In a series of three video-recorded assignments over a 6-week period, undergraduate music education students (N = 16) enrolled in an instrumental methods course described aloud what they were thinking about as they practiced a three-note melody on a secondary brass instrument. Later, I completed a content analysis of the students' practice…

Conducting is a multifaceted and essential skill set expected of musicians from many specializations, but certainly for music educators who often fill ensemble leadership roles. For most undergraduate music majors, introductory conducting courses are their first experiences with conducting. Attending to all fundamental components of the…

There are many factors that influence the ability to play with accurate intonation, and this extending-the-discussion article provides contextual information and suggested teaching strategies for helping students develop such abilities. This Part 2 article describes a series of music activities and teaching strategies that can allow teachers to be…

Music reading is a central part of most band programs, yet research about music reading has rarely included articulation markings. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of four experimental practice conditions to a control condition on woodwind players' performance of slur, accent, and staccato markings. A secondary purpose was to…

Rote versus note beginning instrumental pedagogy has been an active topic for music educators. Traditional method books have often comprised a significant portion of beginning instrumental curricula, though content has varied and may have been based on convention. Advocates of a rote-before-note approach have recommended that singing, movement,…

A common rationale for the continued existence and support of music education in schools has been the development of skills and attitudes leading to a lifetime of music-making for all students. Therefore, the purpose of this review of literature was to examine previous research on adult participation in large ensemble (i.e., band, choir, or…

In a global society, 21st century skills are fundamental for every student. Furthermore, in today's digital world, technology is expected to be part of students' learning experiences. In the following research-to-resource article, I provide practical strategies and ideas for integrating technology into a performing ensemble program in order to…

String musicians put a high priority on ear training in order to be successful on their instruments. Research suggests that delaying music reading to teach by ear does not negatively affect sight-reading performance in the long term, may improve music literacy skills, and also may improve student perceptions of accomplishment. The pedagogy of…

Postsecondary violin instructors often implement remedial pedagogy with first-year performance/music education students to holistically nurture individual artistic goals and overall well-being. Using a qualitative multiple case study research design, 10 postsecondary violin instructors from across North America were interviewed to investigate…

Music education researchers and conducting pedagogues have identified numerous behaviors that contribute to increased verbal and nonverbal teaching effectiveness of conductors on the podium. This article is a review of literature concerning several conductor behaviors that may (a) increase the effectiveness of rehearsals, (b) enhance the…

Students pursuing college degrees in fields other than music must often take a music or arts course. Teaching these non-majors has been a traditional responsibility of college and university music departments. While experts agree that a single, widely accepted approach to teaching the non-major is unavailable, many experts concur that developing…

The purpose of this study was to determine the pitch-matching ability of high school choral students. Years of piano experience, middle school performance experience, and model were considered as variables that might affect pitch-matching ability. Gender of participants was also considered when identifying the effectiveness of each model.…

Choral experts, namely conductors and textbook authors, have long recommended separating middle and junior high school singers into all-male and all-female choirs to address the unique challenges facing young adolescents and those who teach them. However, limited research-based evidence exists on the decisions conductors and choral music educators…

Examines whether the consistent or inconsistent use of pitch labels during instruction in pitch terminology affected French kindergarten children's identification of pitch in the two chosen classes. Finds that the children who were taught one pair of terms provided significantly more correct verbal responses than did the group who learned two…

Investigates whether solo as opposed to group instruction would improve students' acquisition of rhythmic skills. Finds that individual echoing of rhythm patterns may be advantageous with regard to sight-reading performance. Maintains that it is reasonable to include solo opportunities for the echoing of rhythmic patterns by elementary school…