This thesis examines the processes and outcomes of a composer-teacher's practice in the context of a New Zealand secondary school. The research was undertaken by the composer-teacher/researcher as a case study that integrates an investigation of the context with four action research music composition projects developed as a creative response to that context. Chapters One to Three comprise the background theory. Chapter One provides an introduction and overview of the research; Chapter Two explains and justifies the research methods. Chapter Three peels away and examines five layers of the secondary school context identified as significant in shaping the perceptions of the participants: approaching the context in a multi-layered way enabled coherent synthesis and appraisal of the relevant literature. Chapters Four to Seven comprise the four action research music composition projects. Each action research project focuses on a music score composed by the composer-teacher/researcher for a specific group of students at Macleans College, Auckland. The composition, production, and performance processes are investigated from the perspectives of all the participants. Each music project comprises a four part progression - plan (composition process), data (music score), data analysis (recordings of performances, surveys, and interviews with all participants) and reflection (feedback, and feedforward into the next project). Each phase of the research generated significant outcomes, such as the four original music scores. Chapter Eight summarizes the themes, issues, and patterns that emerged, and makes recommendations for further research. A model of co-constructive practice emerges from this research: teacher and students co-construct artistic worlds through performance. The model is not new (it is common practice, adopted by generations of musician-teachers) but is rarely acknowledged and currently un-researched. This research demonstrates the validity of the practice from both musical, and teaching and learning perspectives, and examines the strengths and limitations of the model. At its best, the creative processes co-constructed by a teacher with her students are shown to provide a crucible within which intense and creative learning experiences occur. Students of all levels of ability are shown to gain confidence in this context, and subsequently develop skills with apparent ease. The co-constructive model is limited in that it cannot meet the musical needs of all students: co-construction should be considered as one model of practice, appropriate for use in association with many others. This research provides 'virtual access' to a particular world of performance practice, revealing the secondary school context as a realm of authentic and valid musical practice.

Três bacharelandos de piano em momentos diferenciados da formação acadêmica - um iniciante, um de meio de curso e um formando – foram acompanhados ao longo de um semestre acadêmico com vistas a investigar como preparavam seus repertórios pianísticos em termos de mobilização de conhecimentos musicais. O método de pesquisa foi o estudo muliticasos, orientado pela perspectiva longitudinal de corte transversal. Quatro técnicas de pesquisas complementares foram empregadas: entrevista semi-estruturada, não-estruturada, de estimulação de recordação, assim como observação de vídeo. A mobilização de conhecimentos musicais foi interpretada a partir de estratégias utilizadas pelos bacharelandos para avançar a preparação do repertório. A noção de mobilização foi fundamentada a partir de Charlot e aprofundada pelos princípios aristotélicos entre meios e fins. As estratégias empregadas pelos bacharelandos foram estudadas à luz de dois modelos de conhecimento musical da literatura: matriz de habilidades cognitivas de Davidson e Scripp e formas de conhecimento musical de Elliot, assim como interpretadas a partir da base aristotélica de pensamento, em conjunto com a literatura específica de pesquisas em prática instrumental. A presente tese argumenta que a mobilização de conhecimentos musicais ocorre de maneira cíclica em aprofundamento qualitativamente diferenciado em termos de produção musical. As estratégias mobilizadas durante a preparação possuem natureza e finalidade distintas. Elas podem ser ações aprendidas ou criadas especificamente para o momento de preparação. Paralelamente, essas estratégias são empregadas para fins de disposições de investigação e de auto-regulação. Através de equilíbrio entre ações e atividades, e entre disposições de investigação e de auto-regulação, os conhecimentos musicais são mobilizados, avançando a preparação do repertório. / Three undergraduate piano students, in different moments of their academic education – a freshman, a sophomore and a senior – were followed during an academic semester in order to investigate how they mobilize their musical knowledge when preparing their repertoire. Multicase studies were used as research method, combining a longitudinal perspective in a transversal design. Four complementary research techniques were employed, namely, semistructure interview, non-structured interview, recall stimulated interview, and observation of the performance. The mobilization of music knowledge was interpreted from the strategies employed by the students in order to progress the repertoire preparation. The notion of mobilization was grounded on Charlot and deepened by the Aristotelian principles. The employed strategies by the undergraduate students were investigated through two musical knowledge models: matrix of cognitive skills from Davidson and Scripp, and the conception of musicianship and the five forms of musical knowledge by Elliot, as well as interpreted according to an Aristotelian basis and together with data from the specific literature of instrumental practice. The present thesis argues that the mobilization of musical knowledge take place in a cyclic manner in qualitatively deepening in terms of musical production. The mobilized strategies during practice are different in nature and in goal. They can figure as learned or creative actions specifically created for the moment of practice. Also, such strategies can be employed as survey and self-regulation tools. By means of balance between actions and activities, and between survey and self-regulation mechanisms, musical knowledge is mobilized, improving the repertoire preparation.

Três bacharelandos de piano em momentos diferenciados da formação acadêmica - um iniciante, um de meio de curso e um formando – foram acompanhados ao longo de um semestre acadêmico com vistas a investigar como preparavam seus repertórios pianísticos em termos de mobilização de conhecimentos musicais. O método de pesquisa foi o estudo muliticasos, orientado pela perspectiva longitudinal de corte transversal. Quatro técnicas de pesquisas complementares foram empregadas: entrevista semi-estruturada, não-estruturada, de estimulação de recordação, assim como observação de vídeo. A mobilização de conhecimentos musicais foi interpretada a partir de estratégias utilizadas pelos bacharelandos para avançar a preparação do repertório. A noção de mobilização foi fundamentada a partir de Charlot e aprofundada pelos princípios aristotélicos entre meios e fins. As estratégias empregadas pelos bacharelandos foram estudadas à luz de dois modelos de conhecimento musical da literatura: matriz de habilidades cognitivas de Davidson e Scripp e formas de conhecimento musical de Elliot, assim como interpretadas a partir da base aristotélica de pensamento, em conjunto com a literatura específica de pesquisas em prática instrumental. A presente tese argumenta que a mobilização de conhecimentos musicais ocorre de maneira cíclica em aprofundamento qualitativamente diferenciado em termos de produção musical. As estratégias mobilizadas durante a preparação possuem natureza e finalidade distintas. Elas podem ser ações aprendidas ou criadas especificamente para o momento de preparação. Paralelamente, essas estratégias são empregadas para fins de disposições de investigação e de auto-regulação. Através de equilíbrio entre ações e atividades, e entre disposições de investigação e de auto-regulação, os conhecimentos musicais são mobilizados, avançando a preparação do repertório. / Three undergraduate piano students, in different moments of their academic education – a freshman, a sophomore and a senior – were followed during an academic semester in order to investigate how they mobilize their musical knowledge when preparing their repertoire. Multicase studies were used as research method, combining a longitudinal perspective in a transversal design. Four complementary research techniques were employed, namely, semistructure interview, non-structured interview, recall stimulated interview, and observation of the performance. The mobilization of music knowledge was interpreted from the strategies employed by the students in order to progress the repertoire preparation. The notion of mobilization was grounded on Charlot and deepened by the Aristotelian principles. The employed strategies by the undergraduate students were investigated through two musical knowledge models: matrix of cognitive skills from Davidson and Scripp, and the conception of musicianship and the five forms of musical knowledge by Elliot, as well as interpreted according to an Aristotelian basis and together with data from the specific literature of instrumental practice. The present thesis argues that the mobilization of musical knowledge take place in a cyclic manner in qualitatively deepening in terms of musical production. The mobilized strategies during practice are different in nature and in goal. They can figure as learned or creative actions specifically created for the moment of practice. Also, such strategies can be employed as survey and self-regulation tools. By means of balance between actions and activities, and between survey and self-regulation mechanisms, musical knowledge is mobilized, improving the repertoire preparation.

Três bacharelandos de piano em momentos diferenciados da formação acadêmica - um iniciante, um de meio de curso e um formando – foram acompanhados ao longo de um semestre acadêmico com vistas a investigar como preparavam seus repertórios pianísticos em termos de mobilização de conhecimentos musicais. O método de pesquisa foi o estudo muliticasos, orientado pela perspectiva longitudinal de corte transversal. Quatro técnicas de pesquisas complementares foram empregadas: entrevista semi-estruturada, não-estruturada, de estimulação de recordação, assim como observação de vídeo. A mobilização de conhecimentos musicais foi interpretada a partir de estratégias utilizadas pelos bacharelandos para avançar a preparação do repertório. A noção de mobilização foi fundamentada a partir de Charlot e aprofundada pelos princípios aristotélicos entre meios e fins. As estratégias empregadas pelos bacharelandos foram estudadas à luz de dois modelos de conhecimento musical da literatura: matriz de habilidades cognitivas de Davidson e Scripp e formas de conhecimento musical de Elliot, assim como interpretadas a partir da base aristotélica de pensamento, em conjunto com a literatura específica de pesquisas em prática instrumental. A presente tese argumenta que a mobilização de conhecimentos musicais ocorre de maneira cíclica em aprofundamento qualitativamente diferenciado em termos de produção musical. As estratégias mobilizadas durante a preparação possuem natureza e finalidade distintas. Elas podem ser ações aprendidas ou criadas especificamente para o momento de preparação. Paralelamente, essas estratégias são empregadas para fins de disposições de investigação e de auto-regulação. Através de equilíbrio entre ações e atividades, e entre disposições de investigação e de auto-regulação, os conhecimentos musicais são mobilizados, avançando a preparação do repertório. / Three undergraduate piano students, in different moments of their academic education – a freshman, a sophomore and a senior – were followed during an academic semester in order to investigate how they mobilize their musical knowledge when preparing their repertoire. Multicase studies were used as research method, combining a longitudinal perspective in a transversal design. Four complementary research techniques were employed, namely, semistructure interview, non-structured interview, recall stimulated interview, and observation of the performance. The mobilization of music knowledge was interpreted from the strategies employed by the students in order to progress the repertoire preparation. The notion of mobilization was grounded on Charlot and deepened by the Aristotelian principles. The employed strategies by the undergraduate students were investigated through two musical knowledge models: matrix of cognitive skills from Davidson and Scripp, and the conception of musicianship and the five forms of musical knowledge by Elliot, as well as interpreted according to an Aristotelian basis and together with data from the specific literature of instrumental practice. The present thesis argues that the mobilization of musical knowledge take place in a cyclic manner in qualitatively deepening in terms of musical production. The mobilized strategies during practice are different in nature and in goal. They can figure as learned or creative actions specifically created for the moment of practice. Also, such strategies can be employed as survey and self-regulation tools. By means of balance between actions and activities, and between survey and self-regulation mechanisms, musical knowledge is mobilized, improving the repertoire preparation.

Because music is sound, the development of the young child's musical intelligence is integrally linked to his/her auditive development. By neglecting to develop the child's musical intelligence, and in particular by neglecting the age-controlled auditive development of the young child, essential learning stages may be missed. It is therefore encouraging that the government has stated its intention to introduce a compulsory reseption year (Grade 0) for five to six year old children. There is, however, at present no comprehensive pre-school music education programme available which specifically focuses on the auditive development of the child in the process of developing his/her musical intelligence. In this study, a comprehensive music education programme based on the praxial philosophy of music education has been compiled. It promotes procedural knowledge (making music), without negating propositional knowledge (knowing about music). It is hoped that the study will assist the class teacher as well as the music specialist as they strive to develop the musical intelligences of South Africa's pre-school children. / Thesis (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Music / unrestricted