abstract: The Fundación del Estado para el Sistema Nacional de Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela (FESNOJIV), also known as El Sistema, is an internationally recognized social phenomenon. By promoting social reform and development through music education, El Sistema is enriching the lives of thousands of impoverished youth in Venezuela by providing a nurturing environment for children in government-sponsored orchestras, choirs, and bands. In this thesis, I contend that the relationship between music education and social reform cultivates sociocultural ideas and expectations that are transmitted through FESNOJIV's curriculum to the participating youth and concert attendees. These ideas and El Sistema's live and recorded performances engage both the local Venezuelan community and the world-at-large. Ultimately, I will show that FESNOJIV has been instrumental in creating, promoting, and maintaining a national Venezuelan identity that is associated with pride and musical achievement. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Music 2013

nÃo hà / Esta pesquisa apresenta como tema central as concepÃÃes de educaÃÃo musical identificadas no projeto Casa de Estudos Musicais (CADEMUS), localizado na Casa Josà de Alencar, no bairro de Messejana, Fortaleza, CearÃ. A abordagem teÃrica da pesquisa, ancorada na praxiologia de Bourdieu (2008, 1998, 1992, 1989, 1983), pelos conceitos de habitus, trajetÃria e capital, assim como na epistemologia dos saberes docentes apresentados por Tardif (2011) e nas concepÃÃes de educaÃÃo musical que norteiam as aÃÃes de ensino e extensÃo na Universidade Federal do Cearà (MATOS, 2010, 2007, 2006) (MORAES, 2007, 1993) (SILVA, 2012), fornece categorias de anÃlise a partir das quais compreendemos as concepÃÃes que se originam do habitus, da trajetÃria formativa e dos capitais culturais e escolares de trÃs professores do projeto Casa de Estudos Musicais. A partir da exteriorizaÃÃo do habitus e da conversÃo dos capitais acumulados pelos agentes em concepÃÃes de educaÃÃo musical no projeto CADEMUS, compete à pesquisa compreender o carÃter pedagÃgico-musical do referido projeto, que se expressa nos procedimentos didÃticos e metodolÃgicos, referenciais teÃricos e saberes da experiÃncia utilizados pelos professores na conduÃÃo das disciplinas de Canto Coral, Teclado e MusicalizaÃÃo, no perÃodo de 2013 a 2015. A metodologia empregada na pesquisa, de cunho qualitativo e com delineamento de estudo de caso, requisitou como procedimentos de coleta de dados a observaÃÃo, a entrevista semi-estruturada e a aplicaÃÃo de questionÃrios abertos, os quais subsidiaram a anÃlise das trajetÃrias de vida, dos processos formativos em mÃsica, da constituiÃÃo e utilizaÃÃo das concepÃÃes de educaÃÃo musical pelos agentes, no Ãmbito do projeto CADEMUS. / This research has as its central theme the music education conceptions identified in the project Casa de Estudos Musicais (CADEMUS), located in Casa Josà de Alencar, in Messejana neighborhood, Fortaleza, CearÃ. The theoretical approach to research, anchored in Bourdieu (2008, 1998, 1992, 1989, 1983), by habitus concepts, trajectory and capital, as well as the epistemology of teaching knowledge presented by Tardif (2011) and in music education concepts that guide teaching and extension measures at the Universidade Federal do Cearà (MATOS, 2010, 2007, 2006) (MORAES, 2007, 1993) (SILVA, 2012), provides analytical categories from which we understand the concepts arising from the habitus, the formative trajectory and the cultural and educational capital of three Project teachers Casa de Estudos Musicais. From the externalization of habitus and capital accumulated by the agents in music education concepts in CADEMUS project, it is research to understand the pedagogical and musical character of that project, which is expressed in the didactic and methodological procedures, theoretical frameworks and knowledge of experience used by teachers in conducting disciplines Choir, Keyboard and Musicalization, in the period from 2013 to 2015. The methodology used in research, qualitative approach and case study design, as requested procedures for data collection observation, interview semi-structured and the application of open questionnaires, which subsidize the analysis of life courses, the training processes in music, the creation and use of music education conceptions of the agents in the CADEMUS project.

Limitations of graphical user interfaces, a program’s designed purpose, and other software development factors lead to perceived affordances and constraints in computer program functionality (Bell, 2015). Perceived affordances are functions the user knows exist, and constraints are limitations or restrictions to functionality (Norman, 2013). The perceived affordances and constraints of music creation programs may impact student compositions in many ways and have yet to be thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to explore what effects students perceive music creation programs’ affordances and constraints have on their musical composing processes and final compositions. I interviewed, observed, and analyzed compositions from six students, ages 15-20, who had used music creation programs to compose. I used process and in vivo coding on these data to write descriptions of each student that highlighted their backgrounds, musical experiences, and how each student perceived the affordances and constraints in relation to their composing and compositions. I then used modified grounded theory analytical procedures to derive overarching themes from across all data. The students had difficulty describing how the affordances and constraints of the music creation software affected their composing and compositions. When students were able to describe program effects, these influences varied. The common effects were that the programs afforded the students testing for music ideas using the many available sounds and the students’ final compositions were a product of, or in spite of, those available sounds.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine a single modern band to discover how an ensemble director/facilitator implemented peer mentoring and other student-centered pedagogical approaches. Observations of an urban high school modern band were conducted over the course of five months of rehearsals with a summative performance. Participants included 12 high school students, one primary educator, and one student teacher. Qualitative data were collected through artifacts and observations as well as group, individual student, and individual teacher interviews. Data were coded and analyzed, revealing emergent themes. The facilitator encouraged students to share their knowledge, opinions, and suggestions for direction through peer mentoring. Students in the ensemble claimed there existed significant social aspects of participation and found interactions within to be a formative part of their school experience. Findings include substantial engagement in peer mentoring, social bonding through modern band, and the sharing of knowledge between students in a relaxed atmosphere in which student agency, autonomy, and democratic decision-making were key tenets. Data analysis revealed musical and social benefits with a facilitator who championed student-centered pedagogy within a relaxed environment. Modeling was found to be a key tenet of learning and communication and critique between peers were more easily understood and better received as compared to that from their facilitator. Peer mentoring opportunities seemed to be reliant upon music that was familiar to students presented in a manner that left room for subjective interpretation and reliance upon peers’ understanding. Peer mentoring was also identified as a definitive component of modern band instruction in addition to its benefit within the ensemble for students musically and socially. Pedagogical suggestions for music education include increased autonomy and student agency in all classrooms; the provision of pathways for teachers to develop facilitation and peer mentoring skills; frequent opportunities for performance; careful consideration of student proximity for peer mentoring; and finding balance between traditional and nonformal teaching methods. Other implications for the profession include implementation of facilitation in all ensembles; careful repertoire decision-making; the development of student leaders; avoiding false representations of popular music ensembles; and encouragement of socializing in modern band ensembles.

This research examines the establishment of degree programs in traditional music in institutions of higher education. It defines traditional music and discusses the history of traditional and folk music programs at universities and conservatories in the United States, Finland, Scotland, and England. The institutionalization of American traditional music is compared to the institutionalization of jazz music in the United States. This thesis focuses on the Bluegrass, Old- Time, and Country Music Studies program at East Tennessee State University and features original ethnographic interviews with lecturers from the program. Two similar programs in Tennessee and Kentucky are also discussed. Some of the issues that are explored within these programs include standardization, improvisation and imitation, the use of sheet music, and job potential. The purpose of this research is to examine if and how institutionalization affects traditional music.

The study focuses on connections between the Progressive era educational theories of John Dewey and present-day bluegrass and traditional music programs in higher education in order to explore a pedagogical basis for such programs. The research specifically examines Dewey’s beliefs in experiential learning, individualization, and vocational education and their current applications in traditional music education. The study included two major components: historical research into Dewey’s writings and primary and secondary sources regarding traditional music education in the United States, and interviews of faculty members in college and university bluegrass and traditional music programs. The thesis of this study is that experiential learning historically has been part of traditional music education and that it is an essential aspect of bluegrass and traditional music programs in higher education in the present day, leading to students taking part in meaningful learning experiences that contribute to their occupational goals.

No description available.

abstract: Previous researchers documented that music teachers negotiate their identities throughout their career, but none of these studies examined identity negotiation from the perspective of both music teachers and their students. Assuming that music teachers and students negotiate their identities through the same interactions, how do music teachers and students together shape their social context and continually pursue possibilities for who they are becoming? I conducted an instrumental case study to explore the encounters of one veteran orchestra teacher—Steve—with three of his students to understand how they negotiated their identities together and pursued possibilities for who they were becoming. I used strong structuration theory (Stones, 2005) as a theoretical lens to organize and frame my study. Each time Steve assessed students and placed them within the orchestra’s seating hierarchy, he experienced a tension in his identity as a music teacher. To relieve this tension, Steve changed the orchestra seating structure from a hierarchical-ranked structure to a randomized-rotating structure. This allowed him to provide individualized feedback to students as they rotated into the front row without issuing social sanctions. But this structural change also disrupted some of the students’ identities as musicians and the labels they used to position themselves in orchestra. Steve’s insistence that the student sitting in first-chair was the “leader for the day” continued an element of the hierarchical seating that conflicted with the students’ understandings of meritocracy and leadership. Additionally, by decoupling the students’ seating from the playing tests, Steve delegitimized his primary form of assessment. Based on my findings, I discuss implications for music education practice, and music teacher education. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music Education 2019

abstract: This study aims at exploring whether English Language Learners (ELL) who are enrolled in a music education program have higher standardized test scores compared to those who are not engaged in a music education program. A West Phoenix, inner city school was studied were the majority of students are Hispanic and qualify for free and reduced lunch. The main purpose of this dissertation was to analyze the effects of instrumental music courses on the AZmerit assessment scores. AZMerit is a standardized assessment used to measure student growth during the given timeframe of one school year (AIMS A Science, n.d.). In this study, I compared a cohort of instrumental music students who studied performance against a cohort of comparable students who did not volunteer to participate in an instrumental music program. Many of these students are bilingual in English and Spanish. As such, students were divided into subcategories based on their level of language acquisition in sixth grade. The secondary purpose of this study was to determine if being a part of an instrumental music program affected students at different languages levels in different manners. Over a two-year period, the English Language Learners (ELL) students were examined to determine the effects of music education by focusing a large part of this research on ELL students’ success within music education programs and academic content areas. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2019

With the adoption of the common core state standards, pressure to raise the achievement of young learners was intense. Classroom teachers were scrutinized to teach lessons with high levels of thinking and rigor. Teachers were inclined to eliminate or ignore artsenriched lessons that would benefit students. The reason for this action was associated with the efficacy of the classroom teacher toward music integration in literacy curriculum. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the Music Literacy Integration Intervention (MLII) on the self-efficacy and proactiveness of teachers at a small elementary school in Florida toward integration of music in reading instruction. There were 3 data-collection instruments. The Teacher Efficacy scale (TES) was used to collect pretest and posttest data for Research Question 1, whereas the Proactiveness Attitude scale (PAS) was used to collect the same type of data for Research Question 2. The Teacher Interview Instrument was used to collect only postimplementation data for Research Question 3. The triangulated data from the 3 instruments were used to respond to Research Question 4. Teacher participants had 272 students in kindergarten-Grade 5. There was a convenience sample of 20 teachers for the survey part of the study. Only 18 teachers returned completed surveys. The sample size for the interviews was 6 teachers randomly selected from 18 teachers. Quantitative data analysis for the Research Questions 1 and 2 was descriptive statistics (i.e., pretest mean, posttest mean, standard deviation, and effect size indicator). The inferential statistical model for the 2 research questions was the t test for paired samples. Qualitative data analysis for Research Question 3 followed a modified version of the constant-comparative, data-analysis procedure. Triangulated survey and interview data were used to respond to Research Question 4. Findings for Research Question 1 indicated the MLII improved teachers’ perceptions on their self-efficacy toward music integration as measured by the TES from pretest to posttest. Results for Research Question 2 suggested the MLII improved teachers’ perceptions of their proactive attitudes toward music integration as measured by the PAS. The increases in scores in both research questions showed large effect sizes. Findings for Research Question 3 indicated teachers perceived that the MLII met its objectives of providing useful strategies that facilitated the integration of music literacy into the reading instruction. Results for Research Question 4 showed the qualitative data from Research Question 3 confirmed the quantitative data from Research Questions 1 and 2. An implication was music had a positive effect on students’ reading abilities and school leaders should reinvest in music integration into the reading curriculum.