Music is both an art and a science involving emotional appreciation and intellectual understanding. When music performances are assessed, appropriate criteria should be used by examiners who appreciate the art and understand the science. This study examined the effects of training and experience on the judgements made by individuals who possessed an understanding of music performance (i.e. qualified musicians and music educators), from observations on videotape of three piano performances (by the same pianist). The thirty three participants were required to observe the videotape and complete a separate music performance assessment (MPA)sheet for each piece, and then rank the three pieces in order of preference. The MPA sheet contained (a) thirty three descriptive statements, under five headings, to which the examiner responded on a . six point Likert scale, and (b) a section for recording an overall impression mark, with provision for comment. There were four examiner categories: (1) untrained and inexperienced, (2) trained and inexperienced, (3) untrained and experienced, and (4) trained and experienced. The term 'experience' was applied to those participants who had previous involvement as examiners in any formal music performance assessment situation. The term 'trained' was applied to those participants who attended a short preparation course presented as part of the study. The responses of the four categories of examiner were tested for significant difference (.05 level) through the use of multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures. One of the performances (piece 1) was recorded digitally by computer (using MIDI and the 'Vision' program) which provided a printout of what occurred during the performance. A comparison of the subjective analysis of the 'Vision' printout results with the examiner responses for piece 1, revealed that there was a link between the judgements made by examiners and the actual performance by the pianist. Results of the study indicate that (a) experience and training effects the criteria used by music examiners in the assessment of music performances, (b) training influenced the examiner responses more than experience, (c) in the 'best' performance, the effects of examiner training and experience were negligible, and (d) in the area of 'global' and 'specific' assessment of music performance, all examiners divorced the two approaches, however judgements of the untrained examiners were more obvious in their disparity. The results of this study suggest that the training a music examiner receives prior to the performance assessment session may be more important in producing consistent and accurate reports than the amount of previous examining experience. The criteria used by the music examiner should be clearly presented with appropriate dimensions for the musical instrument on which the student performs.

The purpose of the study was to determine the relation between student engagement, academic achievement, and music ensemble performance ratings. The study was guided by two research questions: how do students’ varying degrees of student engagement relate to their academic achievement and their ensemble’s performance rating, and to what extent do behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement predict ensemble performance ratings? Participants were 259 high school band students who completed the Classroom Engagement Inventory in Music. They were also asked to report their GPA, and the researcher recorded their ensemble’s performance rating. Results suggested that higher levels of student engagement were associated with higher levels of ensemble performance ratings (superior and excellent versus good), with a clear demarcation found between lower rated and higher rated ensembles. Although no significant correlation was found between academic achievement and student engagement, affective engagement was found to predict overall music performance outcomes.

Since the implementation and achievement score pressures of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, elective course offerings such as music have been drastically reduced, especially in the middle school setting. A great deal of correlational research has shown a positive correlation between music education in school and students’ overall academic achievement. This study examined the correlation between those middle school students that participated in the District Concert Band Music Performance Assessment (MPA) versus those middle school students that did not regarding their achievement scores on the 2016 English language arts (ELA) and mathematics subtests of the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA). The theoretical framework of this study was undergirded by Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. The researcher used a non-experimental ex post facto research design for the collection of the study’s data. The results indicated that there was a positive, statistically significant difference between both the ELA and mathematics achievement scores of those students that participated in the MPA and those that did not. There was also a positive, statistically significant difference between both the ELA and mathematics achievement scores of those students that participated in the MPA and the level of music their band performed. However, there was not a statistically significant difference between both the ELA and mathematics achievement scores of those students that performed at the MPA and the final overall rating that their band received. School administrators are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that effective programs are instituted in their schools so their students can be successful. The results of this quantitative non-experimental ex post facto study could provide administrators additional research-based evidence suggesting that band on the middle-school level, which is a branch of music education, could be a program to include in the school’s curriculum because it might positively contribute to the school’s ELA and mathematics achievement and academic culture. Additional research can also be conducted to observe the effects of music study on student achievement for students of all grade levels and socioeconomics. This would lead school administrators to continue practicing the notion of educating the whole child while making administrative decisions, which should be the sine qua non of education.