The purpose of this study is to describe how an editor of choral editions, Maynard Klein (1910–1990), influenced the formation of the educational choral canon and educators’ practices. A secondary purpose is to investigate the choral literature selection practices of educators from 1950–1975. The questions that were used to guide the study were: 1. How did the editions of Maynard Klein influence choral directors at the time? 2. How do choral directors who were active during 1950–1975 describe how they selected choral literature? What were the influences on their selection? To answer these questions, three choral directors who were active during 1950–1975 were interviewed about their selection processes for their materials. The interviews were analyzed using two theoretical concepts of Pierre Bourdieu, habitus and field. The present study used the editions of Maynard Klein to determine whether an editor impacted the habitus of choral directors active prior to 1975 and the field of educational choral literature. An analysis of Klein’s editorial work and the interview transcripts showed that as an editor, Klein impacted directors as well as the educational choral canon by making his editions accessible in several ways. Klein provided tools such as a piano reduction and English translation that made their classroom work easier. These tools influenced the repertoire decisions of teachers and impacted the canon of educational choral music at an important time in its formation.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--Boston University. / Statement of the problem. It was the purpose of this study (1) to indicate the diverse attitudes toward music as a university or college subject in various historical contexts in terms of educational philosophies and educational practices; (2) to trace the historical development of the bachelor's degree in the field of music in the United States; (3) to describe the numerous types of music degrees which have been conferred by the various institutions which have evolved in this country; and (4) to show the influences of professional music, educational, and accrediting organizations on the development of music degrees. Methods and procedures employed. The historical approach was used throughout the study. Books and articles on the history of education and music, college catalogues, reports of college presidents, publications of general education, professional music, and accrediting organizations, and reports of the United States Government were utilized [TRUNCATED]

The inclusion of students with disabilities in music education has become an everyday part of of school culture in the United States, through childhood, high school, and continuing to post-secondary study. Although researchers have extensively examined music education methods and strategies for students with disabilities in early childhood and grade school, little is known about the experiences of university music majors with disabilities and the factors that affect their music degree completion. According to the USDE, 19.4% of undergraduate university students and 11.9% of post baccalaureate students report having a disability diagnosis, and students with disabilities complete undergraduate degree programs at a rate of 42%, compared with 54% of the general population. Music majors with disabilities presumably face the same types of academic and social challenges as students with disabilities across undergraduate degree areas, with the addition of rigorous musical performance requirements. In his theory of self-efficacy, Bandura (1997) indicated that the ways in which students develop and exercise their personal efficacy, and their beliefs about their own self-efficacy, play a key role in their career path and adult life. During the transition to post-secondary university life, students must rely more on their own strengths and a sense of self-efficacy with regard to collegiate academics and activities, which may be key in supporting their persistence toward completing a degree. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of three music majors with disabilities and the factors contributing to their self-efficacy beliefs related to completing a university music degree program. Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy were used to identify common themes gathered from participant interviews. The study was designed to shed light on the motivations and self-beliefs of these students, and findings may inform music educators in preparing students with disabilities for transition to undergraduate music study.

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the phenomenon of whole-school communal singing at two Canadian independent secondary schools. Research questions included: What does the practice of whole-school communal singing look like, how is it experienced by participants, and how has the practice been initiated and maintained? Previous research on whole school singing at the secondary school level is scant. This suited an exploratory, phenomenological research methodology for the present study. Pascale’s (2005) two aesthetics of singing provided the theoretical framework. The idea that choral singing can be approached through a broader lens than is currently practiced in typical choral education contexts helped to characterize whole school singing as a communal singing practice. Research literature explored prior to data analysis focused on communal singing, defined as participatory singing by everyone in a non-choir community. Examples included crowd singing at sports games, at protest marches, and in churches. Communal singing in North America was more popular in the early 20th century than today, which may explain its rareness in contemporary secondary schools. Data were collected through interviews with 17 current and former students, faculty and administrators at two schools. Analysis was conducted using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), supported by NVivo software, and resulted in five overarching themes. The first was that all the research participants expressed a strong positive regard for the practice of whole school singing; the second was that communal singing may contribute to student belongingness. The third overarching theme was that communal singing appears to mediate emotions and may contribute to student wellness; fourth, that the approach taken to whole school singing at the two schools prioritizes full participation over achieving aesthetic qualities typically espoused by performance choirs. The fifth theme was that whole school singing at the secondary school level is not easy to initiate and maintain, but requires specific leadership, intention, and strategy in order to create a fully participative, engaging, and joyful experience in a secondary school context. Post data analysis, findings were compared and contrasted with those from related research. Recommendations are provided for educators who may wish to consider incorporating communal singing into school life.

Playing-related pain, discomfort, and injuries are significant health concerns for musicians. Most of these are classified as playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs), which are any physical symptoms that interfere with a musician’s ability to play their instrument at the level to which they are accustomed (Zaza et al., 1998). The prevalence of PRMDs for professional musicians can range from 62% to 93% (Kok et al., 2016). Researchers have found similar PRMD prevalence rates among tertiary music students at universities, colleges, and conservatories (Larsson et al., 1993; Stanek et al., 2017). Additionally, young musicians in primary and secondary school also experience PRMDs (Burkholder & Brandfonbrener, 2004; Lockwood, 1988; Ranelli et al., 2011). It seems that PRMDs may be a consequence of not only the way people make music, but also of how they learned and were taught to make music. Many performing arts medicine researchers recommend prevention education to combat PRMDs. Although studies examining stretching, warm-ups, yoga, and somatic education techniques have shown promising results, the majority of these prevention education research studies have focused on tertiary music students (Barton & Feinberg, 2008; López & Martínez, 2013; Salonen, 2018). As many tertiary music students report experiencing PRMDs even before arriving at school, waiting to teach prevention may be too late (Brandfonbrener, 2009; Foxman & Burgel, 2006). Additionally, the rate of PRMDs among young musicians demonstrates a need to determine how and when prevention education is implemented. As musicians of all ages continue to experience PRMDs, current teaching practices may not be adequate to help prevent PRMDs—in fact, the way music is taught may be contributing to their development. Efforts to understand how to incorporate prevention education into pedagogical practices from the very beginning of musical study are necessary. Body Mapping is a somatic education technique that was designed specifically for music teachers to educate musicians about their bodies. Utilizing the senses, movement, and attention, Body Mapping guides musicians to understand the size, structure, and function of the body in movement to help them achieve their musical intentions (Conable, 2000; Johnson, 2009). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of Body Mapping-informed pedagogy as primary prevention on beginning string students’ body awareness and levels of pain and discomfort as measured by standard self-perception tools. In a quasi-experimental design, data collection occurred before and after a 12-week intervention period using the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ), the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness 2 (MAIA-2), and the Body Mapping Knowledge Inventory (BMKI). Participants (N = 68) were 6th grade beginning string students in the Western United States separated into an experimental group (n = 41) receiving Body Mapping instruction while learning their instrument, and a control group (n = 27) that learned their instrument only with traditional pedagogy. T-tests revealed a limited number of statistically significant results, but a closer examination of data also uncovered some interesting non-significant trends. Although there were no significant differences in pain and discomfort between groups on the CMDQ, the control group did have a more obvious upward trend of pain and discomfort between testing points. On the MAIA-2, the experimental group maintained their body awareness over the intervention period, whereas the control group had a significant loss of body awareness (p = .042). Additionally, the experimental group significantly increased their Body Mapping knowledge on the BMKI (p = .020). Finally, Spearman’s correlations revealed a significant direct relationship (𝜌 = .28, p = .019) between increased Body Mapping knowledge and higher body awareness on the BMKI and MAIA-2, respectively. The results of this study indicate that Body Mapping concepts can be learned from the beginning of study, although it is not clear what the implications are for long-term injury prevention. Further, the data suggest the continued examination of pedagogical practices. More research efforts are needed to understand the long-term effects of somatic education such as Body Mapping, and to determine quantitative data collection instruments appropriate to reveal subtle changes in pain, discomfort, and body awareness for this population.

This study investigates the connections between the experiences of participants and a facilitator in an intergenerational community music ensemble, including how participants make personal sense of their individual identities and positions within the field of the Intergenerational Community Cello Ensemble (ICCE), how participants map their musical and pedagogical interactions in the field of the ICCE, and how my experiences as a facilitator impact and evidence the construction of my own identities both within and beyond the field of the ICCE. I applied a lens of habitus based on Pierre Bourdieu’s social capital theory to examine how participants constructed a sense of self in their fields and to explore how participants shaped and were shaped by their social worlds. Thirteen cellists, including me, participated in this study. These cellists represented differing socio-demographics of age, race, gender, and religion. I collected data from multiple interviews with seven of the participants, recorded observations of the ensemble rehearsals, and facilitated two focus group surveys. The focus group surveys were open to all participants, but attendance varied based on availability. Research questions included: How does the experience of participating in the ICCE impact individual identities and positions within the field of the intergenerational community music ensemble? How are these identities and positions impacted within the field of the ICCE? How are these identities and positions impacted within fields beyond the ICCE? Is there any transfer between the ICCE and fields beyond the ICCE? How do participants map their musical and pedagogical interactions in the field of the ICCE? How does my experience as a facilitator impact and evidence the construction of my own identities both within and beyond the field of the ICCE? My data analysis suggested that participants experienced an overall sense of connection and increased musical proficiency in various areas: musical reading, instrumental proficiency and performance, and musical and pedagogic authority. I also considered how my identity was shaped by the reciprocal relationships developed through facilitation and participation in the ICCE. Findings suggest that participants advanced their musical and social skills as forms of personal development thus enhancing their perceptions of community music’s social and performative experiences. This study explores ways that trust, mutual respect, and shared capital were exchanged between participants and the participant-facilitator, including how these relationships enhanced confidence and connections reciprocally between those musicking and extending into broader communities in which they operate.

This study examined the usefulness of the California Music Educators Association Music Educating K-6 Scope and Sequence (K-4 sections) by assessing its alignment with the National Standards for Arts Education (K-4 section). The investigation (limited to K-4 because of the organization of the National Standards) asked California elementary music educators how effectively the CMEA K-6 S&S communicated concepts specified in the Standards. An analysis identified 32 differences in grades K-4 between the CMEA K-6 S&S and the National Standards. After content validation by a panel of experts, a 43-item researcher-designed survey solicited preferences and comments from a systematic random sample of 300 California elementary music teachers. The survey responses were quantitative evaluated to determine how important these 32 differences were to music educators and whether to revise the CMEA K-6 S&S. Data from the 129 surveys returned revealed that in 26 of the 32 conceptual differences between the two documents, 85% of the population favored revision; that 61% preferred the rigor demanded in the CMEA K-6 S&S in 5 out of 6 items in the reading and notating music content area; and that 41% preferred a revision of the CMEA K-6 S&S to align with the National Standards in format. Of the respondents, 84% felt that the revised CMEA K-6 S&S would be a useful document in justifying music education to administrators, parents and classroom teachers: 82% felt that it would be useful in designing assessment instruments. The respondents requested in-service sessions in improvisation, the composition and arrangement of music, and the understanding of relationships between music and the other arts and disciplines. It is recommended that grades K-4 of the CMEA K-6 S&S be revised according to the preferences of California elementary music educators as revealed in this study.

No description available.

No description available.

This advanced method for trombone is designed to meet the needs of the advanced high school trombonist and to prepare him for later participation in college, civic, and professional musical organizations of higher artistic standards. The student should not be satisfied with a thorough study of this method, but should seek improvement of his musical skill in other methods. Some very worthy studies for trombone have been written by La Fosse, Vobaron, Muller, Blume and others which should prove of much value to the student.