Master's Theses--Music Education (MME)

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    EFFECTS OF ENGAGING IN AN INFORMAL LEARNING PROJECT USING POPULAR MUSIC ON UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION MAJORS’ MUSIC SELF-CONCEPTS
    (Indiana University, 2023-08-25) Bowen, Tiffany
    The purpose of this study was to examine how engaging in an Informal Learning Project (ILP) using popular music impacted undergraduate general education students’ music self-concepts. The secondary purposes of this study were: (1) to examine the relationship between undergraduate general education students’ music self-concept and attitudes toward music in the classroom and (2) to examine relationships among undergraduate general education students’ extent of prior experience in music, their attitudes toward the ILP, and their self-assessment of achievement on the ILP. General education majors enrolled in a fundamentals of music course (N = 71) were assigned to either the control group (formal, “traditional notation-based” curriculum only) or treatment group (the same curriculum, but with the ILP replacing one “traditional notation-based” assignment toward the end of the course). At the conclusion of the ILP, the treatment group had significantly higher music self-concept scores (p = 0.005) when compared with the control group, and there were moderate positive correlations between the students’ music self-concepts and their attitudes toward music in the classroom (r = 0.61). Considering that students’ varying levels of prior musical experience did not have an impact on either their attitudes toward the ILP or their self-assessment of achievement in the ILP, it is likely that informal learning naturally differentiates and allows students of widely varying musical backgrounds to feel authentically successful. Therefore, I would recommend that those teaching fundamentals of music courses include at least some informal learning opportunities as they may help students further develop both their music self-concepts and their positive attitudes toward using music in their future classrooms.
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    AN EXPLORATION OF AUDITORY IMAGERY ABILITY AMONGST CHORAL SINGERS AND CONDUCTORS
    (Indiana University, 2023-05-08) Roberts, Evan
    Auditory imagery is a fundamental skill for choral musicians, useful for imagining pitches in preparation for singing, as well as coordinating singing in tandem with others. Given the value that auditory imagery holds in the choral profession, I hypothesized that years of experience as singers or conductors would correlate with auditory imagery ability. Participants drawn from the choral profession completed a ten-minute questionnaire documenting their personal information, background in music, musical skill set, and self-reported ability to imagine both vivid and malleable auditory images. A previously designed questionnaire, the Bucknell Auditory Imagery Scale (BAIS, 2015), as well as additional choral music questions modeled after the BAIS were used to address auditory imagery ability. The BAIS and the supplementary choral music questions had two subscales, vividness (BAIS-V, the clarity of an image) and control (BAIS-C, the malleability of an image). Results indicated that years of conducting experience were associated with higher degrees of vividness and control of auditory images, while years of singing experience were also correlated with higher degrees of control. The purpose of this document was to better quantify the significance of auditory imagery ability in choral music-making environments, as well as to consolidate recommendations from research around cultivating auditory imagery ability in singers and conductors.
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    Comprehensive bell-ringers for beginning band
    (Indiana University, 2021-07-20) Charney, Suzanne
    The purpose of this practicum was to create supplemental materials for beginning band method books that could be used within the initial minutes of class as bell-ringer exercises. A review of previous literature indicated a gap in existing beginning band method books in their representation of the National Music Standards (2014). The development of the bell-ringer activities was informed by the review of practitioner writing that called for more active participation on an individual level as well as an increase of creative activities that speak to the desire to continue to build comprehensive musicianship. The supplement will include curricular objectives that represent all the National Standards and will emphasize individual creation, connection, and response, as performance is otherwise most often covered through beginning band method books and activities within class. The supplemental material contains 100 bell-ringer activities to accommodate a class that would meet daily for one twenty-week semester. The practicum concludes with a summary and implications for future research. Some of these implications include continued research in educational transitional periods as well as individual active learning within large ensembles.
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    Playing music : a curricular outline for music learned through improvisatory games
    (Indiana University, 2021-06-15) Taylor, Coty
    Play is a crucial part of early childhood development and also a critical element in music mak- ing. Early childhood educators and researchers have acknowledged play as an important part of educating young children, but play is often undiscussed in the context of early childhood music education and music education in general. Although researchers have addressed the importance of guided and unguided musical play (John et al., 2016; Berger & Cooper, 2003; Koops & Tag- gart, 2011) and improvisation (Hickey, 2009, 2015; Hickey et al., 2016), opportunities for music students and pre-service music teachers to engage in musical play and improvisation remain lim- ited (Healy, 2014; Madura Ward-Steinman, 1999; Monk, 2013; Ott, 2015). However, a curricu- lum that uses a foundation of musical play to engage students in improvisatory music making had not yet been created. The purpose of this practicum was to create eight lesson plans that use games to engage students in structured and unstructured musical play. These lessons were de- signed with the intent that they accompany education students receive in an instrumental curricu- lum as outlined by the National Association for Music Education (2014). The goals of these les- sons were to investigate and re-contextualize the operative word “play” in music education and supply opportunities for students to improvise through play.
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    Orchestra teachers' repertoire selection practices : a survey study
    (Indiana University, 2021-05-02) Gruber, Lauren
    The purpose of this survey study was to examine repertoire selection practices among middle and high school string orchestra directors. Through an online survey, orchestra teachers (N = 96) provided information about their most recent selection of literature. The survey obtained demographic information as well as identified criteria and procedures used by orchestra teachers in selecting repertoire. Teachers in this survey rated pedagogical and musical criteria as being highly influential to their repertoire selection practices. The three factors most frequently reported as affecting repertoire selection decisions were found to be technical considerations within the music, the ability and limitations of the ensemble, and instrumental performance skills that can be taught through the music. The three most frequently reported sources for finding new repertoire were found to be conversations with other directors and mentor teachers, looking through your school’s library, and lists of recommended literature for contest or competition. Several mild yet significant correlations were found between teacher experience and responses to repertoire selection practices items. Teachers can use these findings in mentoring less experienced teachers as well as to guide their own practice for selecting repertoire for their ensembles.
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    Peer mentoring students with disabilities in a high school orchestra program
    (Indiana University, 2020-07-21) Bradley, Sean S. (Sean Steven)
    Researchers have identified the benefits of peer mentoring in both general education (Karcher, 2005; Karcher, 2009; Karcher, Davidson et al., 2010; Karcher et al., 2002) and music education (Goodrich, 2007). Mentoring and other peer-assisted learning strategies have also been identified by researchers as effective strategies for teaching and including students with disabilities in music contexts (Jellison et al., 1984; Salvador, 2016). However, limited research has been conducted to study how peer mentoring students with disabilities unfolds in music contexts. The purpose of this study is to examine an existing chapter of the United Sound mentoring program to understand participant perceptions of one another, the perceived benefits of the program, and the factors contributing to its overall success. A total of 12 students and two teachers (N = 14) participated in the study. Observations were completed on three occasions at 3-week intervals. Following two of these ob servations, interviews with eight of the students (n = 8) and both teachers (n = 2) were conducted resulting in a total of 20 interviews. Results from the study indicated that students and teachers had positive views of one another, but peer mentors struggled to feel comfortable when discussing the topic of disability. Other notable findings were that mentors developed interpersonal/teamwork skills, increased their pedagogical awareness, and effectively used informal mentoring to assist their fellow mentors. Additionally, both teachers indicated a positive shift in how they view students with disabilities.
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    Social interactions in the preschool music classroom: an exploratory case study
    (Indiana University, 2020-07-15) Armstrong, Meagan A.
    This exploratory case study was designed to observe the social and emotional behaviors and interactions of preschool-aged children as well as those of their parents and teachers. In this study, I observed three preschool music classes with two different sets of teachers. I documented and analyzed behaviors, interactions, and musical experiences to study the varied social and emotional experiences that occur in preschool music classroom settings. I observed this setting over a six-week period of time; and created word lists to reduce the data and develop categories. Additionally, vignettes are provided for each category to demonstrate examples of these categories seen throughout this study. The six categories I identified are verbal expressions, non-verbal expressions with instruments, musical expressions, the a cappella phenomenon, activities encouraging empathetic understanding, and varied expressions in imaginative play. This study provided a look into social and emotional expressions, gestures, and interactions through a preschool musical experience.
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    The experiences of high-achieving young violinists from a Title-I elementary school: a qualitative study
    (Indiana University, 2020-04-08) Barbosa, Michele Shieh
    Researchers have suggested that music ensembles in the United States tend to favor students of higher socioeconomic status (SES). Low SES students are likely to have fewer opportunities for music education, and may not stay in those programs because of their lack of interest (Abril, 2019). Yet, perspectives of low SES and high-achieving music students have been minimally investigated (Baranski, 2011; Boon, 2014). The purpose of this study is to explore perspectives of violin students who come from a Title-I elementary school (Central Strings) and who are now receiving scholarship to attend a major pre-college strings program (Youth Midwest Strings). The research questions explored why students decided to pursue advanced violin learning in a tuition-based program, the benefits of music instruction, and the differences between music programs comprised of students with contrasting SES. Five students, ages 9 to 13, and four of their parents were interviewed. The results indicated that students joined YMS after receiving social and financial support, and they perceived music both as their future profession and as an activity that positively impacts their knowledge and social relationships. Participants also recognized structural, pedagogical, social, and psychological differences between Central Strings and Youth Midwest Strings. Additionally, results suggest that string programs centering on traditional Western classical music repertoire can enable students from Title-I schools to have meaningful engagement with music-related activities and encourage classical music to be a major influence on their lives.
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    An experimental study of student performance and practice efficacy among secondary instrumental students in Indiana
    (Indiana University, 2019-12-09) Greenwood, Nathan
    Self-efficacy plays a powerful role in the time a student spends with their instrument, the goals they set, and the amount of effort they are willing to expend to improve (Bandura, 1994). Enactive attainment, or personal experiences, may factor heavily in an individual’s musical self-efficacy (Zelenak, 2015), and therefore efforts should be made to foster positive musical experiences. Previous studies suggest that providing a practice aid may increase the amount of self-regulated practice strategies used by an individual which could lead to performance achievement (Cremaschi, 2012; Kim, 2009; Rohwer & Polk, 2006). For this reason, the goal of this study was to examine the effects of a structured practice journal on middle school string orchestra students’ self-efficacy for self-regulation and self-efficacy for performance. Using a pre-posttest design, participants (N = 52) provided ratings of self-efficacy beliefs for self-regulation, beliefs for performance, an d the frequency of use for specific practice strategies. Participants were assigned to a control group (n = 27) and an experimental condition (n = 25) which involved using a researcher designed digital practice journal. Findings from this study support several other extant studies concerned with self-regulation in music learning and its relationship to self-efficacy (Duke, Simmons, Cash, 2009; Meider & Bugos, 2017; Miksza, 2007; Miksza, 2015; Pike, 2016; Rohwer & Polk, 2006). The findings of this study suggest that a structured practice journal may be an effective way to help young students set proximal personal and musical goals, and have access to and use more self-regulatory practice structures and analytical practice strategies.
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    A comparison of teacher preparation, resources, and students' continued college music study between urban and non-urban high school band programs in Tennessee
    (Indiana University, 2019-07-18) Edmonds, Charlie S.
    The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of high school band directors’ preservice preparation for teaching in urban schools, as well as determine what disparities exist between band program resources in urban schools and non-urban schools. Participants (N = 27) were high school band directors in West, Middle, and East Tennessee who completed a researcher-designed questionnaire. The researcher collected information on the inclusion of topics on teaching minority students and low SES students, directors’ perspectives on teaching minority students and creating culturally relevant instruction, and band program resources that promote student success. To measure student success, data were correlated with the number of music majors that had come from the high school band programs in the past three years. Results showed that the majority of band directors (93%) never or very rarely had topics included on teaching minority students in their undergraduate coursework, and 59% very rarely had topics included on teaching students from low socio-economic backgrounds. Most participants (70%) did not feel prepared to teach in urban schools, but were generally comfortable creating instruction relevant to the interests of minority students. Band resources by program demographics were unequal. Significant findings showed that band programs with fewer minority students had more students taking private lessons, more participation in ensembles outside of school, higher parental involvement in fundraising, more supplemental instructors, and received more student teachers than band programs with higher percentages of minority students. Band programs with more minority students had more students using school-owned instruments. Significant findings also showed that band programs with lower percentages of minority students had more students become music majors after high school.
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    String music educators' use of adaptive teaching strategies for students with disabilities
    (Indiana University, 2019-05-15) Walker, Bianca Alexandria
    This descriptive research study was designed to collect strategies used by string music educators when they teach students with disabilities. The study was guided by four research questions. They were: (1) What type of training (if any) are string teachers given in preparation of working with students that have disabilities? (2) What strategies are effective for facilitating music learning to students with disabilities? (3a) What strategies are effective when teaching instrument posture/position, right-hand and left-hand skills to students with disabilities? (3b) Are these strategies newly developed, existing approaches, or adaptations of existing strategies? (4) How are instructional strategies modified when teaching students with disabilities? A questionnaire was distributed to 153 string music educators in a Midwest state, 45 questionnaires were returned giving the study a response rate of 29%. Descriptive statistics and informal analysis of free-responses were used to analyze the data. This study reinforced the use of the following four strategies: color coding, peer assistance, rote learning, and the use of a routine when working with students that have disabilities. Regarding string specific strategies, the use of tools (such as touch points or pinky houses), shifting earlier in the curriculum, and adjusting the weight of the bow and instrument were all noted as being helpful for the students with disabilities.
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    An examination of one-to-one technology applications and pedagogical strategies in a middle school music program
    (Indiana University, 2019-05-08) McCready, Loren
    One-to-one computing programs, in which every student in a school is issued a device (e.g., iPad, Chromebook), are rapidly becoming ubiquitous within many educational environments. The technological resources that one-to-one programs provide afford teachers a multitude of opportunities to implement innovative pedagogical approaches in their classrooms and adopt more student-centered practices. The purpose of this single case study was to identify uses of one-to-one technology in an exemplary middle school music setting. The participant taught sixth, seventh, and eighth grade band classes in addition to a seventh grade general music course. He was selected on account of his extensive integration of technology within his classroom. The study examined the variety of digital tools and resources he utilized and their pedagogical applications. Data were generated through two interviews with the participant, observations of seven class periods, and collection of digital ar tifacts. The participant demonstrated substantial use of technology in his instruction, and his students regularly applied their one-to-one devices in the music-making process. Analysis of the data revealed that the teacher used technology to assess students, differentiate instruction, increase student engagement, encourage musical creativity, support autonomous learning, and collaborate with colleagues. This was accomplished using a variety of applications, such as Canvas, GarageBand, Google Slides, Notability, TonalEnergy Tuner, and YouTube. Each of the applications served a clear pedagogical purpose and helped the participant reach his goals and objectives in each of the observed lessons. The participant expressed that the school’s one-to-one technology program has enhanced his teaching approaches and has expanded curricular possibilities within the music program.
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    The effect of interpretive musical decisions and listening medium on audience interest
    (Indiana University, 2017-07-25) Engelbert, Briana
    The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of soloist interpretive musical decisions and listening medium (live and recorded mediums) on audience interest. All participants were currently enrolled at a large Midwest research university at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including 26 collegiate music majors (ages 18-33, median = 24; female, n = 10; male, n = 16). Placed in either a live listening setting or a recorded (audio and visual) setting, participant manipulated PADs (Perception Analyzer Dials) to report interest while listening to a piece of music and reported their degree of positive and negative affects using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). The performer, who is also the author of this study, strategically chose a Theme and Variation piece to perform musical device manipulations. In preparation, as well as the subsequent performance of a solo piece, statements and repetitions of the same melodic material were assigned to serve as control sections and manipulated sections, respectively. Musical devices of tempo, dynamics, and gestural movement were manipulated, one for each selection of music. The participants completed two questionnaires in the main study, one prior to listening to the musical performance and one after listening. Results showed a significant decrease in mean negative-affect PANAS scores following both live and recorded listening settings. Additionally, the live listening setting produced significantly higher mean interest ratings than the recorded listening setting.
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    I and thou: a holistic investigation of college music performance majors' relationships with their instruments
    (Indiana University, 2017-07-05) Lysaker, Mercedes Yvonne
    The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between musician and instrument among musicians who are undergraduate students at a high-performing university school of music and who have experienced some degree of success on their instruments. In the context of semi-structured interviews, five freshman and sophomore music performance students explored issues relating to their relationships with their instruments and constructed a narrative of their musical life. Themes across participants included thinking of the instrument as more of a person than an object, being dynamic and changing over time, as well as having a personality and limitations. The musician-instrument relationship also appeared to be related to the development of an instrument-specific identity (e.g. “violinist”) and factored into how the musicians perceived connection with the audience during performance.
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    The effect of self-evaluation, self-recording along with self-listening, and modeling on 2nd graders' melodic singing accuracy
    (2017-05-02) Fixmer, Dylan D.
    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of self-evaluation, self-recording along with self-listening, and modeling on second graders’ melodic singing accuracy. Pre- and post-treatment singing voice data were collected from 48 second grade children from two schools in southern Indiana, who were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups or a control group. Results indicated that children in the treatment group involving self- and model- listening improved in melodic singing accuracy whereas participants who only self-listened made no improvement and participants in the control group performed worse. Results suggested that children may benefit from the use of self- and model-listening, as well as use of self-listening as part of the self-evaluation process.
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    Music practice habits: teacher, parent, and student perspectives
    (2016-08-31) Harris, Jessica C., 1983-
    Music Practice Habits: Teacher, Parent, and Student Perspectives describes a research study that took place at Private Music Academy in Bloomington, Indiana. Participants were piano teachers, their students, and their students’ parents. The goal of this study was to better understand current student practice attitudes, strategies, and habits. In addition, the communication between these three groups of individuals was researched. The study was carried out via an online survey, and participants filled out the survey in June and July 2016. There were 10 teacher participants, 42 parent participants, and 35 student participants. Data were analyzed in July and August 2016. Six research questions were addressed. What are students' reported practice habits and strategies, and how do they relate to teachers’ reported practice advice? What do parents report regarding student practice habits and teacher communication regarding practice advice? Do parents’ reports corroborate what students report? What do teachers report they communicate to parents and students with regard to practice expectations and parental involvement in practice? Do parents’ and students’ reports corroborate what teachers report? Based on students’ reported practice habits, do students become more self-regulated as they advance in years of piano study? In general, students reported relatively good practice habits, in terms of sessions per week and minutes per day. There were 16 specific practice strategies listed in the survey, and 15 of the 16 listed strategies were identified by at least half of the 10 teachers surveyed. Although to different degrees, both teachers and students indicated the use of self-regulatory strategies. Parent reports were generally consistent with student reports about student practice habits. However, it appears that there could be improved communication between parents and teachers regarding practice advice. For student reports on practice sessions per week and minutes per practice session, parents’ reports did indeed corroborate student reports. Parents and students were also consistent when asked whether teachers required students to fill out practice reports/logs. However, when asked about teacher involvement in practice, there were some discrepancies. Teachers and students at Private Music Academy seem to be communicating well with regard to practice strategies, especially those strategies that emphasis self-regulatory behavior. However, with regard to practice expectations, there were some discrepancies between teacher, student, and parent reports. Similarly, students and parents were not in agreement about teachers’ communication of practice expectations to parents. Also, teachers and parents do not seem to be communicating effectively. Teachers and students seem to communicate well regarding whether practice logs are required. However, students and teachers are not communicating well regarding practice time expectations. Students were found to have more practice sessions per week as they advanced in number of months/years of piano study. Based on the findings of this study, it might be beneficial for teachers to reevaluate their means and methods for communication with both students and parents. Another possible practical implication would be for teachers to provide students with more possible practice strategies. Another potential practical implication is that self-regulatory practice habits could be encouraged by teachers. It would be interesting to survey students on what they do with their teachers’ advice on self-regulatory strategies, because in this study, only students’ reports of teachers’ communication of self-regulatory practice strategies and teachers’ reports of what they communicate to students were surveyed. As this study was more interested in getting a broad overview of current practice conditions, it might be interesting to select one family or one teacher and his or her students and their families in order to carry out a case study. In conclusion, this study has generated a general overview of the current state of practice communication and strategies of Private Music Academy.
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    The prevalence of playing-related injuries in collegiate violinists and the physical, emotional, and mental effects of ELDOA
    (2016-07-13) Clement, Anna (Anna Louise)
    This exploratory study was designed to investigate the effects of ELDOA (Etirements Longitudinaux avec Decoaptation Osteo-Articulaire), an exercise series designed by osteopath Guy Voyer, on the perceived pain of collegiate violinists. The researcher created a pre-survey and a post-survey based off of previous surveys constructed by Kuorinka, B et al. (1987); Abréu-Ramos and Micheo (2007); Britsch (2005); Cooper, Hamann and Frost (2012); Fishbein, Middlestadt, Ottati, Straus, and Ellis (1988); Guptill and Zaza (2010); Russell (2006); Rardin (2007); Russell and Bendetto (2014); and Kreutz, Ginsborg, and Williamon (2009). Sixteen graduate and undergraduate students ranging from ages 18 to 23 participated in the study during the spring semester of the 2014-2015 academic school year. After completing the pre-survey participants were required to attend at least eight ELDOA classes which are funded by Project Jumpstart at Indiana University’s the Jacobs School of Music. Once a minimum of eight classes were complete the participants filled out a post-survey. The pre- and post-survey analysis identified that pain was most prevalent in the upper left side of the body. Students were affected not only physically but emotionally and mentally. Themes that emerged included increased flexibility, increased range of motion, lessened anxiety, and release of physical tension.