George Whitefield Chadwick (1854-1931) was an American composer of the Second New England School who, along with his contemporaries, gave shape to an "American" musical style. Although his symphonic music and stage works are beginning to be recorded and valued for the integrity of their construction and pioneering spirit they occupy in the history of American music, this is not true of his body of chamber music. While the number of chamber pieces is not large, their quality is high. They are certainly among the best which the New Englanders produced, yet they have been largely ignored. Chadwick's chamber works include five string quartets, one piano quintet, and two short pieces scored for 'cello (or violin) and piano. It is the purpose of this dissertation to discuss this music against the backdrop of the other composers writing chamber music in the Boston-New England area at the turn of the century, to analyze its form and structure from a theoretical perspective, to discuss the prominent techniques used by Chadwick in the composition of his music, to analyze what musical influences shaped the style of Chadwick, and to look at his role as a music educator in America. This dissertation will also analyze the place which Chadwick occupies in the movement toward a truly American style, free from the subservience to European music, which occurred later in the twentieth century.

Students learn more from their band experience than musical concepts. Many students learn leadership skills as a part of their time in band, but these skills are rarely an official part of the curriculum. Additonally, band directors must use leadership to successfully build and guide their program, but are rarely provided formal training in leadership theory and skills. I used transformational leadership (Bass & Riggio, 2006; Burns, 1978) as a framework to examine practices band directors use to learn leadership themselves and help students develop their own leadership. I utilized Deci and Ryan’s (2000) Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and autonomy supports (1995) to help identify director practices that were transformative in nature. Through the use of interviews with three band directors and ten students I examined how band directors learn leadership, how they use it, and how students in band understand the use of leadership by directors and themselves. I found that band directors typically learn these transformative skills through a variety of formal and informal situations through life starting as early as high school. Directors develop leadership skills through the presence of mentors and the use of critical self-reflection over the course of their careers. Directors create a culture of band that is extended to the student body and reinforced through student leadership and peer mentoring. Finally, managerial tasks can be used to help students develop leadership identities (Komives et al., 2005), develop leadership skills, and allow them to act as transformative figures themselves.

Creating inclusive environments that are safe and respectful of all students in the spectrum is paramount to students’ success and well-being in music (Carter, 2011). When students feel safe and supported, they may express themselves more freely and participate in music more fully (Hill, 2019). Yet, freedom to express oneself is inhibited by heteronormative beliefs and practices that perpetuate gender stereotypes, suppress queer thinking, and form the origins of homophobia and transphobia (Butler, 2004; Sedgwick, 1990/2008; Warner, 1993). This study featured a narrative inquiry design which utilized the lens of queer theory and Butler’s (1990/1999) concept of gender performativity to examine high school musical engagement through the recollections and perceptions of three trans young adults. The purpose of this study was to explore ways that gender and music intersect in high school, as well as illuminate behaviors that constrained or enabled the participants’ abilities to participate fully in school music. Data was gathered through interviews with the participants during which they recounted past musical experiences in school, family, and community contexts. Findings from a comparative analysis revealed eight areas that were crucial to the participants’ affirmation of identity and musical engagement: supportive people, singing alone and with others, negotiating traditions, meaningful performing experiences, safe spaces and safe people, role of media, personal agency, and role of the music teacher. This study contributes to a growing body of music education research rooted in queer theory that dismantles the binary gender categories of “male” and “female” and, instead, considers the entire spectrum of gender. Results of this study may help educators remove barriers between gender identity and musical engagement by informing practice that opens channels for learning and builds stronger connections to music.

In hopes to add to the existing, yet limited literature surrounding music educators’ experiences with students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), our study surveyed n=62 high school band directors currently serving in the state of Tennessee about their knowledge, perceptions, and training regarding the teaching of such students. By administering an originally designed, twelve-item survey, it was discovered that the majority of respondents had been underprepared in both their preservice and in-service training to effectively address the needs of students with ASD. Despite their lack of preparedness, an overwhelming amount of the surveyed band directors reported their students experiencing social, behavioral, and academic growth following participation in band. These revealed benefits of band participation further affirm the need for improved training for all music educators, both prospective and current.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

The problem of this study is the development of a theoretical structure underlying a conceptual approach to teaching with special consideration given to vocal teaching.

This text is the carefully adapted transcription of the recording of the presentation of Zheng Li and Huo Gua at the symposium in Leipzig 2014. Prof. Dr. Zheng Li read parts of her presentation in Chinese language alternating with her assistant Huo Gua, who translated into English. Only the English part is printed in this book. The title is given from the editor.

Analysing the conversations at the conference the chapter addresses fundamental issues of cultural comparison in music education. There is a disciplinary bias that can tempt the researcher to overestimate cultural conditions. This could lead to cultural relativism that keeps us from critically addressing normative issues associated with aims and contents of music education.

Studien undersöker elevers syn och förväntningar på musikundervisning och hur dessa förhåller sig till kursplanen i ämnet. Historiskt har det visat sig ge negativ inverkan på arbetsmiljö och måluppfyllelse när avståndet mellan dessa olika förhållningssätt blir för stort. Undersökningen är baserad på kvalitativa intervjuer med sex stycken elever i årskurs fyra till sex, och därtill en jämförelse med vad som står att finna i Skolverkets styrdokument för musikundervisning i grundskolan. Studien söker även efter möjliga orsaker och förklaringar till elevernas tankar och önskemål i ämnet. Iden till arbetet bottnar i en osäkerhet kring min egen undervisning kombinerat med en intention om ökad didaktisk förståelse och utveckling i ämnet. Jag har dessutom varit intresserad av att ta reda på vilket utrymme och vilka möjligheter man har som lärare att utforma undervisningen efter elevernas önskemål. Tidigare forskning har visat att kursplaner och undervisning bör utformas följsamt gentemot samhällets förändringar för att skapa så goda förutsättningar som möjligt för lärare och elever att samverka i. Resultatet av studien visar att eleverna har många förslag, tankar och synpunkter på musikundervisning. Sammantaget önskar de sig en mer disponibel och kreativ miljö där de kan interagera, upptäcka och experimentera inom ämnet på såväl lektions- som uppgiftsnivå. Elevernas berättelser eller beskrivningar liknar eller påminner inte nämnvärt om varandras. Sannolikt utgår de således från sina egna musikupplevelser och erfarenheter när de resonerar kring ämnet, vilket gör att deras tankar och behov skiljer sig åt beroende på vilka intressen eller mål de har, samt var de befinner sig i sin utveckling. Jag konstaterar att elevernas tankar och idéer om musikundervisning är förenliga med den nuvarande kursplanen eftersom elevernas inflytande, påverkan och demokratiska rättigheter framstår som betydelsefulla delar av styrdokumenten. Skolverket anger att eleverna genom undervisningen ska få möjlighet att utveckla sin kreativitet, vilket i förlängningen ska främja en entreprenörsanda. Att få lov att påverka och samverka genom att tillföra undervisningen egna idéer överensstämmer väl med sådana ambitioner. En olikhet som framträder i studien är att eleverna, till skillnad från Skolverket och styrdokumentens kunskapskrav, inte verkar vara intresserade av att summera, jämföra eller gradera sina kunskaper. Det verkar således troligt att det existerar ett avstånd mellan skol- och ungdomskultur när det handlar om värdering och betygsättning i ämnet. Sökord: förväntningar, jämförelse, styrdokument, musikundervisning.

British Columbia (BC) is becoming increasingly diverse, so I began this research in an effort to understand the practices of other teachers across BC regarding the inclusion of musics that reflect the cultural diversity of their students. With the introduction of a new curriculum in BC beginning in 2015, music educators across the province can now meaningfully include musics that embrace the cultural diversity of their students. Additionally, Indigenous musics, worldviews, and teachings have their own elevated position as part of the new curriculum and are no longer grouped together with other musics as part of musics from a variety of cultural and social contexts. Thus, I surveyed BC music teachers to understand their current practices, experiences, and attitudes using a mixed-methods questionnaire using both open- and closed-ended questions. Decolonization and historical, philosophical, and theoretical supports for non-Western music education are the frameworks for this research. I distributed my questionnaire via the BC Music Educators’ Association listserve and conference, and I received eighty valid responses (N = 80). I discovered that 68% of participants currently utilize non-Western musics (nWM) in their own practices and of the 32% of participants who do not include nWM, 42% have used nWM in the past. Educators reported many benefits that they experienced through the inclusion of nWM, but they also reported some difficulties or barriers. Therefore, I will share the results of this exploration of the current practices, experiences, and attitudes of music educators in BC. / Graduate