This study was designed to fill a need to explore the hypothesis that students who participate in middle school bands and or chorus have higher math cognitive functioning than their non-music peers. Using the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP), this study identified specific math domains that middle school music students showed higher functioning…

The purpose of this study is to identify how common the practice of block scheduling is currently among American public middle schools. This study also determines the perspectives of choral music educators working in public middle schools with existing block schedules. More extant literature is needed to examine block scheduling practices at the…

The purpose of this study was to describe the voice change and voice part assignment of male middle school choir members. Volunteers (N = 92) were recruited from three public middle school choral programs (Grades 6-8). Participants were audio-recorded performing simple vocal tasks in order to assess vocal range and asked to share the music they…

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that may influence middle school choir directors' (MSCDs) sense of self-efficacy. Survey participants (N = 448) who were members of one of three private and active MSCD social media groups completed a questionnaire designed to elicit responses about their senses of self-efficacy and demographic…

This study explores the co-development of music theory resources for Grades 7 and 8 at the Malta School of Music using a case study methodology. The first author collaborated with learners to create and refine music theory guides, testing sample chapters in classrooms and incorporating iterative feedback. Data collection included focus group…

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact of the Curriculum Design Coherence Model (CDC Model -- Rata, 2019) on the design practice of two music teachers in a middle school music class in New Zealand. The CDC Model proposes that deep learning first requires deep design coherence. This coherence is generated by three interrelated design…

This study examines the impact of integrating Ziyang folk songs into the school music curriculum on students' musical skills and cultural appreciation. It aims to explore how traditional music can enhance student engagement, emotional intelligence, and cognitive abilities while promoting cultural preservation. A qualitative research methodology…

The purpose of this collaborative action research project was to examine eighth- and ninth-grade female (assigned at birth) students' perspectives of their singing voice when implementing a practitioner/researcher designed curriculum titled "Supporting Adolescent Female Vocal Development: Teaching Anatomy and Physiology in the Middle School…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate choral directors' experiences as they navigate Whiteness through their own personal philosophies and practices related to repertoire selection and how those lived experiences may or may not impact their students. Twelve practicing choral directors from middle school through university…

The aim of this descriptive study was to examine the values in Turkish Folk Music songs included in the elementary school music textbooks developed in line with 2018 curriculum in Turkey. In this sense, 44 folk songs included in elementary school music textbooks used in Turkey in the 2019-2020 academic year were investigated in order to reveal the…

This study use the qualitative research approach to collect a vast quantity of data via field inquiry and to classify and statistically analyze the data acquired. The objectives were to 1) examine the contemporary state of Qin'an Xiaoqu singing. 2) Analyze the inheritance of Qin'an Xiaoqu's singing. The study's findings are as follows: 1) The…

According to music educators, persistence beyond a student's initial enrollment in middle and high school music is a problem; however, there has been little research to substantiate this claim. Although several recent large-scale, longitudinal studies of initial selection into music classes have been conducted, longitudinal studies on who…

Southern United States folk music is rich in not only sound, but in voices of the past. Folk songs were created by working class individuals who described aspects of their life in connection with societal issues and events. Folk songs, now digitally archived, can serve as primary historical sources that can be used to enhance the secondary social…

Research has shown that an audience can make a great difference to a musical performance but limited research has explored this with primary school-aged children. Using an action research study, participants from a primary school choir, students in fifth and sixth class formed into a choir through a compulsory singing programme, were surveyed to…

Feedback plays an essential role in music education, helping individuals learn to consider creative works from multiple perspectives. In this article, we explore the Critical Response Process, a four-step process for engaging with artistic works in progress. Founded on the principle that both artists and responders play active roles in feedback,…