Journal of Research in Music Education RSS feed -- OnlineFirst Articles

Influences on Career Choice Among Music Education Audition Candidates: A Pilot Study

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:47:37 PST

The purpose of this pilot study was to survey prospective undergraduate music education majors to learn what motivated them to aspire to a career in music education. Respondents were candidates auditioning, but not yet accepted, for music teacher preparation programs at four institutions (N = 228). Findings corroborate prior research that suggests that school music teachers and/or private lesson teachers are highly influential. This study sought to quantify the types of experiences participants had in teaching roles at the time of their college audition, supporting other research suggesting that such experiences may increase interest in a music teaching career. Recommendations include engaging music educators at all PreK–12 levels in actively recruiting and encouraging future teachers, providing private instructors and performance majors with teacher recruitment information, emphasizing earlier identification and preparation of prospective educators, and refining and continuing the work begun in this pilot study.

Effects of Familiarity With a Melody Prior to Instruction on Children's Piano Performance Accuracy

Goins Frewen, K. — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:56:57 PST

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of familiarity with the sound of a melody on children’s performance of the melody. Children in kindergarten through fourth grade (N = 97) with no previous formal instrumental instruction were taught to play a four-measure melody on a keyboard during an individual instruction session. Before learning to play the melody, half of the children listened to a model of the melody repeatedly in music class to become familiar with the music. Children’s familiarity with the melody was assessed through a melodic error identification test administered immediately before and after instruction.The results indicated that children who were familiar with the melody played significantly more correct notes than did children not familiar with the melody and that performance accuracy increased with grade level.

Selected Nonmusic Predictors of Urban Students' Decisions to Enroll and Persist in Middle School Band Programs

Kinney, D. W. — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:56:56 PST

The purpose of this study was to fit theoretical models of prediction to students’ decisions to enroll and persist in urban middle school band programs using independent variables of academic achievement, socioeconomic status (SES), family structure, mobility, ethnicity, and gender.Two models were fitted to the data using logistic regression analysis techniques. One predicted initial enrollment (i.e., sixth grade); the other predicted retention (i.e., eighth grade). Academic achievement and family structure emerged as the only significant predictors of initial enrollment decisions. Higher academically achieving students and those from two-parent or two-guardian homes were more likely to begin band instruction. Higher academically achieving students and those from two-parent or two-guardian homes also were more likely to persist in band, as were students from higher SES and females. Comparisons between models suggest slight differences in the nonmusic factors affecting initial enrollment and retention.

Perceived Pitch of Violin and Cello Vibrato Tones Among Music Majors

Geringer, J. M., MacLeod, R. B., Allen, M. L. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:59:21 PST

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived pitch of string vibrato tones. The authors used recordings of acoustic instruments (cello and violin) to provide both vibrato stimulus tones and the nonvibrato tones that listeners adjusted to match the perceived pitch of the vibrato stimuli. We were interested especially in whether there were differences in pitch perception of vibrato tones between string performers (n = 36) and music majors without string performance experience (n = 36). Both groups of music major listeners perceived the pitch of vibrato tones very near the mean frequency of the vibrato for cello and violin tones. Although means were similar, string players exhibited significantly less deviation in tuning judgments than non-string players for both violin and cello tones. Results appear consistent with earlier perceptual research as well as performance research indicating that string performers vibrate both above and below the intended pitch.