The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of focus of attention instructions (i.e. focus on the solo, accompaniment, or collaboration) on listeners’ performance evaluations. Participants (N = 159) were inservice band directors who listened to and evaluated the accuracy and expressivity of four excerpts of Haydn’s Concerto for Trumpet in E-Flat Major, which we created by synchronizing recordings

Spanish Conservatories of Music are educational institutions where, for the most part, the culture of Modernity is upheld and an aesthetic musical paradigm is enshrined. In this paper, therefore, it was important to reflect, firstly, on the teaching practices they implement and which have remained faithful to Positivist assertions, in the face of the different educational laws that have been passed

Orchestras all over the world have concert programs in various formats for children, including some designed for preschoolers. Presenting concerts to children in kindergartens and schools is a long-standing tradition in Israel. The uniqueness of these programs and their main innovation is the preparatory work and process through which the children are prepared for the concert—which is the culmination

A number of studies suggest a link between musical training and both specific and general cognitive abilities, but despite some positive results, there is disagreement about which abilities are improved. This study aims to investigate the effects of a music education program both on a domain-specific competence (meta-musical awareness), and on general domain competences, that is, cognitive abilities

This study examined the instructional context, pedagogical techniques, interpersonal dynamics, and personal characteristics of a teacher and her collegiate students in a renowned private violin studio. Through lesson observations, interviews, and analysis of artifacts, the following themes emerged: (1) a nurturing, non-judgmental environment, characterized by “neutral” teacher feedback; (2) clearly

Making Music: Composing with Young Musicians was a multi-year, multi-site research project partnered with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the Canadian Music Centre to commission composers to collaborate with teachers and students to write educational music. On-site observations undertaken by the co-author and examined through a pragmatic lens employing Brief Focused Inquiry focused on

In this study, the authors evaluated the potential role of an activity-based guitar training program on reducing anxiety and providing fulfillment for younger relatives of cancer patients. Ten active members of KHYD (The Society for Relatives of Cancer Patients), between ages 11 and 17 participated in an 8-week guitar education program. The participants filled out two questionnaires before and after

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable assessment tool to measure music educators’ participation in and perceptions of their high-quality professional development (PD) experiences. A sample of 450 in-service music educators across the United States completed a 78-item rating scale embedded within 10 domains reflecting high-quality PD criteria: (a) content, (b) evidence/research

Sustaining a career in music by pursuing multiple paths, usually performing and teaching, is neither new nor unusual. In this article, I consider another option—the musician-writer—to demonstrate how the process used to create in one’s primary field or career path may be transferrable to the pursuit of new endeavors. Analyzing and comparing the process of writing my book about piano teachers and studying

On 20 September 2019 in Cape Town, as part of the global protests on inaction on climate change, the African Climate Alliance submitted a memorandum of demands to South African government representatives, one of which was ‘the creation of a mandatory climate-education curriculum for South Africa’. This raises the question of how this imperative would be met within a tertiary music education context

This article examines recognition relations between students and teachers in Finnish music schools. The research is based on written texts by music school students. The texts are analysed for difficulties in recognition relations, namely, hindrances to recognition in music schools. In the texts, some of the respondents describe situations that can be analysed as hindrances to recognition. The author

This study investigated the music performance anxiety experiences of musicians in Turkey (N = 270), including their physical and cognitive symptoms of anxiety, their methods of coping with performance stress, and their perceived need for related resources. Analysis of the data revealed statistically significant differences in gender, with female music students reporting more frequent performance anxiety

Although music educators have asserted the importance of naming systemic inequities, the mechanisms through which practices within music classrooms, such as community formation, may directly challenge the systemic inequities beyond them remain undertheorized. The purpose of this philosophical inquiry is to investigate the nature of equity and to consider which music education practices might best support

Kodály-inspired pedagogy enables students to participate effectively in a music course by engaging in active musical interactions with folk songs and melodies. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of Kodály-inspired pedagogy on recorder performance and attitudes toward music of secondary school students. A quasi-experimental design was used in the study. The experimental group was taught

In Australia, access to music education is inequitable due to the challenges of distance, different state education systems and a lack of resources in schools. As a means to address this social justice issue, we explore here the viability and effects of a digitally based music outreach programme undertaken in collaboration with Hands on Learning (HOL), an alternative education provider. The programme

This autoethnographic study investigated possibility of incorporating indigenous pedagogies into Ugandan school music and, possibly, general education. School music education in Uganda currently occurs within a colonial-influenced system that does not connect with learners’ indigenous cultures. The colonial system fosters belief that “western” is modernity and “indigenous” is backwardness that should

El Sistema music programmes have blossomed over the past decade, with the aim of fostering social development through intensive orchestral music instruction. Many scholars agree that creative music making can facilitate student agency development, increase a sense of belonging and promote creative expression by allowing students to bring their perspectives to the learning context. With these benefits

This article explores the life histories of virtuoso classical music soloists with particular reference to conservatoire provision. Detailed life-history interviews were conducted with six virtuosi between May 2018 and January 2019. These participants were three singers, two cellists and a concert pianist. Resultant qualitative data were stored in an NVivo software database and understood through a

Throughout much of the 20th century, the Western classical vocal aesthetic dominated tertiary singing training in the Republic of Ireland. At the turn of the 21st century, and reflecting similar movements internationally, Irish institutions, examining boards and private teaching studios diversified to include musical theatre and popular styles of singing in degree programmes and syllabi. The purpose

Adult music learners may expect to be more independent and therefore more inclined to engage in self-directed learning than younger learners; however, adults may not feel encouraged or supported to self-direct. In this qualitative study, the relationships between six adult instrumentalists and their teachers were examined using Grow’s Staged Self-Directed Learning (SSDL) Model to determine if there

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences and contextual factors that influenced preservice music teachers’ self-efficacy and concerns from pre-student teaching to student teaching. Data were collected for this case study through an open-response questionnaire about participants’ (N = 4) efficacious teaching experiences, 10 weekly e-journal reflections written during pre-student

Research in higher music education acknowledges a persistent divide between performance studies and the realities of musicians’ work. Alongside this is global pressure for curriculum that is more supportive of students’ metacognitive engagement, experiential learning and career preparation. However, scholars assert that the provision of these curricular elements is insufficient unless students recognise

This research explores the issues and challenges facing music teachers in England today. It aims to understand these and provide a more detailed understanding of their views about the potential opportunities and limitations of music education. It does this through an analysis of new data drawn from an online question (n.621) and telephone interviews (n.38) with music teachers from across all regions

The Norwegian municipal school of music and performing arts has diverse tasks it must manage; the school not only intends to offer its students opportunities to specialise, but it also aims to facilitate social inclusion and be a school ‘for everyone’. Handling these two seemingly opposing tasks requires a great deal from its staff. This article explores how music teachers negotiate versatility and

The study investigated the extent of existence of digital divide between music teachers and students in selected secondary schools in Anambra state. Two objectives and two research questions guided the study using mixed-research design. Three education zones consisting of nine public secondary schools, 18 music teachers and 270 music students formed the sample for the study. Structured questionnaires

To sing while taking melodic dictation is a strategy employed by some Ear Training students as an aid, but there is a disagreement among the literature about its efficiency. Thus, it is important to disambiguate this question examining the contributions related to vocalization. The purpose of this research is to investigate the influence singing during melodic dictation can have over this activity

As popular music education programs become more common, it is essential to determine what kinds of professional development experiences that are designed to help teachers include popular music into their music education classrooms are effective—keeping in mind that the inclusion of popular music in K–12 classrooms requires a change not only in instrumentation and repertoire but also pedagogical approaches

The purpose of this study was to explore how high school students mentored beginning fifth-grade students in an extracurricular music class for double-reed instruments. In this study, I investigated the role of peer mentoring with how high school mentors shared their knowledge and experiences, and the role of the teacher in this process. The following questions guided this study: How did the participants

Embracing an ethos of sharing music and practices across cultural boundaries, the multicultural vision of music (teacher) education has paid scarce attention to the paradox of freedom that arises between such freedoms and the complex politics that frame and constrain teachers’ choices and values. In this article, we explore these demands of professional reflexivity through an instrumental case study

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influence preservice music teacher efficacy. Participants in this study were undergraduate music education students (N = 124), a convenience sample taken from six mid-South university music education programs in the United States. To explore the factors influencing preservice music teacher efficacy, a survey was sent to participants. The survey

The purpose of this study was to create and validate a measure for jazz theory knowledge assessment. The Jazz Theory Measure (JTM) was created by exploring publications on jazz improvisation instruction and research studies that utilized jazz theory as a significant aspect of the study (i.e., dependent variable, independent variable, data collection). Latent jazz theory components (i.e., Key Knowledge

Cultural hegemony permeates society and is spread through social institutions. These institutions socialize people into the norms, values and beliefs of the dominant social groups. Moreover, cultural hegemony is spread and perpetuated through education in the form of compulsory education, a national curriculum, national assessments, as well as the hidden curriculum. The cultural hegemony of Western

With the rapid development of information communication technology, social media has become a necessary part of people’s daily life. Recently, many music teachers have applied social media to augment their classes and enhance their teaching. This article explores the use of social media for musical instrument education, with a focus on the violin and piano. A qualitative semi-structured interview was

Recently, many researchers and scholars have focused on reflective teaching to support good practices in teaching. For effective reflection, it is necessary to encourage teachers’ reflection by promoting collaboration during which they can discuss various teaching issues and problems while supporting each other. The purpose of this study was to investigate Korean preservice music teachers’ experience

Music teacher attrition represents a serious educational concern, especially among preservice music teachers due to their lack of sufficient occupational identity and commitment. However, factors i...

Participating in large-scale musical performances as part of a secondary school ensemble can be exhilarating. Although students experience such events differently, emotional state is not uniform th...

Many recent proposals in music education relate to digital technologies. Technology can act as a mediator in the teaching-learning processes. Educators’ digital competence comprises the knowledge and skills in both instrumental and didactic use and methodological use that each teacher possesses. This work focuses on music education teachers at Spanish universities. It examines their knowledge of different

The purpose of this descriptive quantitative research was to examine undergraduate music teacher education curricula in the context of professional identity formation and in comparison with teacher...

This quasi-experimental study aimed to assess the effects of a music and writing program on lexical spelling in Grade 2 elementary school students. A music and writing program was developed and tested in an experimental group (n = 24) comprising a Grade 2 class in a French-language elementary school in Québec (Canada). Another Grade 2 class at the same school served as a control group (n = 23). Both

LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual) students face significant challenges that include peer harassment and health risks surpassing those of students who do not identify as being gay. Learning environments that include peer mentoring promote resilience and help LGBTQIA+ students gain a sense of well-being. Researchers in music education have recently begun to explore

In this exploratory study, we describe the learning experiences of adolescents from a social project called Orquestrando Talentos, which offered violin and viola lessons in two high-needs schools f...

This descriptive case study superimposed Effectuation Theory onto the experiences of an American music educator and the challenges and opportunities facing him in an economically disadvantaged teaching context. Luke Guerra, the primary participant, possessed 11 years of teaching experience in an underserved urban middle school. His military experience, lack of canonical content knowledge, social activism

During music reading, performers create expectations of the upcoming music. When these expectations are violated due to changes in the notation, performers have to adjust their reading and adapt their motor responses to match this new information. In this study, we examine how selected background, outcome, and process measures reflect the successful handling of incongruences during music reading. Twenty-four

The purpose of our study was to examine how hacking – as discussed and displayed by participants of Monthly Music Hackathon NYC – could inform making music education practices more accessible and inclusive, if at all, for people with disabilities. Free and open to the public, Monthly Music Hackathon NYC hosts non-competitive community-based events in which participants – musicians, educators, coders

Recent findings in music research are increasingly confirming the embodied nature of music cognition. Assuming that a bodily engagement with music may affect the children’s musical meaning formation, we investigated how young children’s interaction with music, based on verbal description after listening versus body movement description while listening, may be reflected in the verbal explanation of

Evaluation of music performance in competitive contexts often produces discrepancies between the expert judges. These discrepancies can be reduced by using appropriate rubrics that minimise the dif...

Gender in music has been explored over recent decades with growing recognition of the challenges that are faced by women in the field. There has been substantial work exploring the Western music canon but little that addresses the music of Australian women, and more specifically, repertoire written for the wind band genre. With thousands of Australian children every year starting their musical journey

This study investigated factors associated with fourth graders' music knowledge assessed by the South Carolina Arts Assessment Program (SCAAP). Participants included 2,683 fourth-grade students nested within 35 elementary schools in South Carolina, United States. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used to examine both the student-level factors, including gender and ethnicity, and the school-level

The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of facial expression and conducting gesture on perceptions of choral conductor and ensemble expressivity. College musicians (N = 156) viewed ...

The purpose of this article is to utilize new conceptions of music literacy to support and encourage popular music experiences in music education. A new definition of music literacy is presented and authentic popular music resources that function as (newly defined) texts to develop music literacy are identified and discussed. Finally, considerations will be given for music educators on how to select

In this article, I share findings from a research study about a high school Hip-Hop course in the United States and offer considerations toward informing culturally responsive teaching and decentering Whiteness in music education. I explored the experiences and perceptions of majority students of color in a Hip-Hop course taught by a White music educator who was largely inexperienced with Hip-Hop.

In the field of higher music education conservatories, and more specifically in the so-called ‘classical music’, the first steps towards research regarding entrepreneurship are being taken, although the main obstacles to overcome are still at a conceptual level (to define what is entrepreneurship in this field, what the profile of a musician entrepreneur is, what exactly is understood when we talk

In this article, we present the results of a study about the perceptions of students studying for a degree in primary education about their music-teaching knowledge and their training needs in that...

Australia has always been known as one of the most multicultural countries in the world, but as globalisation becomes the norm and we begin to welcome people from countries with vastly different backgrounds, experiences, ideologies, values and belief systems, how can we harness the power of education to develop intercultural competence and enhance social inclusion? A reconsideration of what we teach

In recent years, a strong focus on popular music has increased in South Korean music education. Although this shift in the curricular content has led to studies on the formation of popular music repertories in the curriculum, few studies have attended to teachers’ attitudes and learning practices to popular music as related factors. To understand popular music education in South Korea, we investigated

This article explores the informal and formal learning experiences of 20 activist-musicians. Multiple activist-musicians utilized the informal learning strategies Green identifies. More than half of the participants, however, bemoaned the lack of more formal music education. They noted that they valued informal musical learning practices and also wished that they had experienced more of a balance between

The increased attention to the use of popular music within the classroom is not new. In fact, music educators in many countries have discussed the incorporation of popular music into mainstream music education for decades. South Korea is no exception, and the younger generation has a genuine interest in and sensitivity toward popular music. Yet, South Korea has been slow to incorporate popular music

The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to explore the musical ability beliefs and musical self-concepts among eight fourth-grade students whose music teacher believed in universal human musicality—the idea that all human beings have the potential to be musical and can become competent music makers. Data collection lasted 12 weeks and included twice-weekly observations of the students’ music

The purpose of this study was to investigate self-regulated learning skills of prospective music teachers in Turkey (N = 222). This study also investigated whether self-regulated learning skills of prospective music teachers differed according to their gender, academic year, daily practice hours, and most recent instrument exam grade. The data were collected through the Self-Regulated Learning Skills

In this study, we investigated the use of digital technology for aural skills instruction in Advanced Placement Music Theory (APMT) classes in the United States. Our research questions focused on which technologies teachers use for aural skills, how they incorporate them, and what influences their decisions to use them. We created, piloted, and distributed a survey electronically to a stratified sample