The purpose of the current study was to test the effects of participation in a treatment grief choir vs. standard care grief group (verbal) on bereaved persons’ perceived grief, coping, energy, social support and health and to examine the experiences of those participating in both groups. In this mixed-methods study, the results from the qualitative phenomenological focus groups were used for explaining and interpreting the findings of the Randomized Control Trial (RCT). Within the RCT, five people completed the treatment grief choir and four completed the standard care grief group (N=9). A repeated-measures ANOVA was employed to detect any statistical significance among the adult grievers. A significant within-subjects effect was found in both groups for the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) start-of-session grief, NRS end-of- session grief, Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist (HGRC), and NRS end-of-session coping measures. These results indicate that both groups showed significant improvement over time in these areas. A between-subjects effect was found for the NRS end-of-session grief and for the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) with the standard care grief group scoring significantly better over time than the treatment grief choir. Finally, one interaction effect was found for the NRS end-of-session health scores at week sixteen, with a significant gain for the standard care grief group. For the qualitative portion of this study, five members of the treatment grief choir and three of the four members from the standard care grief group participated in separate focus group interviews. A seventeen-step analysis of the interview data was employed to discover meaningful descriptions and experiences while maintaining validity and integrity of the process. The following categories emerged from the analysis of the treatment grief choir interview: The Grief Choir Did Help; Songs were Important in Grief; Making Musical Connections Helped; Interactions with Grievers were Valued; The Music Therapists Influenced the Experience; and Gained Insights about Grief. The following categories emerged from the standard care grief group: Standard Care Did Help; Timing and Composition of Group Mattered; Standard Care was a Complex Experience; and The Experience of Being in Research. Recommendations for future grief choirs and standard care grief groups are discussed. / Music Therapy

For more than 35 years, the Eastern Mennonite High School Touring Choir has provided concerts for choral enthusiasts throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. The present study documents the development, establishment, and growth of Touring Choir from its inception, through June of 1981: identifying (1) the events leading to the development of Touring Choir; (2) the philosophy and purpose of Touring Choir; (3) the directors of Touring Choir and their musical and professional backgrounds; (4) the contributions of each of the directors; and (5) the origin and development of the Senior Parent Weekend Concert, Tour Concert, Mennonite High School Music Festival, and Commencement Concert traditions. The study reports that the history of the Eastern Mennonite High School Touring Choir can be traced to the expressed desire of the school's founders in 1917 that vocal music be an integral part in the education of its students in order to enhance worship and singing in constituent churches. As touring choirs developed, the unique organization of Eastern Mennonite College and High School provided a basis for emulation by the high school when it became a separate organization during the 1960s, culminating in the establishing of Touring Choir in association with the Mennonite High School Music Festival. Marvin Miller's leadership as Touring Choir director established the Senior Parent Weekend Concert, Tour Concert, Mennonite High School Music Festival, and Commencement Concert traditions which became the foundation of Touring Choir's activities during the 1960s and early 1980s. Implications of the study consider the importance of modeling for music education practitioners. The growth of the Eastern Mennonite High School music department and the success of the Eastern Mennonite High School Touring Choir during the combined tenures of Annetta Wenger Miller and Marvin L. Miller were characterized by an enthusiasm for the subject matter of music, high expectations and motivation of students by challenging them to sing music of enduring value in a variety of styles by master composers, placing responsibility for learning on students, a positive approach in teaching, care and concern for students as individuals, and an emphasis on the expressive aspect of music study. In addition, the results of the music program under Marvin Miller's direction may have been due in part to his overall philosophy of music curriculum design that each student would understand the place of music in his or her life experience. / Master of Arts

The diploma thesis focuses on English repertoire for children's and women's choirs. The initial part deals with development of children's voice. The thesis also includes a survey about the occurrence of English choral works in programmes of elite children's and women's choirs of Czech prestigious choral competitions and festivals (Porta musicae and National festival of school choirs. A chapter describes the development of choral singing on British Isles and introduces contemporary British and Irish authors who write compositions suitable for children's or women's choirs. The crucial part of the thesis is a chart of English choral works. They are classified according to the predetermined criteria (interpretative difficulty, instrumentation/setting, and content/genre). The works come from resources of Czech and Irish libraries, and from the internet. At the end of the thesis, a practically oriented chapter about English pronunciation is included.

Detta examensarbete syftar till att ge en övergripande uppfattning om hur man kan arbeta med barn för att introducera flerstämmighet. Jag har tagit del av relevant litteratur samt utfört intervjuer av tre pedagoger med erfarenheter både inom undervisning i vanlig skolklass samt musikklass och kör med antagningsprov.Jag har undersökt hur man kan gå tillväga i arbetet med flerstämmighet, vilken betydelse den unisona sången har för flerstämmighet, och vad som avgör om undervisningen baseras på gehörsinlärning eller med hjälp av noter.Av min undersökning kan jag dra flera slutsatser. Den unisona sången anses vara en förutsättning för flerstämmighet, men flerstämmighet tycks även vara ett sätt att förfina den unisona sången. Några olika typer av stämmor är vanligt förekommande och det är viktigt att inte för tidigt dela in barn i olika stämmor för att ge rösten träning i olika register. I undervisning i kör i vanlig skolklass är gehörsinlärning det vanligaste, medan noter har en större och mer betydande roll i musikklass och kör med antagningsprov, där högre krav kan ställas på barnen. / This thesis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how to work with children to introduce polyphony. I have taken note of relevant literature and conducted interviews with three teachers with experience teaching both in regular school class and music class with admission test.I have examined how to proceed in the work of polyphony, what the importance of unison singing has for singing polyphony, and what determines whether teaching based learning by ear or by notes.By my thesis, I can draw several conclusions. The unison singing is considered a prerequisite for polyphony, but polyphony also seems to be a way to refine the unison singing. Some types of parts are common and it is important not to prematurely divide children into different parts to give voice training in different registers. In teaching choir in regular school class ear learning is the most common, whereas notes have a larger and more significant role in music class and choir with admission test, where higher demands can be made on the children.

Thesis--Valladolid. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [445]-478).

Compared to other kinds of caregivers, caregivers of persons living with dementia (PwD) are at higher risk of experiencing social isolation, emotional distress, and depressive symptoms which can adversely affect their psychosocial well-being. This study uses longitudinal data and multilevel modeling to explore trajectories of change over the course of a choir intervention in affect, social engagement, and caregiver distress. A multilevel coupled model of change was employed to examine two time-varying associations within-person and between-persons: (1) the association between social activities and affect, and (2) the association between caregiver distress and affect. The social activities coupling model (between-persons) found that increasing engagement in social activities was significantly associated with an increase in positive affect. The caregiver distress coupling model (within-person) found that higher levels of caregiver distress were significantly associated with decreases in positive affect. The caregiver distress coupling model (between-persons) found that higher levels of caregiver distress were significantly associated with increases in negative affect. The choir intervention may have a positive impact on caregiver psychosocial well-being but there are many factors to consider (i.e., dementia trajectory) that influence psychosocial well-being. This study advances our understanding of the impact of an arts-based intervention (i.e., community-based choir) as a source of support for caregivers of PwD. Findings can inform efforts to develop community art-based programs to support family caregivers. / Graduate / 2021-12-10

This work contains a narrative about a liturgical chant, its history and various genres and styles. A lot of attention is paid to explaining the theory and practice of various ancient chants. All this helps to understand better the meaning of the phrase "spiritual influence". The second part of the work deals with the practice of the choir directors' (regents') work, the choice of the repertoire and the relationship between the choir director, the choir and the priest. It is about the influence of various musical styles, the tempo and power of the sound of the performed works on the spiritual state of a person. Speaking about the liturgical basis of choir singing in the Orthodox Church, I reveal the concepts of theory and practice. I recall the early Christian practice of psalm chant, traditional singing in an Orthodox church and also modern liturgical singing. The Church Charter is of great importance for understanding the choir singing. The essence of church chant is to convey the meaning of the prayers performed by musical means as fully as possible and transmit them to all those participating in the service, as the choir is the mouth of the worshipers. The challenges facing the Orthodox Church at the present time are not less important than those that faced it a hundred years ago. The future...

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Despite the repeated call-to-action to identify more inclusive and equitable approaches within school music ensembles, choral teaching and learning in the United States still favors practices that perpetuate injustices while limiting democracy and student autonomy (Bradley, 2007; de Quadros, 2015; Howard, 2020; O’Toole, 2005; Philpott & Kubilius, 2015; Shaw, 2012, 2016, 2019). In many ways, music teacher socialization surrounding best choral practices for teaching and learning has remained stable since the 19th century. Most choral teachers in the United States continue to center sequential patterns of teaching and learning with a singular trained leader, Western Art Music (WAM), and polished products of music (Conkling, 2019). These practices are best defined as Formal Learning (FL), or learning that includes a structured curriculum and instructional plan, sequential learning process, teacher in charge, and clear assessment plan (Mok, 2011c). Though FL endures as the “default option” in large ensemble classroom settings such as bands, choirs, and orchestras (Conkling, 2019), Informal Learning (IL) in music education—learning that is “not sequenced beforehand” and contains components that are “self-chosen and voluntary” (Folkestad, 2006, p. 141)—has steadily gained popularity in the United Kingdom and the United States since its introduction in Nordic countries in the 1960s (Hallam et al., 2018). In the early 21st century, Green (2002) conducted a seminal study about how popular musicians learn using Informal Learning Practices and Processes (ILPP). Since then, researchers and teachers worldwide have explored IL in elementary music classrooms (Davis, 2013; Moore, 2019), secondary music contexts (Bersh, 2011; Costes-Onishi, 2016; Evans et al., 2015; Gower, 2012; Green, 2008; Hallam et al., 2018; Jones, 2015; Moore, 2019; Vasil, 2015; Wallerstedt & Pramling, 2016; Wright, 2016), and collegiate settings (Finney & Philpott, 2010; Isbell, 2016; Karlsen, 2010; Mok, 2017). Feichas (2010) called IL a “pedagogy of diversity and inclusion” (p. 57), because of the inherent choice involved, the minimization of Eurocentric musics, and the opportunity for all to access this way of learning. Jones (2009) claimed students’ engagement with music in IL settings as one of the most promising indicators of musicking throughout one’s life because of the student choice, informal skills, and self-regulated learning involved. Despite these benefits, research related to IL within high school choral contexts remains scarce. The purpose of this multiple case study was to investigate Informal Learning Practices and Processes (ILPP) within the context of three public high school choral programs. A qualitative multiple case study design guided me toward purposive sampling (Patton, 2015; Stake, 2006). In total, I selected and studied the experiences of three teachers and 59 total student participants, ages 14-18. Data sources and types at each site included choir teacher and student interviews/transcripts, observations/field notes, recordings from concerts and rehearsals, course materials, and other artifacts. In total, I conducted six individual interviews with the teachers and 89 individual/focus group interviews with the students. Additionally, I conducted approximately 104 total hours of observations, split among all three sites. Upon completion of data collection, I engaged in a within-case analysis by first constantly comparing the data with the emerging conceptual framework, The IL-FL Continua, and next open-coding the data and grouping the codes into themes. I subsequently completed the cross-case analysis, first by forming types/families of learning practices and processes (Miles et al., 2020), and subsequently by constructing nine explanations (Yin, 2018) that captured the essence of the quintain: student and teacher perspectives of ILPP in choral programs (Stake, 2006). To ensure trustworthiness, I employed triangulation, peer coding, and member checking (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). The within-case data analysis revealed a wide variety of benefits related to ILPP in choir including musical validation and growth, musical self-efficacy, bolstered community, creative freedom, feelings of ownership, enhanced life skills (e.g., communication, teamwork, independence, social-emotional skills), and a more relaxed environment. Challenges of ILPP in choir that emerged included musical setbacks, navigating open-ended and independent tasks, social dynamics in group work, unequal contribution, and limited time. The three teachers each held different values that prompted them to center ILPP in choir. For instance, one teacher centered ILPP because he valued student voice and democracy, while another teacher centered ILPP to foster lifelong music-making. The Informal-Formal Activities Continuum which emerged from the cross-case data analysis (see Figure 3), features four types of learning practices and processes in high school choirs: (a) teacher or student led rehearsals, (b) large group creative activities, (c) small group creative activities, and (d) non-compulsory performance opportunities. Further analysis revealed two models of integrating IL and FL in choral contexts: mutually-supportive and additive. A mutually-supportive model of IL-FL refers to a pedagogy of practice whereby students experience learning on all parts of the IL-FL Continua which contributes toward shared outcomes and goals. An additive model refers to a pedagogy of practice whereby some students may experience shared outcomes and goals. While additive and mutually-supportive models resulted in similar benefits such as student enjoyment and motivation, strengthened community, life skills, and recruitment/program advocacy, the mutually-supportive model promoted greater musical and communal outcomes. This study holds implications for developing and centering a new choral philosophy for inservice and preservice choral teacher education. At the core of this philosophy lies a mutually-supportive IL-FL model, facilitated by decentralized power and a democratic classroom environment. By engaging students in varying learning styles, decentering power in the classroom, and encouraging students to make choices to support their own learning, teachers may foster student lifelong and lifewide music-making. / Music Education

This dissertation complements those analytical studies which discuss choral works and techniques of contemporary choral composition, by examining what twentieth-century literature was actually performed within one of the choral traditions of the United States.The a cappella choral tradition has spread widely throughout the United States. Previous studies have examined the history of the pioneering a cappella choirs and the biographies of the movement's leaders. This study also complements them in examining another aspect of the a cappella tradition.Three representative choirs were chosen: the Concordia Choir from Moorhead, Minnesota, Paul J. Christiansen, conductor; the Nordic Choir of Luther College from Decorah, Iowa, Weston Noble, conductor; and the St. Olaf Choir from Northfield, Minnesota, Kenneth Jennings, conductor. These choirs were selected because each had a long tradition of touring -- consequently exposing a broader public to the literature they performed, because each choir has been widely acknowledged for performance excellence, and because each has had remarkable continuity in leadership -having only one or two conductors during the thirty-six year span included in this study.The program archives of each choir were examined to determine the twentieth-century literature which had been performed. Three conductors, Paul J. Christiansen, Kenneth Jennings, and Weston Noble, were interviewed with regard to their ideas concerning selection and preparation of twentieth-century choral music.Though each choir was found to have some distinct patterns, there were also several elements in common among the choirs:1. Each took. seriously the relationship between music and text, and the fact that the choirs were representatives of Lutheran colleges.2. Each emphasized the highest possible level of performance in order that the expressive and aesthetic qualities of the music sung would be comprehended by both singers and audience.3. Each has given a prominent place to twentieth-century music by American composers.4. Each has given a comparatively minor role to music by Scandinavian composers.5. Each has repeated certain works several times during the thirty-six years, helping to establish them in the choral repertory.6. Each has performed an approximately constant quantity of twentieth-century music during the thirty-six years, but each has tended to program progressively more challenging works as time goes on. Appendices present listings of the choral literature included in the study, of the repertory for each choir, and of currently available recordings by the three choirs of twentieth-century choral music. / School of Music