Thesis (Ph. D)--University of Oregon, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-94). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (Ph. D)--University of Oregon, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-94)

Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of Oregon, 2006. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 210-221). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

abstract: This study investigated high school band students' processes of learning as well as their responses and reactions to student-led aural-based learning projects. Previous research has focused on various aspects of informal learning and student-centered learning--the frameworks upon which this study is based--but none have focused on inclusion of informal learning methods into a secondary large ensemble classroom setting with an emphasis on playing by ear. Participants in this study were 20 students divided into four small groups in a 45-member high school band. The study took place during the regularly scheduled band class during one full class period for eight weeks, culminating in small group performances. Data were collected throughout the study via observation and audio- or video-recording of weekly group rehearsal, participant interviews, teacher interviews, and collection of student artifacts. Data were analyzed by creating a case study of each of the four groups to determine their working processes. Cross-case analysis revealed themes common to the participant groups in these categories: navigation of the learning process, playing by ear, and student attitudes and perceptions of benefits and drawbacks of the project. Discussion of navigation of the learning process includes group members' methods of problem solving within a constructivist classroom environment. These methods included problem finding, strategizing, and responding, peer assessment and feedback, and teacher scaffolding; I also discuss how group dynamics played a major role in student's learning processes. While learning to play by ear, musical elements students addressed included pitch, division of parts, form, key and modality, intonation, instrumentation, dynamics, tempo, rhythm, improvisation, and range. Students' attitudes included enjoyment of most aspects of the project, and dislike or frustration with a few aspects. Benefits students perceived from participation in the project included increased ability to play by ear and increased confidence. Recommendations for music teachers and music teacher educators as well as suggestions for future research are provided. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music Education 2014

Aural learning, sometimes called “learning by ear,” is a fundamental mechanism of music, connected to musical perception, acquisition, and understanding. Researchers have primarily studied aural learning strategies through self-reported data or qualitative observations. Because the interaction between a learner and a recording offers a unique window into self-guided learning approaches and strategies, the aim of this study was to use participants’ interactions with the recordings as a data source. The purpose of this study was to investigate how high schoolers aurally learn unfamiliar melodies and identify trends that contribute to efficient learning.Twenty-nine high-school participants in individual sessions learned three different melodies by ear. As participants learned each melody, I used a modified, digital playback interface to collect interaction data on three learning constructs from the literature: (a) learning chunk length; (b) learning chunk order; and (c) synchronous versus turn-taking. Descriptive results showed that participants preferred to learn melodies in one-, two-, four-, or eight-measure chunks, and that their use of time learning either in a synchronously or turn-taking approach had no relationship to their total learning time. A Spearman Rank Order correlation revealed a moderate, inverse relationship between average chunk length and total learning time (Rho = -.506, p < .001) suggesting that participants who focused on learning larger chunks learned the whole melody faster. An analysis of participants’ choice of learning chunk order revealed three general approaches to the task. Participants used a “From the Beginning” approach approximately 14% of the time, characterized by repeatedly starting from the beginning and increasing the length of the learning chunk each repetition. Participants used a “Half to Whole” approach approximately 29% of the time, characterized by focusing on half of the melody at a time. Finally, participants most frequently used a “Bit by Bit” approach 57% of the time, characterized by learning short one- to three-measures chunks progressing from the beginning of the melody to the end. Most participants began and ended their learning session by listening to the entire melody. An ANOVA comparing approaches showed that the “Half to Whole” approach was significantly more effective than the “Bit-by-Bit” (F[2,66] = 10.25, p < .001), but showed no differences between other approaches. Some participants made notable changes in their approach between melodies showing some isolated examples of improvement when they chose longer chunks and switched to a “Half to Whole” approach. The approaches that emerged from this study provide a foundation for future experimental research on the way students best learn from recordings. / Music Education

Syftet med denna uppsats är att belysa i vilken mån trumsetslärares tendenser att främja notläsningsbaserade verksamheter kontra gehörsspelsbaserade dito, samt det sätt som dessa olika moment utförs på, är ett resultat av hur de själva blivit undervisade. Tidigare forskning på bland annat spegelneuroner ger vid handen att olika handlingsprogram lärs in omedvetet hos en person vid kontakten med andra människor, för att vid ett senare tillfälle kunna manifesteras i handlingar likartade den som personen iakttagit. Uppsatsen bygger på kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra trumsetslärare från kulturskolor i Storstockholmsområdet. Resultatet visar att respondenterna med viss variation visar relativt stora likheter med sina respektivelärare särskilt med avseende på proportionerna i vilka de använder notspel respektive gehörsspel. Flera av respondenterna utför vidare undervisningsmoment på ett sätt som nästan är identiskt med hur de utförde det som elever. I de fall då respondenterna avviker från sin lärares didaktiska stil, har de snarast lagt till olika moment i undervisningen som inte förekom under deras elevtid.

xiii, 221 p. : ill., music, forms. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries under the call number: MUSIC MT35 .M87 2006 / The main purpose of the study was to examine the effects of learning songs by ear in multiple keys on skills in playing by ear and sight-reading. Secondary purposes of the study were to explore the effects of instruction on student attitudes, and to consider differential effects due to music aptitude. Students were brass and woodwind musicians ( N =28) in grades 7--8, placed in one of two instructional groups according to music aptitude, instrument, and music background. Time for instruction was three 20-minute lessons per week for four weeks. Students in the experimental group learned songs by ear in the keys of Bb, Db, and G concert, while students in the contact-control group practiced technical exercises in those same keys. Before and after instruction, students performed a well-known melody by ear in the keys of Bb, Db, and G concert, as well as a short etude in each of the three keys. Two adjudicators listened to recorded performances and evaluated pitch accuracy. To assess the effects of instruction on performance, repeated-measures ANOVAs considered the variables of group, time, and key. The experimental group improved significantly in playing by ear in the keys of Db and G concert, p < .001, but not in Bb. The contact-control group did not improve significantly in playing by ear in any of the keys. Both groups improved significantly in sight-reading in all three keys, p < .001. Analyses of qualitative and quantitative data from a researcher-authored attitude survey indicated that students in the experimental group perceived significant improvement in the new keys of Db and G, while students in the contact-control group did not perceive improvement. There were no statistically significant effects of music aptitude on performance achievement or attitude. Whether this was because the sample sizes were too small for the detection of effects, or whether there were no significant effects, is not known. The results of the study suggest that learning songs by ear may benefit student musicians. / Committee in Charge: Dr. Harry E. Price, Chair; Dr. Michael D. Bullis; Dr. Phyllis M. Paul; Dr. Steve Vacchi