This study investigates the intermediate and advanced piano repertoire of 20th Century Russian composer, Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky, with the main focus being on the artistic and pedagogical relevance of these works.Background details of the composer's life, as they pertain to these works and to his style of composition, were gathered through a review of the literature found in books, doctoral theses, encyclopedias, journal articles and programme notes accompanying compact disc recordings and editions of his music.A selection of Kabalevsky's intermediate and advanced piano compositions was chosen for an in-depth analysis of their artistic, technical and pedagogical aspects. A broad examination of their structure is also made. The works selected for analysis include Concerto No. 2 in G minor Op. 23, Numbers 1,2,3,4,6 and 24 from Twenty-Four Preludes Op. 38 and Sonata No. 2 in E flat major Op. 45. In order to gauge both the level of awareness and usage of Kabalevsky's piano repertoire, two written surveys were formulated and issued to teachers and performers within Australia. The first of these (Survey A) was distributed to private studio teachers, most of whom were teaching at an elementary and intermediate level, whilst the second one (Survey B) was sent to teachers who were likely to have had experience in teaching and/or performing more advanced works. In order to determine the frequency with which Kabalevksy's piano works are set for examinations, a review of various syllabuses, including the Australian Music Examination Board (AMEB), Trinity College of London and Austrlaina and New Zealand Cultural Arts Limited (ANZCA), was undertaken. These findings, together with the results of the surveys (which include comments made by a number of teachers/performers within Australia about a selection of these pieces) and the researcher's in-depth analyses, were all considered in ascertaining the usage and level of awareness of Kabalevsky's intermediate and advanced piano repertoire within Australia and the artistic and pedagogical contribution of these works. The in-depth analyses of a selection of Kabalevsky's intermediate and advanced piano works revealed that Kabalevsky made a worthy contribution to the piano literature of this standard, and that these works are also of considerable pedagogical value. The feedback from the surveys revealed that whilst most of the respondents had a high repect and regard for Kabalevsky's elementary piano compositions, the usage and familiarity with his intermediate and advanced works was significantly less. Many of the factors suggested for the lack of awareness of this repertoire were extraneous to the merits of the pieces themselves and, hence, it is hoped that a greater awareness of its existence and an appreciation of the artistic and pedagogical contribution of this literature, will bring it to the attention of students, teachers and performers alike.

No description available.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 181-205). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

The present study is an attempt to understand the differences between the child and young adult beginner in learning how to play the piano as a basis towards improving college-level beginning piano teaching. The purpose of this study then is three fold: (1) to examine to what extent there is a difference of learning achievement and rate between the child and young adult beginner, centering on psychomotor skills, the process of music reading, and elements of interpretation in learning how to play the piano; (2) to find out factors affecting these three elements of musical learning in two groups; and (3) to drive ways towards improving college level beginning piano teaching. To examine these questions, comparisons were drawn between undergraduate non-music majors (19 - 24 years) and primary school children (8 years). The 10-week instructional period consisted of two 40-minute lessons per week for each individual. The investigator taught all subjects individually with the investigator-designed instructional programme focused on keyboard fluency, music reading, and interpretation. Through the pilot study materials and sequencing in the instructional programme were revised and a system of categories for learning-relevant variables emerged. Hypotheses related to a basis of differences in music learning between two groups were investigated using a three-point achievement measurement tool designed by the investigator. Other variables (physical capacity, intelligence, musical background, motivation to learn, learning attitude, emotional factors) affecting musical learning were investigated using IQ tests, the students' self-reports, investigator's reports, and parents' reports. The results of the principal investigation indicate that the young adult beginners performed in all three musical learning elements better than the child group. No evidence was found in support of stereotypical assumptions in the beginning piano study-related literature that the young adult beginner is at disadvantage to the child beginner in the acquisition of keyboard fluency skills. It appears that the young adult did not have problems related to physical capacity taught in this instruction. In addition, it appears that selection variables (physical capacity, intelligence, and musical background) played an important role in the musical achievement of the child beginner group compared with the young adult group. On the other hand, in the case of the young adult group, it appears that learning-related characteristics (motivation to learn, learning attitude, and emotional factors) were likely to be more important factors affecting the musical development compared with the child group.

This study aimed to explore Taiwanese piano teachers’ beliefs about good teaching, and their practice, particularly teachers who teach beginners or young children; and to gain understanding of how Taiwanese piano teachers perceive creativity in their teaching. The perceptions of piano teaching of seven Taiwanese teachers were explored through using a qualitative methodology, which included an open questionnaire, two interviews separated by observation of classroom practice, and a reflective diary prepared by the participants which was facilitated by video-stimulated recall. The principal areas and findings of my research were that Taiwanese piano teachers’ beliefs about what constituted good lessons are diverse. These were explored from three perspectives, namely, the characteristics of effective teachers, the components of effective lessons, and effective teaching strategies. The participant teachers’ attitudes towards creativity in teaching were also different, and can be categorised as ranging from fixed and rigid, to flexible and open. They identified several teaching strategies as creative teaching, such as using metaphor, storytelling, and Internet resources. Additionally, their various purposes in using creative teaching were observed to be to develop learners’ musical abilities; for enjoyment; and to impart a specific teaching point. Although the teachers’ own experiences were found to have a positive effect on their teaching beliefs, the influence of these benefits was not always evident in their actual practice. Pupils’ low motivation to learn and insufficient practice were considered as the common challenges and, when reflecting on their own teaching in the second interview and in the diaries, most of the participants focused mainly on analysis of pupils’ playing errors, and tended to believe that repeated practice by the learners was the best approach to improving performance. In contrast, two teachers believed their expertise in both music and teaching could help their learners to deal with learning difficulties. Based on these research results, I conclude that creativity in piano lessons can be understood from two perspectives. The first relates to how teachers perceive their own teaching and whether they are content with what they do or seek to develop their teaching competence; the other is associated with teachers’ own philosophy of the function of education, which affects how teachers develop their teaching.

No description available.

Arbetet har syftet att studera ergonomiska aspekter av pianoundervisning på kulturskolan. Vilka semiotiska resurser använder pianolärare när de undervisar utifrån ett ergonomiskt perspektiv, och hur används resurserna? Vilka förutsättningar skapar undervisningen vad gäller att förebygga kroppsliga och mentala spänningar i pianospelet hos elever? Ergonomi behandlar förhållandet mellan människa och arbetsmiljö i samband med redskap, i detta fall pianoinstrumentet i relation till hur musikern hanterar det. Undersökningen är ur ett multimodalt designteoretiskt perspektiv: läraren blir en designer av undervisningen som använder olika resurser för att forma förutsättningar för lärande. Den valda metoden är filmad observation i lektionssammanhang av pianolärare på Kulturskolan. Resultatet visar att lärarna genom de resurser de använder tar de fram ergonomiska aspekter relaterade till axlar och armar, fingrar och händer samt sittställning. Eleverna får en motsägelsefull förebild i sittställningen på grund av tvetydig förebildning. Däremot får de förutsättningar att bygga upp en kinestetisk kompetens och förutsättningar för god rörelsekvalitet. När eleverna får kunskaper genom en ensemble av resurser innehållande alla aspekter av ergonomi ger det förutsättningar för ett mångsidigt lärande: från fysiskt-motoriskt till mentalt-musikaliskt. Resultatet tyder på att det finns pianolärare som arbetar med ergonomiska aspekter inom kulturskolans ramar. / This paper has the purpose of visualising the ergonomic aspects of piano teaching. What semiotic resources are used by piano teachers when teaching ergonomic aspects and how are those resources used? How does this help prevent mental and physical tensions in the students’ piano performance? Ergonomics deal with the relationship between man, the work environment and tools, in this case the piano and how the musician handles it. This research is from a perspective of multimodal design theory; the teacher becomes a designer of the teachings using various resources as tools. The research method is recorded observations of piano teaching at public music schools. Using these resources, the teachers focus on ergonomic aspects relating to shoulders, arms, fingers, hands and seating position. Teachers typically present a contradictory example in regards to seating positions due to the need to quickly show or play examples to students. The students do however receive the necessary prerequisites to establish a kinaesthetic competence and also a foundation for sound movements. When the students acquire knowledge through a combination of several types of tutoring resources which cover all aspects of ergonomics, it gives them the prerequisites for a multi-faceted knowledge; from physical (motoric) to mental (musical). The findings from the research show that it is feasible to address ergonomic aspects within the framework of the public music school.

Denna studies syfte har varit att undersöka pedagogiska och didaktiska aspekter i pianoskolor för nybörjare. Detta har gjorts genom en läromedelsgranskning av pianoskolorna Vi spelar piano 1 av Carl-Bertil Agnestig samt Pianoresan 1 av Galina Sjevtjenko och Natalia Kazimirovskaja.  Resultaten av denna granskning har relaterats till olika pianotraditioner, pedagogiska teorier samt forskningsarbeten. Det slutgiltiga resultatet visar vilka undervisningsmetoder som används i de båda böckerna samt hur böckerna är uppbyggda. Pianoskolorna har undersökts utifrån deras innehåll vad gäller låtval, musikalisk progression och musikaliskt uttryck. Undersökningen visar bland annat att uppbyggnaden av Vi spelar piano 1 påminner om Rostvall och Wests schemateori för att hjälpa eleverna att uppnå kunskap. Syftet med Pianoresan 1 är att ge eleven en god grundteknik i pianospel, vilket görs genom övning i harmoni- och gehörslära samt eget skapande. / The aim of this study was to examine pedagogical and didactic aspects in piano books for beginners. This was done through a close observation of the textbooks Vi spelar piano 1 by Carl-Bertil Agnestig and Pianoresan 1 by Galina Sjevtjenko and Natalia Kazimirovskaja. The results of this observation were then compared to literature, mainly pedagogical books and research studies. The final result demonstrates which teaching methods have been used as well as the contents of the books. This has been subdivided into three categories: the songs, the musical progression and the musical expression. The study shows that Vi spelar piano 1 is based on Rostvall and West's schema theory to help the students gain knowledge. Furthermore, the aim of Pianoresan 1 is to provide students with good basic skills in piano playing. This is done through practicing harmony and aural skills, and also through the students' own creativity.

Uppsatsen handlar om förekomst av improvisation i tidig instrumentalundervisning på kultur- och musikskolor. Jag avsåg undersöka hur instrumentallärare beskriver sin undervisning, i vilken utsträckning de använder improvisation på lektionerna, genom att låta ett urval av lärare svara på frågor i en enkät. En annan del av arbetet bestod av att studera 25 pianoböcker som riktar sig till unga nybörjare. I dessa läromedel letade jag efter hur vanligt förekommande improvisationsmoment var. Det framgår av min enkät att användande av improvisation under lektionen varierar bland respondenterna. I min läromedelstudie visar det sig improvisationsmaterial vara relativt ovanligt och förekommer endast sporadiskt. Jag talar i uppsatsen också om hur improvisation kan integreras i instrumentalundervisningen med syfte att ge eleven rum för kreativitet och personlighet. Jag önskar att mitt arbete kan motivera lärare att låta sina elever improvisera på sina instrument för att öka spelglädjen och nå de positiva effekter improvisation kan ge. / This study aims to elucidate the presence of improvisation in early instrumental teaching in culture- and music schools. Two issues will be explored within this context. Firstly I intended to examine how instrumental teachers describe their teaching and the extent to which they use improvisation in class, by inviting a selection of teachers to answer a questionnaire. The second aspect of the work consisted of the study of 25 piano books for young beginners. In these teaching materials the presence and frequency of improvisational moments were examined. The results suggested that the use of improvisation during lessons varies between respondents. Furthermore, the findings from the study of piano books for young beginners demonstrate that improvising material is relatively rare and occurs only sporadically. Suggestions are made for how improvisation can be integrated into instrumental teaching to encourage students to develop creativity and personality in their music. It is hoped that this study can encourage teachers to support their students to improvise on their instruments. This would likely increase students’ creativity and achieve positive effects associated with improvisation.

Comprehensive Musicianship (CM) is a philosophy that developed in the 1960s to encourage the study of contemporary music and student creativity. It expanded in the 1970s to describe the interdisciplinary study of music. Its goal was to encourage teachers to go beyond technical and performance aspects of music and start integrating theory, history, composition, improvisation and aural skills instruction to their curriculums. However, while CM has had a strong influence on many music programs, it is not clear whether this trend has influenced the field of private piano instruction, and whether CM elements have been included and integrated in beginner piano method books. To address this question, categories that constitute the core elements of CM were selected to conduct a content analysis of 12 piano method series. Analysis showed that the focus tends to be on aural skills (as teacher duets), and theory, with a noticeable lack of the more creative activities of improvisation and composition.