Master of Music / Department of Music / Frank C. Tracz / The following document is research and analysis from the comprehensive examination question based on the Graduate Conducting Recital of Matthew S. Bradford. The recital, performed by the Clay Center Community High School Band, was given in the Martyn/Snodgrass Auditorium of Clay Center Community High School on Monday, January 29, 2007 at 7:30 PM. The repertoire included Yorkshire Ballad by James Barnes, La Virgen De La Macarena arranged by Charles Koff, Provenance by Robert W. Smith, Nessum Dorma arranged by George Hattendorf, and Brighton Beach March by William Latham. This document contains theoretical and historical analysis, and outlines the procedures of planning and performing the graduate conducting recital.

Green Cove Springs Elementary School is located in a rural community and has a population of approximately five hundred and fifty fourth and fifth grade students. The classes are mostly self-contained, except for some grouping in reading and mathematics. There is one resource specialist in physical education who sees each class every day and one music resource specialist who sees each class twice a week and has classes in recorder and guitar.In a survey taken last year of parents and teachers, respondents were asked to rank many areas of the curriculum in order of importance. When the results came in, music was next to last on the list. Whether or not it is correct to assume that some subject areas have greater importance than others, the results of the survey were disturbing in that they indicated that the respondents felt music and the other arts were not as important as other areas of the curriculum.Although a few students show growth in their knowledge of the musical content taught, the majority not only fail to acquire musical concepts, but also become bored and frustrated and begin to have negative attitudes towards music.The purpose of this project was to increase elementary students' understanding and knowledge of musical concepts and skills through a curriculum of music activities related to the language arts and mathematics. The program was implemented jointly by the classroom teacher and the music resource specialist. It was expected that the implementation of this project would provide elementary students more opportunities to experience success in learning musical, mathematics, and language arts content through more frequent music activities.The objectives for the project were threefold. First, for the students to show cognitive growth in musical content and maintain a positive attitude toward music study. Secondly, to demonstrate the part the music specialists play in reinforcing language arts and mathematics skills. Thirdly, to provide a means for the classroom teacher to become involved in the students' music instruction and increase the teachers' understanding and appreciation of the value of music in the curriculum.Classroom teachers were chosen to participate with the music resource specialist in the program to allow more frequent music experiences for the students than are possible when the music resource specialist is totally responsible for all music instruction. The portion of the curriculum for the classroom teacher consisted of prepared lessons with activities that require little musical background. This was done to gain the cooperation and acceptance of the classroom teacher.

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The Ward method of music education was created in the early part of the twentieth century to promote the use of liturgical chant by teaching children vocal music reading skills. Its author, Justine Bayard Ward, was a newcomer to the Catholic Church and to the field of education, yet her approach proved successful and spread throughout the United States, Europe and other parts of the world. The goal of this dissertation is twofold: to document the influences that led the author to write and promote her method, and to trace its origins from pedagogical and notational antecedents. The ancient tradition of choral training in the Church, Wards upbringing, her musical training and aesthetic inclinations, and her zeal in furthering the liturgical and musical reforms of Pius X fostered the ideal environment for the creation of the Ward method. Evidence shows, however, that the materials and procedures were largely appropriations of pre-existing ideas. For example, the work in sight-singing was taken from the Galin-Paris-Chevé school, which flourished in nineteenth-century France, and the educational philosophy originated from her publisher, Rev. Thomas Shields. Ward's mentor, Rev. John Young, S.J., had combined bel canto vocal technique with Chevé exercises and, under Shields's guidance, Ward reshaped it. Separation of musical elements, principally rhythm and pitch, and graduated exercises were key ingredients Ward inherited from Chevé. Students learned accurate pitch discrimination through daily sight-singing drills where numbers corresponded to the sung solfège syllables in moveable “do.” Justine Ward's contributions lie in skillfully incorporating the Chevé sight-singing drills, Young's vocal training, and Shields' theories of aesthetics and childhood development to attain her goal of teaching children music of quality. The repertoire consisted of classical melodies, European folk tunes, and Gregorian chant. The Ward method spread through several avenues. Catholic Education Press began systematic publication of textbooks in the 1910s. Leaders in Catholic education were won over by demonstrations led by Justine Ward. More importantly, the Ward method spread through teacher training courses. It evolved in subsequent publications largely due to her recasting the material to reflect trends in music education and newer rhythmic theories in Gregorian chant.

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