence of performers from the French violin school and the musician interaction brought about by the French Revolution and subsequent wars. Analysis of the varying performance characteristics of the French and Austro-German schools begins with Chapter 7, this chapter and Chapter 8 surveying the performance methodology of each of the violoncellists included in this study. Chapters 9 and 10 assess the consequential relationship of performance technique to performance repertoire and Chapter 11 summarizes the findings of the accomplished research. These findings detail differences in the performance methodology of the French, Austrian and German violoncello schools in the period 1785-1839. The variants evinced include the manner in which the bow and instrument were held, the type of bowing techniques incorporated into the performance repertoire of each nationality and the method of their execution, the way in which the violoncello's varying sonorities were exploited, and the regard for sound quality and volume by performers of each school. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.