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Embodied Music Cognition is a recently developed theoretical and empirical framework which in the last eight years has been redefining the role of the body in music perception. However, to date there have been very few attempts to research embodied musical experiences in early childhood. The research reported in this thesis investigated 4- and 5-year-olds’ self-regulatory sensorimotor processes in response to music. Two video-based observation studies were conducted. The first, exploratory in nature, aimed to identify levels of musical self-regulation in children’s actions while ‘playing’ in a motion-based interactive environment (Sound=Space). The interactive element of this system provided an experiential platform for the young ‘players’ to explore and develop the ability to recognise themselves as controlling musical events, and to continuously adapt their behaviour according to expected auditory outcomes. Results showed that low-level experiences of musical self-regulation were associated with more random trajectories in space, often performed at a faster pace (e.g. running), while a higher degree of control corresponded to more organised spatial pathways usually involving slower actions and repetition. The second study focused on sensorimotor synchronisation. It aimed to identify children’s free and individual movement choices in response to rhythmic music with a salient and steady beat presented at different tempi. It also intended to find the similarities and differences between participants’ repertoire and their adjustments to tempo changes. The most prominent findings indicate that children’s movements exhibited a resilient periodicity which was not synchronised to the beat. Even though a great variety of body actions (mostly non-gestural) was found across the group, each child tended to use a more restricted repertoire and one specific dominant action that would be executed throughout the different tempi. Common features were also found in children’s performance, such as, the spatial preference for up/down directions and for movements done in place (e.g. vertical jump). The results of both studies highlight the great deal of variability in the way preschoolers regulate their own sensorimotor behaviour when interacting with music. This variety of responses can be interpreted as underlining the importance of the physical nature of the cognitive agent in the perception of music. If this is indeed the case, then it will be crucial to create and develop embodied music learning activities in early years education that encourage each child to self-monitor their own sensorimotor processes and, thus, to shape their experiences of linking sound and movement in a meaningful and fulfilling way.

Magistro darbe „„Dainų dainelės“ ir pedagogų vaidmuo formuojant teigiamą vaikų požiūrį į muzikinę saviugdą“ nagrinėjama vaikų ir moksleivių televizijos festivalio-konkurso „Dainų dainelė“ įtaka vaikų ugdymui. Pedagoginė problema aktuali tuo, kad analogų neturintis per 30 metų gyvuojantis festivalis-konkursas tapo tikru fenomenu ir puikiu postūmiu reikštis jauniems dainininkams tiek ansambliuose, tiek solo. Pasirodymas „Dainų dainelėje“ dažnai tampa pirmuoju, tačiau anaiptol ne paskutiniu viešu pasirodymu. Tyrimo objektas – vaikų muzikinė saviugda dalyvaujant „Dainų dainelėje“. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti „Dainų dainelės“ ir pedagogų įtaką vaikų muzikinei saviugdai. Reikšminiai žodžiai: muzikinė saviugda, pedagoginė įtaka, dainininkų ugdymas. Darbe apžvelgiama „Dainų dainelės“ istorija, renginio kaita, pedagoginės ugdymo subtilybės – ugdytojo autoriteto svarba, scenos baimės apraiškos, balso higienos ypatybės. Juk rengimasis „Dainų dainelei“ gali skatinti ne tik mokinį, bet ir jo ugdytoją, kadangi šis turi tapti tikru, pilnaverčiu autoritetu. Šiuo aspektu labai daug lemia ne tik pedagogo gebėjimas komunikuoti, bet ir jo profesinis pasirengimas, uždegantis tikėjimas savo veikla, atraktyvi dėstymo metodika, didinanti pedagoginę įtaką. Siekiant sužinoti „Dainų dainelės“ dalyvių nuomonę apie šį festivalį-konkursą, buvo apklausti 50 dalyvių. Empirinis tyrimas atskleidė, jog daugeliui dalyvių festivalis-konkursas „Dainų dainelė“ teikia teigiamas emocijas, žadina atsakomybės jausmą... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Influence of children’s and schoolchildren’s festival “Dainu dainele” examined in Master‘s final scientific work “The role of “Dainu dainele“ and educationalists formative positive opinion of infants to musical self-help“. Pedagogical problem is relevant because festival – contest exist more than 30 years, it haven‘t any analogues in Lithuania and it became sure phenomenon and perfect push of young vocalists convey both in companys and in solo. The Appearance in „Dainu dainele“ often become the first but not the last public appearance. The investigative subject of Master‘s final scientific work is musical self-help of infants when they involve in “Dainu dainele”. The investigative purpose of Master‘s final scientific work is to find the role of “Dainu dainele“ and educationalists to musical self-help of infants. Significant words: a musical self-help, the role of educationalists, education of singers. The history of „Dainu dainele“, alternation of event, refinement of educationalists education, importance of educationalist, manifestatons of scene‘s fear, internal of voice‘s hygiene are reviewed in Master‘s final scientific work. After all arrangement to “Dainu dainele” can motivate not only schoolchildren but also his educator because he must to become real and full – fledged standing. Instance very much determine educationalist not only ability to comunicate but also his professional readiness, inspirational belief in his work, methodology of enunciation that enhance... [to full text]

abstract: Concert band classes have been part of the schooling landscape in Canada and the United States since the early 1900’s. Nevertheless, the context in which concert band classes have been offered recently has undergone a dramatic change. Typically, concert band classes have been offered as an elective course in schools, but more recently, concert band classes in some school settings have been required, especially at the beginning level. Because of the required band class context, it can no longer be assumed students in such band classes have the same music making goals exhibited by earlier generations of students. Persistence, resilience, engagement and musical self-efficacy have been affected when choice was no longer afforded. This study was conducted to examine how goal setting strategies influenced student persistence, resilience, engagement, and musical self-efficacy within a required beginning concert band class. Framed by Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, and Tinto’s research on persistence, a goal setting intervention was devised and offered to students taking a required grade 6 beginning band classes at an independent school in Ontario. Using a concurrent mixed method framework, quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Results from the quantitative data indicated no changes in the outcome measures. By comparison, qualitative data indicated persistence, resilience, engagement, and musical self-efficacy were influenced when using the goal setting tools. From students’ perspectives, musical self-efficacy and personal self-efficacy were realized through grade attainment, music notation fluency, rhythmic accuracy goals established on students’ weekly goal charts, and goal setting mind maps. Persistence and resilience were influenced as students overcame physical challenges through scaffolding their practice efforts by creating individualized practice regimens. Engagement was influenced through the goal setting intervention as students set goals such as performing for others—be it peers, family, or their teachers. In terms of future research and practice, cycles of action research would include expanding the goal setting intervention to include creating differentiated music making experiences alongside the traditional concert band genre, based upon principles drawn from a community music making contexts—specifically those involving collaborative music making like those experienced in Samba band ensembles. Recommendations for such experiences were shared. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2019

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand how five choral music educators’ life experiences, prior knowledge, attitudes, values, beliefs, and understandings surrounding the formation of their musical selves have come to shape their professional practice. A secondary purpose of this research was to examine institutional context and governing ideologies of the choral music discipline. The study involved five choral music educators—including the researcher—of various ages, genders, and cultural backgrounds from Winnipeg, Manitoba. This research is grounded in what Beattie (1995) terms the dialectical and collaborative nature of narrative inquiry, but also looks to reflexive inquiry and life history methodologies (Cole & Knowles, 2000), as well as the practice of collective biography (Davies & Gannon, 2006) to shape its methodological framework. As such, autobiographical forms of self-study research are reconceptualized as collaborative self-study. Data collection methods included journal writing, personal in-depth interviews, and participant observation. In particular, regular focus group sessions, which included peer interviewing, played a central role throughout the research process. This forum allowed participants to share their musical life histories and interrogate each others’ narratives, thereby triggering musical memories and exposing the interconnectivity of musical pasts to current professional practice. Data is re-presented in rich narratives which trace the path of each participant’s musical life history in interaction with theory and relevant literature. Numerous themes, sub-themes, tensions, and epiphanal episodes (Denzin, 1994) are illuminated. Moreover, connections between participants’ experiences and resultant ways of knowing are exposed, and we are confronted with “the unexpectedness of universality” (Hofstadter, 2007, p. 242). Thus, our commonessence is revealed. Participant chapters are followed by a postlude featuring the researcher’s personal narratives, an examination of researcher voice, and questions regarding the practice of choral music education that have surfaced through reflexive analysis of the data. This research strives to be a model for personal professional development among choral music educators, and provides a template for future purposeful discussion in the choral discipline.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand how five choral music educators’ life experiences, prior knowledge, attitudes, values, beliefs, and understandings surrounding the formation of their musical selves have come to shape their professional practice. A secondary purpose of this research was to examine institutional context and governing ideologies of the choral music discipline. The study involved five choral music educators—including the researcher—of various ages, genders, and cultural backgrounds from Winnipeg, Manitoba. This research is grounded in what Beattie (1995) terms the dialectical and collaborative nature of narrative inquiry, but also looks to reflexive inquiry and life history methodologies (Cole & Knowles, 2000), as well as the practice of collective biography (Davies & Gannon, 2006) to shape its methodological framework. As such, autobiographical forms of self-study research are reconceptualized as collaborative self-study. Data collection methods included journal writing, personal in-depth interviews, and participant observation. In particular, regular focus group sessions, which included peer interviewing, played a central role throughout the research process. This forum allowed participants to share their musical life histories and interrogate each others’ narratives, thereby triggering musical memories and exposing the interconnectivity of musical pasts to current professional practice. Data is re-presented in rich narratives which trace the path of each participant’s musical life history in interaction with theory and relevant literature. Numerous themes, sub-themes, tensions, and epiphanal episodes (Denzin, 1994) are illuminated. Moreover, connections between participants’ experiences and resultant ways of knowing are exposed, and we are confronted with “the unexpectedness of universality” (Hofstadter, 2007, p. 242). Thus, our commonessence is revealed. Participant chapters are followed by a postlude featuring the researcher’s personal narratives, an examination of researcher voice, and questions regarding the practice of choral music education that have surfaced through reflexive analysis of the data. This research strives to be a model for personal professional development among choral music educators, and provides a template for future purposeful discussion in the choral discipline.