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Observed Eye Contact between Selected Students and Teacher in the Music Making Process

High school band members (N=13) and their teacher were observed during six rehearsals of two contrasting band compositions over a six-week period. The contrasting compositions were selected by means of a detailed process between me (the researcher) and the teacher (the conductor). One 60-second excerpt of each composition was selected, during the performance of which, the students were observed. Three video tapings of each composition was done in order to capture occasions when the students would look up from their music. Using a technique adapted from Ekman (1997), the band members and teacher were then interviewed in order to reveal the reasons they recalled for looking up from their music. The results showed that the band members looked up in places where the teacher expected eye contact, that the frequency of eye contact changed little from one rehearsal to the next, and that the frequency of eye contact changed little between the two contrasting compositions. In all cases, the band members were able to recall the reasons for looking up from their music, a fact which led to a detailed analysis about the students' own thoughts while they were engaged in playing as an ensemble. The results are discussed in terms of strategies for teaching practice and implications for future research.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc5380
Date08 1900
CreatorsDeLong, D. Phillip
ContributorsFroehlich, Hildegard, Ramsey, Darhyl S. (Darhyl Sterling), Rohwer, Debbie Ann, 1966-, Warner, Roger
PublisherUniversity of North Texas
Source SetsUniversity of North Texas
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation
FormatText
RightsPublic, Copyright, DeLong, D. Phillip, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

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