The purpose of this collaborative inquiry (CI) dissertation study was to examine pedagogical strategies designed to open Western classical music to improvisation. Piano teacher-participants formed a collaborative inquiry cohort as co-researchers to design and implement pedagogical strategies for use with their piano students, ages 8 to 10. Improvisation appears to occupy a limited role in practices commonly associated with Western classical music. Since the body of evidence found in Western music history and performance practice reveals traditions that encompassed improvisation, this study was designed to challenge existing pedagogical models associated with Western classical music through experimentation and improvisation. The prior attitudes and practices of the three participants were assessed through introductory interviews, as well as the collection of videos of teaching practices and preliminary survey data. Three two-hour in-person sessions of the cohort took place, interspersed with interviews and the sharing of video excerpts and co-researcher memos and blogs in an online forum on Canvas. During in-person sessions of the cohort, pedagogical strategies were designed and revisited through reflection following participants’ teaching experiences in their piano studios. Participants explored musical improvisation within a creative community by investigating the processes and experiences of treating Western classical music as an impetus to creative thought and improvisatory realization by their students. Findings illuminate patterns of interaction that illustrate the function of strategies for musical creativity and the applicability to pedagogical practices. Several overarching themes, addressing the purpose of the study, emerged through my analysis of data, pertaining to the dynamic nature of music, call and response as formative, and knowledge and novelty as means and ends. Participants demonstrated distinct operational definitions of improvisation, each of which appeared to connect to a model of awareness and responsiveness through the expression of interrelated themes. Whether spontaneously generated or chosen intentionally, limitations promoted improvisation as the exploration of novelty, advancing and emanating from a knowledge base. By revealing pedagogical practices that demonstrate heuristic models for experimentation through variability practices, this study illuminates patterns of interaction that open works of musical art to the sociocultural activity of improvisation, through which a multiplicity of meanings can take form.

The purpose of this investigation is to show how class piano can meet the needs and interests of the child. Research was made to discover the development of piano from its very beginning to the present time, thereby showing the value of class piano and how old and new methods can be used to meet the needs and interests of the child.

In this inquiry, I used a qualitative-portraiture approach to examine the social, cultural, and psychological influences on piano students' decisions to continue taking piano lessons. I collected data between 1997 and 2002. Data types included field notes, interpretive memos, audiotaped and videotaped piano lessons, audiotaped one-on-one interviews and retrospective interviews, email messages, and written documents. The main sources of data used for analysis were transcribed videotapes of piano lessons in the music studio and interviews with the teacher and three of her promising students. I drew on Vygotsky Halliday, and Wenger's theoretical frameworks to conceptualize my understanding of the social, cultural, and psychological issues that influence promising music students' commitment to learning music. I used Vygotsky's social-psychological-developmental theory of learning and Halliday's social theory of language to portray the significance of piano students' experiences in a music studio, their relationships with their teacher, and the teachers' use of language in the decision. Vygotsky's perspective on volitional-affective tendencies provided a framework for understanding how students' abilities to cope with their emotions influenced them to continue their music studies. I drew on Halliday's concept of Register to analyze the transcribed videotaped lesson data sets. I used Wenger's notion of Community of Practice to portray the social, cultural, and historical characteristics that play a role in motivating students to learn music. I found that being socialized into the music community, developing musical competencies, becoming a self-regulated learner, and being able to cope with the emotional experiences of playing and performing shape students' decisions to continue piano lessons. The results of my findings support that teachers influence their students' decision to continue their music studies by socializing them into the practices

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Thesis (MMus (Music))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / The piano teacher faces an enormous task as educator in initial educational practice. The child must receive clear directives in terms of piano technique, sight reading skills, aural training, music theory and general music history. These aspects are accepted as providing the basic principles for effective tuition for beginners. Efficient guidance can be delivered only when the piano teacher has the necessary knowledge. In this study piano teachers who lack sufficient experience, knowledge and insight in the relevant knowledge, especially concerning piano technique, are considered to be underqualified.

Thesis (MMus) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South African education is currently moving in a new direction that is aimed at representing all the cultures of the country. Music education is grouped as part of the Arts and Culture learning area of Curriculum 2005 and the implication is that instrumental music teaching is being marginalized at the expense of general music teaching. In the past these two were regarded as separate subjects that each had its own dedicated syllabus. This thesis is geared toward the preservation of instrumental music teaching (in this case piano) as part of the Arts and Culture learning area of Curriculum 2005 by means of a complementary teaching program whereby general music teaching and instrumental music teaching can be taught in conjunction with each other. This approach is based on Gane (1996) who suggests activities and approaches to music education that can support the co-operation between these two areas of music teaching. This thesis is an exploratory study to determine if co-operation between prescribed music curricula and the suggestions for music activities and approaches as proposed by Gane (1996), have the potential to bridge the gap between general music teaching and instrumental music teaching. At the onset of this study it was not to test a predetermined hypothesis, but rather to establish the possibility of a complementary teaching model for music teaching. This research project was done according to the qualitative research methodology as it was done it was done in a social setting. This research project was done over a period of six months with a group of ten learners whose progress ranged from beginner to grade 2 level. A variety of music compositions was selected and applied in the practice of the music lesson to demonstrate the application of the music activities as suggested by Gane (1996). The ultimate goal of the use of the music compositions was to indicate how prescribed and additional music can be explored to optimize the learners' knowledge from the two fields of music learning. The following syllabi were used for this thesis: the British National Curriculum (1995), as well as these South African syllabi: Curriculum for Extra-Curricular Music - piano (1993), the Interim Syllabus for Classmusic (1995), and Curriculum 2005 (1997). The reasons for the focus on these specific syllabi in this research project are as follows: firstly the British National Curriculum serves as framework for Gane's (1996) article "Instrumental performance and the National Curriculum: a possible partnership?" and this forms the foundation for this thesis; secondly the Curriculum for Extra-Curricular music (piano) deals with instrumental music teaching and the Interim Syllabus for Classmusic deals with general music teaching and these are the two aspects of music teaching in South Africa which this thesis aim to bring together; and lastly the Curriculum 2005 (1997) is the curriculum whereby education is currently being practiced in South Africa. The most important finding of this study is that the proposed teaching method is workable for music education if certain conditions as is discussed in chapter 4 are in place. It has also been found that because this is an exploratory study, there is room for more empirical research in this regard. In conclusion it can be said that since this study revealed the possibility for an exploratory teaching method for music teaching, this teaching method does have merit. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Suid-Afrika is opvoeding tans besig om in 'n nuwe rigting te beweeg wat daarop gemik is om verteenwoordigend van al die land se kulture te wees. Musiekopvoeding word as deel van Kurrikulum 2005 se Kuns en Kultuur leerarea gegroepeer en die implikasie is dat instrumentale musiekonderrig ten koste van algemene musiekonderrig ter syde gestel word waar dit voorheen as aparte vakke geag was wat elk volgens 'n afsonderlike sillabus onderrig was. Hierdie tesis poog vir die behoud van instrumentale musiekonderrig (in hierdie geval klavier) as deel van Kurrikulum 2005 se Kuns en Kultuur leerarea by wyse van 'n komplementêre onderrigprogram waarbyalgemene musiekonderrig en instrumentale musiekonderrig in wisselwerking met mekaar onderrig kan word. Hierdie benadering word op Gane (1996) se voorstelle vir aktiwiteite en benaderings tot musiekonderrig gebaseer aangesien hierdie skrywer ook 'n samewerking tussen die twee areas van musiekonderrig beywer. Hierdie tesis is 'n verkenningstudie om te bepaal of voorgeskrewe musiekkurrikula in samewerking met Gane (1996) se voorstelle vir aktiwiteite en benaderings tot musiekonderrig toegepas kan word om die oorbrugging tussen algemene musiekonderrig en instrumentale musiekonderrig, wat as twee aparte afdelings van musiekonderrig beskou word, te bewerkstellig. Die aanvang van hierdie tesis was nie om 'n voorafbebaalde hipotese te toets me, maar eerder om die moontlikheid van 'n komplementêre onderrigmodel vir musiekonderrig te bepaal. Die studie is volgens die kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode gedoen aangesien dit in 'n sosiale opset plaasgevind het. Hierdie navorsingsprojek is oor 'n tydperk van ses maande en met 'n groep van tien leerders gedoen wie se vorderingstadia van beginner tot graad twee strek. Verskeie komposisies is geselekteer en in die musieklespraktyk uitgetoets wat daarop gemik is om algemene musiekonderrig by instrumentale musiekonderrig te laat aansluit, ter illustrasie van Gane (1996) se voorgestelde raamwerk vir musiekonderrig. Die uiteindelike doel met die gebruik van die gekose repertorium is om aan te dui hoe voorgeskrewe en aanvullende onderrigmateriaalontgin kan word om leerders se kennis vanuit die twee onderrigvelde bymekaar te bring en aan te vul. Die volgende sillabusse is in hierdie tesis uiteengesit: Die British National Curriculum (1995) en ook verskeie Suid-Afrikaanse kurrikula - dit wil sê die Kurrikulum vir Buitekurrikulêre musiek (klavier) (1993), die Tussentydse sillabus vir Klasmusiek (1995) en Kurrikulum 2005 (1997). Die redes waarom die voorafgenoemde sillabusse in die navorsingsprojek ingesluit is, is soos volg: eerstens dien die British National Curriculum as raamwerk vir Gane (1996) se artikel "Instrumental performance and the National Curriculum: a possible partnership?" en dit is waarvolgens hierdie tesis geformuleer is; tweedens handel die Kurrikulum vir Buitekurrikulêre musiek (klavier) oor instrumentale musiekonderrig en die Tussentydse sillabus vir Klasmusiek oor algemene musiekonderrig - hierdie twee onderrigvelde is juis die twee aspekte van Suid-Afrkaanse musiekonderrig wat hierdie tesis poog om by mekaar te laat aansluit; en laastens word Kurrikulum 2005 ingesluit omdat dit die onderrigprogram is waarvolgens opvoeding tans in Suid-Afrika gepraktiseer word. Die belangrikste bevinding van hierdie studie is dat hierdie voorgestelde onderrigmetode vir musiek werkbaar is indien daar sekere voorwaardes soos in hoofstuk 4 bespreek, in plek is. Ter afsluiting is daar ook bevind dat aangesien hierdie tesis as 'n verkenningsstudie gedoen was, daar ruimte vir meer empiriese navorsing in hierdie verband is. Die gevolgtrekking is dat aangesien hierdie studie die moontlikheid vir 'n ontginnende onderrigmetode vir instrumentale musiekonderrig aandui, hierdie metode wel meriete het.

The purpose of this study was to compare personal investment levels among nonmusic major piano students in the contexts of portfolio and teacher-directed assessment. Three problems were addressed: 1) identifying students' perceptions of direction, persistence, continuing motivation, intensity, and performance in the context of teacher-directed goal setting, choice of instructional activities, and evaluation of performance; 2) identifying students' perceptions of the five personal investment behaviors in the context of portfolio assessment; and 3) comparing student perceptions as identified in problems one and two.

The purpose of the study was to investigate independent piano teachers' view of themselves in the light of selected attributes found in sociological writings on the professions. The research problems were: (a) to determine the attitudes which independent piano teachers held toward selected professional attributes; (b) to determine the relationship between the attitudes toward the professional attributes and selected background variables; and (c) to determine the degree of association between these attributes. The problems were addressed by a questionnaire directed to independent piano teachers active in the area of Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas. Thirty teachers were also interviewed to determine consistency of response and to explore issues which the questionnaire had raised. Reliability and validity were established at acceptable levels. Techniques of statistical analysis included Pearson's product-moment correlation, multiple regression, chi-square in conjunction with Cramer's V_, and factor analysis. The strongest attitudes expressed by the teachers in the study concerned professional self-image, altruism, client orientation, commitment to work, and independence. The most important background variables were age, years of experience, number of students, certification by a professional association, and college degree in music. A multiple regression analysis tested each variable against the dependent variable professional self-image; recognition by others, commitment to work, client orientation, and qualification were found to account for 25% of the common variance. A factor analysis was also conducted to seek out patterns of attitudes among the attributes being studied; seven factors were identified among the subjects' belief systems as Professional Actions, Satisfaction, Quality Control, Professionalism, Compliance, Autonomy, and Focus on Student. These factors accounted for almost half of the total variance in the data. The study concluded that: (a) independent piano teaching was a female-dominated, subsidized occupation, and (b) the piano teachers' professional self-image seemed to be an evaluation of themselves and their work, rather than the use of profession as a definable goal for which to strive.

 This dissertation is a study of the consumption of the piano and piano playing in Hong Kong from the late 20th century, when the new middle-class emerged, well into the 21st century, when the general Hong Kong population, including the working class, is better educated and economically more affluent. It attempts to answer the questions: “How do people look at the piano in Hong Kong?” “Why piano playing is so popular?” and “What does piano playing mean?” The investigation of how people consume the piano aims at finding out the cultural codes given to the object and its related activities, of which give answers to the above questions; while the consumption itself demonstrates “an act of deciphering, decoding, which presupposes practical or explicit mastery of a cipher or code” in Pierre Bourdieu’s words. The ways people consume the piano and piano playing are shaped by the city’s colonial history, the middle-class’s biedermeier mentality, as well as the utilitarian atmosphere prevailing in the society (regardless of social classes). Using the piano as a ‘viewing apparatus’ to peer through society, I attempt to develop a critique in reaction to scholarship that fails to come to terms with certain aspects of the Hong Kong culture and tends to see Hong Kong as unique or, worse, victimized. / published_or_final_version / Music / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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