The purpose of this study was to investigate infants' preferences and long-term memory for two contrasting complex pieces of music, that is, Prelude and Forlane from Le Tombeau de Couperin by Maurice Ravel (1875--1937). Seventy 8.5-month-old infants were randomly assigned to one of four experiments conducted on the Headturn Preference Procedure. The first experiment examined infants' preferences for Prelude and Forlane in piano timbre. The second experiment assessed infants' preferences for Prelude and Forlane in orchestra timbre. Infants' preferences for the Forlane in piano and orchestra timbres were investigated in the third experiment. The last experiment aimed at infants' long-term memory for complex music. Thirty infants were exposed to either the Prelude or the Forlane three times a day for ten consecutive days. Two weeks following the exposure, infants were tested on the HPP. It was predicted that these infants would prefer to listen to the familiar piece from the exposure over the unfamiliar one. Results suggested that 8.5-month-olds could tell apart two complex pieces of music in orchestra timbre and could discriminate between the piano and the orchestra timbres. Contrary to the belief that infants are ill equipped to process complex music, this study found that infants could encode and remember complex pieces of music for at least two weeks. / Because infants rely on their caretakers to provide musical experiences for them, maternal beliefs and uses of music were also investigated. Mothers of participating infants were interviewed on musical background, listening preferences and musical behaviors and beliefs with their infants. The analysis of interview data yielded the following main results: (1) Singing was the primary musical activity of mothers and babies; (2) Maternal occupation and previous musical experiences affected their musical behaviors with their babies; (3) Most mothers held the belief that there is appropriate music for babies to listen to although there was no consensus as to what is appropriate music. Such beliefs reflect a conflict between maternal beliefs regarding infants' music cognition and the actual music-related perceptual and cognitive abilities of infants. Attempting to attenuate this conflict, suggestions for music educators, parents and researchers were proposed.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in selected children's Graphing Response Patterns to elemental changes in compositions in theme and variation form. The research problems were (1) to determine points and degrees of elemental change in the compositional structure of the musical examples; (2) to determine number, degree, and nature of changes in subjects' graphing response pattern to aurally presented musical examples; (3) to determine percentages of agreement between changes in graphing response patterns and points of elemental change within the compositional structures; (4) to determine the relationship of changes in subjects' graphing response pattern to the quality and magnitude of elemental change within the compositional structure. Twenty second- and fourth-grade children were individually videotaped as they listened to and graphed a series of aurally-presented musical examples. Each musical example was analysed according to such parameters as timbre, range/interval size, texture, tempo/meter, attack/rhythmic density, key/mode, dynamic level, and melodic presentation. Change in each parameter was scored using an interval scale reflecting change/no change and degree of change. Changes in graphing response pattern were determined by an interval scale which reflected the presence of change/no change and amount of change, using as analytical units speed, size, shape, type, and pause. The following conclusions were made: findings showed an observable, quantifiable relationship between changes in children's graphing response patterns and elemental changes in music parameters. This relationship encompassed not only change/no change judgements but also magnitude of response. Overall, frequency and magnitude/degree of student response was proportionate to the frequency and magnitude of change in the music parameter/s. Results indicated the existence of high-ranking correlations between student response and certain parameters regardless of the degree-of-change/points-of-change ratio. Findings showed that one degree of change in a single music parameter was not sufficient to cause an observable change in the attention of the young listener.

The main purpose of the present study was to investigate whether a shift from absolute to relative pitch perception occurs during early childhood. Other factors that can influence the development of absolute pitch, such as cognitive abilities and the child's environment were examined. Young children completed (n=88): (1) a variety of pitch tasks (absolute and relative pitch tests) prior to and after two months of focused instruction on absolute and relative pitch, (2) tests of cognitive abilities, and (3) a questionnaire gathering information about family musical environment. / The results indicate that a shift from absolute to relative perception occurs between the ages of 5 and 7. Children younger than six demonstrated limited ability to perform relational tasks such as ordering bells, identifying transposed intervals, and comparing pitches. However, they memorized target pitches better than the older children, matched target tones on the xylophone and sang newly learned songs in their original key more often than did the older children. Older children benefited to a larger extent from the training on relative pitch. Cognitive and spatial abilities were related to absolute pitch development: children who identified pitches better had a more sequential and a less simultaneous way of processing information. Family musical environment seems to have influenced the development of absolute pitch. Implications for the acquisition of absolute pitch are discussed.

Thesis (M.M.E.) Florida State University, 2007. / Advisor: Alice-Ann Darrow, Florida State University, College of Music. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed 8-29-2007). Document formatted into pages; contains 97 pages. Includes biographical sketch. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

The international drive among western countries to shift from industrial to knowledge economies has focussed considerable attention on education. United Kingdom government educational policy, influenced by the global knowledge economy, has shifted responsibility for learning work skills from the workplace to schooling and post-compulsory education. Government policy emphasises the importance of education's role in preparing students with the skills, knowledge and understanding required to enhance the United Kingdom's competitiveness in the global market. In contrast to the work-related emphasis of the wider educational context, music education emphasises the enrichment of experience. The value of music education is related to people's needs, and the functions it performs in their lives. Music education should be transformative, creative, enriching and relevant. Participation in music education is motivated by the intrinsic satisfaction of making music, rather than the extrinsic need for work-related competencies and qualifications. Music education competes for students with other subjects in the educational marketplace when the music curriculum ceases to be compulsory at age fifteen. Therefore, it is important to understand how students relate not only to music education, but also to the wider work-related educational context in which their subject participation choices are made. Therefore, the purposes of this study are twofold: (1) to establish an overview of how students perceive music education and the factors that influence their enrolment intentions, and (2) to establish an overview of how students perceive music within the wider context of education. Statements were chosen that were considered representative of the rationales for education presented by the government and the music education community. Questionnaires and interviews were developed using the statements, and were ii administered to a random sample of Year Nine and Ten (GCSE Music and non - GCSE Music) students Music was not a relevant subject for most students. However, the perceptions of a small percentage of students (mainly Music students) did find music education relevant in the ways the literature suggested it should be. The most common influences on enrolment were perceptions of ability and enjoyment (or lack of). Despite the strong emphasis on work-related skills and qualifications in the wider educational context, students generally agreed that Music was a subject better suited to enhancing life and lifestyle than career options. However, reflecting the wider educational context, Music was perceived as being more careers/future study orientated than transformative, creative, enriching and relevant.