A music teacher’s place of work—the school, the geographical focus of this dissertation—is always in a state of reform and thus what constitutes quality work within this space is also in constant flux. Contemporary schooling exists in and as a marketplace shaped by neoliberal policies, with goods managed by a cacophony of entities from governmental programs to private organizations. These policies are not only a structural change, but also a method of forming and reforming teachers. Necessarily—inevitably— policy changes what learning looks like, how it is accomplished, and who the music teacher is. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of music teachers who work and interact within the phenomenon of contemporary neoliberal-influenced schools. I examine how music teachers operate and think, maneuver and resist, choose and refuse, submit and comply within the forces that define the conditions of contemporary schools. This topic was examined through a phenomenological case study of a private non- profit organization that manages music teachers in public school settings. Data came from the lived experiences of 8 music teachers, which were elicited through interviews and observations, as well as participant-researcher journals and document collection. Analysis indicated that the phenomenon of contemporary schooling is unique in the ways that teachers enter into the new space, the ways in which work towards or in opposition to performance expectations, and the ways in which they find support in working through perceived contradictions. Implications reveal the ways that education policies shape teacher identity and quality teaching and learning.

The modern music educator is constantly working to improve his methods of teaching in the public schools. Whatever his principal interest may be or wherever his principal ability may lie he desires to remain cognizant of the activities of those who are working alongside him in the system of public education. This same teacher is as much interested in the choral program if he is an instrumentalist as would the choral teacher be in the band or orchestra program of the school in which he is teaching. / Typescript. / "August, 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: Robert L. Briggs, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 28-29).

Music has been a constituent of the public school curriculum in Pinellas County for a period of many years. The success of the program is clearly showy in terms of the place it has achieved in the community. Church choirs, symphony orchestras, and music recreation programs are being maintained. Secondary school students have shown a continuing interest in music throughout college and many have elected it as a career or vocation. However, the county school administration and teaching staff are not confident tha.t these evidences of' the effectiveness of their program are complete proof that it is an adequate one. The Supervisor of Music and the Director of Instruction have initiated a study with the co-operation of music instructors in the country, designed to improve the present program and equalize music opportunities of children in county schools. / "May, 1956." / Typescript. / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music Education." / Advisor: Wiley L. Housewright, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-68).

This study is a phenomenological study about band. Stories of band are told through three people of different ages and generations who chose to continue playing an instrument after graduating from high school. A review of the literature and a lack of research from the perspective of the individual led this study to two broad research questions. First, is there such a thing as a “band identity?” I wanted to know how band shaped the lives of three individuals who have spent their lives playing, experiencing, and performing band music. I wanted to discover if there was some sort of essence to band and to understand more about how the concept of self is shaped through participation in band. Second, I wanted to be open to the idea that the telling of stories of band might intersect with my own. The final chapter of the study reflects on my journey as a teacher. On the surface, band may look like any other group activity. But the powerful combination of mastering an instrument, learning how one’s instrument fits into a larger ensemble, and navigating the social and family-like drama as one’s life story unfolds makes the band experience unique. The three study participants were interviewed over nine months using a theoretical “mix tape” approach blending phenomenological inquiry with elements of case study, narrative, short written responses, reflections, and the collecting of artifacts. The participants showed that the band experience is inextricably woven into the identity of individuals who continue to devote time and energy to instrumental music. The band identity is wrapped around and melded with concepts of the power of the group dynamic, the magic and memories formed from devoting time to the activity of music making, the power of music on memory, and the relationships that are built through the activity. This thesis shows that band directors should pay much closer attention to and nurture the value of the individual by listening to the individual soundtracks of their students and working to understand the stories and life experiences that the individual brings to the traditional large ensemble band setting.

"The majority of the material for this paper comes from my own observation of our program and its growth in Jackson County. Jackson County is a rural county in Northwest Florida. There are a total of eight high schools located in the county, five of them having instrumental programs. This survey is an over-view of the instrumental program in Jackson County as it is now in the year 1958"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "August, 1958." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts." / Advisor: H. W. Dean, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 24).

ABSTRACT For pianists considering teaching as a career, progress has been made in the preparation of piano teachers in American colleges and universities beginning in the early twentieth century. These developments impacted the education of the piano teacher in colleges/universities as well as the added focus of piano-related journals and publications, professional organizations, and the piano teaching profession. According to the newest edition of Directory of Music Faculties in Colleges and Universities, U.S. and Canada (2015-2016), there are 62 American institutions offering master's degrees in piano pedagogy or master's degrees with an emphasis in piano pedagogy, and 1091 faculty reported an interest in teaching piano pedagogy courses. The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of how current and future piano teachers perceive the design and function of master's piano pedagogy degree programs in the United States. This descriptive research, bridging collegiate master's students and early-career piano teachers' perceptions, explores the perceived benefits, value, or shortcomings of graduate-level piano teacher education/pedagogy programs. The researcher principally utilized the following techniques for this study: (1) review of related literature and documents; (2) online survey questionnaire design; (3) interviews with novice piano teachers and piano pedagogy faculty members; and (4) analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. The information obtained through online surveys and real-time interviews comprise the foundation for the findings of this study. Most of the collegiate and early-career piano teachers in this study indicated positive attitudes toward the "hands-on" internship experience and learning experience with piano pedagogy instructors. The most valuable aspects of the master's piano pedagogy programs noted by participants were faculty members directly sharing their professional knowledge and years of experience to students in class. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2016. / April 13, 2016. / Curriculum, Master's degree, Piano pedagogy, Piano teacher, Student perceptions, Teacher preparation / Includes bibliographical references. / William Fredrickson, Professor Directing Dissertation; Joe Kraus, University Representative; Alice-Ann Darrow, Committee Member; Kimberly VanWeelden, Committee Member.

This work is an annotated bibliography of original reed quintet repertoire. It can serve as a practical resource to musicians, reed quintets, composers, music educators and musical scholars of all levels. For each original composition, there are detailed annotations including information about the composer, title, instrumentation, year composed, length, genre, level, commissioning information, publisher, recording availability, a brief discussion of the form/style of the piece, and copyright information. Since annotations are only provided for original reed quintet repertoire, I have included four indexes of other reed quintet repertoire from 1985 until 2015: Original reed quintet music with additional parts, Arrangements, Arrangements including additional parts and Historical Reference. These indexes include titles, composers and arrangers of all arrangements, chamber repertoire, arrangements of chamber repertoire, and original repertoire with additional instruments. / A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music. / Spring Semester 2016. / March 14, 2016. / Chamber Music, Quintet, Reed, Reed Quintet, Repertoire, Woodwind / Includes bibliographical references. / Deborah Bish, Professor Directing Treatise; Richard Clary, University Representative; Anne Hodges, Committee Member; Jonathan Holden, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was to observe time use and instructional focus in the middle school beginning band and advanced band settings. The analysis included the systematic recording of teacher behavior and student performance activities for the entire class period observed, as well as consideration of the relationship between teacher behaviors and student performance in specific instructional episodes during the class period. All timing data was recorded using the SCRIBE (Simple Computer Recording Interface for Behavioral Evaluation) software (Duke & Stammen, 2011). Participants in included five expert middle school band directors, who were video-recorded teaching a beginning band class and an advanced band class in the same instructional day. A total of 394.60 minutes (approximately 6 hours and 36 minutes) of rehearsal were observed; a total of 202.21 minutes were observed in the advanced band setting, and 192.39 minutes were observed in the beginning band setting. The first layer of observation included documentation of the whole class period using six categories: 1) teacher instruction, 2) instrumental modeling, 3) group performance, 4) section performance, 5) individual performance, and 6) student verbal behavior. Time devoted to warm-up and preparatory activities (prior to literature) was also documented in this layer of observation. The second layer of observation included documentation of the whole class period using three categories: 1) time on the podium, 2) active conducting, and 3) individualized instruction. The third layer of observation entailed identifying rehearsal frames in which targets were identified and categorized. Strategies identified as general music instructional strategies were documented in this layer as well. Results of this study revealed differences in the frequency of observed behaviors between the beginning and advanced band settings, with significantly more episodes of teacher modeling, individualized instruction, and student verbal questions/responses occurring in the beginning band setting. A significantly greater number of episodes of section performance occurred in the advanced band setting. Teachers spent more time on the podium and actively conducting the ensemble in the advanced band setting than in the beginning band setting, and more time was used for preparatory activities (prior to literature) in the beginning band setting than in the advanced band setting. Target categories emphasized in the beginning band setting reflected an emphasis on fundamentals and literacy, whereas the target categories in the advanced band setting reflected greater emphasis on performance-based goal achievement. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2016. / September 23, 2016. / Beginning Band, Instrumental, Rehearsal Frames / Includes bibliographical references. / Kimberly VanWeelden, Professor Directing Dissertation; Deborah Bish, University Representative; Clifford K. Madsen, Committee Member; William Fredrickson, Committee Member; Kasia Bugaj, Committee Member.

The purpose of this collective case study was to examine the different musical, social, and pedagogical factors that affected how piano repertoire is selected and programmed for the undergraduate degree recital. Additionally, this study investigated the existence of what is deemed “standard repertoire” for the piano, and the possible reasons why these works are performed more often than others. The research was guided by a three-part framework of inquiry that examined the recital planning process from a student and professor perspective. Additional focus was placed on the social dynamics of the collegiate private piano lesson, and the relationship that developed between professor and student. The data for this collective case study were obtained through a descriptive analysis of piano recital programs, a listening analysis of past student recital recordings, and semi-structured interviews with piano majors and professors (N=7) at a large Southeastern public university. Student case study participants were chosen through a purposive sampling method, and interviews were transcribed manually. Transcripts were then coded using a three-part process that analyzed individual and cross-case themes. These interview transcripts were used to craft case study participant profiles. The transcription and coding process yielded eight salient main themes regarding piano repertoire selection that emerged from a cross-case analysis: making connections within the repertoire; influence of the university curriculum; satisfaction through effective performance order; the audience experience; collaborative learning model/choice with set conditions; freshman year: the vital foundation; standard repertoire as “functional repertoire”; and “filling the gaps.” These themes were used to address the original research questions. In addition, themes unique to each case study participant were also discussed. Based on these individual and cross-case themes, it was suggested that further research is needed investigating the repertoire selection process in a variety of different pedagogical settings, such as the non-major student or graduate piano student. It was also suggested that additional research is needed to determine how a work achieves “standard repertoire” status, both for piano and other music fields. Finally, further research is needed investigating the role of the audience as active listeners and participants within the context of the collegiate piano recital. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2016. / May 13, 2016. / Collegiate piano lesson, Piano, Piano pedagogy, Piano recital, Recital program, Repertoire / Includes bibliographical references. / Alice-Ann Darrow, Professor Directing Dissertation; James Mathes, University Representative; David Kalhous, Committee Member; Sara Scott Shields, Committee Member; Kimberly VanWeelden, Committee Member.

Cerebral Visual Impairment (“CVI”) is defined by a deficit of vision and visual perception in children that results from damage to the brain (Dutton & Lueck, 2015). Currently, CVI is the most common cause of visual impairment in children in the developed world. The purpose of this paper is to provide an evidence-based curriculum guide to music therapy for children aged 6- to 16-years-old with visual impairments, specifically CVI. The author begins by providing a background on Perkins School for the Blind. Next, she reviews current literature on visual impairments, CVI, and music therapy. Finally, she proposes a curriculum guide for children with visual impairments, specifically CVI, and discusses effective music therapy interventions by age group. / A Thesis submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music. / Summer Semester 2016. / June 20, 2016. / Cerebral Visual Impairment, CVI, Expanded Core Curriculum, Music Therapy, Special Education, Visual Impairment / Includes bibliographical references. / Jayne Standley, Professor Directing Thesis; Clifford Madsen, Committee Member; Dianne Gregory, Committee Member.