"The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of interest and activity in musical stage productions in the public schools of America. In addition, there appears to be a need for definite information concerning; (a) the degree of encouragement given to this type of activity by national professional organization, local groups and individuals; (b) the availability of teaching materials relating to music drama, opera and other musical stage works; (c) finally, because music educators are not agreed as to the value of stage productions, it is desirable that an evaluation of these activities be made"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "May, 1955." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music Education." / Advisor: W. L. Housewright, Professor Directing Study. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-36).

Chamber music courses are known to be an effective instructional practice for classical music training, especially for developing and pre-professional musicians’ listening and cooperative communication skills. In most current chamber music classrooms in Chinese conservatories, the greatest potential of this training, which includes informal and cooperative group learning as well as self-directed learning, goes largely unrealized. In this study, preservice classroom interviews and observations of student groups were employed to investigate independent and informal chamber music learning experiences in three string quartets. Both enhancements and impediments to group work were explored, and the findings indicate that learning outcomes may vary greatly when sufficient scaffolding is not present. The findings of this study indicate that if a series of preparation classes are inserted early in the learning sequence, then many Chinese conservatory students show markedly improved skills in co-operative learning and independent rehearsing. The participants in this study developed a sense of community within a classroom that provided an open learning environment and facilitated discussion.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the curricular content of elementary music in China between 1912 and 1982. The questions addressed were: (1) What changes in elementary music resulted from China's becoming a republic in 1912? (2) What changes in elementary music resulted from China's becoming a socialist country in 1949? (3) What changes in elementary music in the People's Republic of China resulted from the Anti—Rightist Struggle Movement in 1957? (4) What changes in elementary music in the People's Republic of China resulted from the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976)? (5) Have changes occurred in elementary music in the People's Republic of China since the beginning of the reform movement in 1978? (6) Did any of the changes affect curricular goals, contents, methods, required materials, and instruction time allotted in a like manner, or did some of these components remain the same while others changed? (7) Were the changes important enough to attribute them to a changed political ideology? After translating all pertinent documents, the goals, contents, methods, materials, and time allotted for the elementary music curricula between 1912 and 1982 were listed and identified. Subsequently, the areas of focus within those categories as well as changes in focus were identified and their importance determined. The findings were: (1) all important curricular changes occurred after 1950; and (2) changed goals resulted in changed teaching techniques; however, changed teaching techniques did not result in the changing of goals.

It is the purpose of this study to set forth facts, substantiated by investigation of authoritative sources, proving that all selections used on the concert program of a high school chorus should serve a permanently constructive purpose toward the musical growth of the students. The first part of the thesis concerns those elements which have to be taken into consideration in teaeching any high school music group These are: 1. The psychological make-up of the group in regard to age and physical development. 2. The psychological make-up of its audience. 3. The existing level of musical skill of the group as a whole. 4. The existing degree of aesthetic appreciation of the chorus and its audience. The latter part of the work specifies the aims in vocal instruction of the high school choral course. These include sight reading, breathing, tone, pitch, diction, phrasing, and interpretation. It also attempts to demonstrate how the preparation of a concert program serves to accomplish these aims. This involves a critical evaluation of each number on a proposed program in reference to the following points: 1. Psychological reception by the group and its audience. 2. Its contribution toward improved aesthetic discrimination on the part of singers and listeners. 3. The opportunity afforded for specific vocal and musical training.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of visual performance presentations on student perceptions of the elements of music. Eighth and 12th grade student groups (n = 155) were randomly assigned from intact music classes into two presentation groups (audio and video). A Posttest Control Group Design was utilized to determine the treatment effects of four videotaped performances on student responses to Olson's <i>Part One: Musical Detail from the Measurement of Musical Awareness</i> (©1987). Two excerpts in Jazz style (big band) and two in Classical style (symphony orchestra) were presented in random order to each of the treatment groups. The experimental group was presented a videotaped music performance of each excerpt while the control group was presented only the audiotaped performances of the same excerpts. The students responded to twenty-eight test statement items regarding melody, form, texture, meter, rhythm, harmony, tone color, tempo, and dynamics in the four different music performances. / Ed. D.

Imbued with the potential to foster transformative spaces, improvisation in music can be a powerful practice but, even more largely, a unique way of being human. However, many teachers from Western classical music traditions struggle with improvisation and including it in their classroom experiences. This dissertation questioned how conceptualizations of music improvisation influence and inform this struggle through a praxis of storying experience and reflexive action. Five music educators, including the author, met over eight months for collective group improvisation and storytelling followed by conversations that involved cyclical stages of video-stimulated recall and re-storying. Using a narrative inquiry framework shaped by ethnographic and autoethnographic influences, this research conveyed what happened while challenging conceptions of improvised music through re-storying the past, the action of improvising, and reflexive action through storying the experience. The study revealed barriers to feeling comfortable with improvising, including a systemic siloing of improvisers and non-improvisers within Western music traditions, feelings of shame shaped by harmful expectations of musical ability, and experiences with closed systems of end-in-means pedagogical approaches and assessment practices. This research showed that the process of reflecting on conceptualizations of improvisation to feel more comfortable with the practice takes time and that experiencing breaks, or shimmers of understanding, rather than breakthroughs, still afforded space for transformation. The broader implications for music education include striving for approaches that teach rather than train improvisation and embracing commonalities between narrative ways of knowing and expression of self and connection through improvisation.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two methods of music instruction on two factors in the musical listening experience, identified as music description and music identification, and musical preference of fourth- and fifth-grade students. The listening experiences consisted of one which utilized descriptive writing in the music lesson and one which utilized participatory listening activities such as maps for guided listening, worksheets, and call charts. Also examined were the interactions of gender, grade level, and degree of writing presence in the regular classroom. Seven-hundred and eleven students from thirty-six intact classes in six elementary schools of three school districts were chosen for the study. The intact classes were randomly assigned to one of the two methods of instruction for a seven week experiment. The study utilized a pretest/posttest two group experimental design to answer 10 research questions. Repeated measures MANOVAS, t-test of independent samples, and two-variable correlation tests were conducted to measure mean differences, interactions, and possible relationships in the data. Results of the study indicated significant differences between method of instruction and the variables of music description and music identification. Method of instruction did not influence musical preference. Also significantly different were students' scores for music description, music identification, and musical preference between the participating 23 classroom teachers. Method of instruction, grade level, degree of writing presence, and gender did not significantly interact collectively with music description, identification, or musical preference although some areas interacted with these variables individually. Significant interactions were found between music teacher and method with regard to students' scores on tests of music description, music identification, and musical preference. Two correlational tests resulted in values that indicated no relationship between the variables of musical preference and description and musical preference and identification. However, the non-relationship of music description and musical preference was non-significant while music identification and musical preference were significantly non-related.