The voice plays a paradoxical role -- it is inclusive because everyone has one, and it is exclusive as it is used to falsely separate 'singers' and 'non-singers'. A new choral movement has emerged, with a low threshold for participation and inclusive practices, where one of the early offerings was "Everyone Can Sing" (ECS) in Norway. As…

Curious as to why conducting gesture are both acknowledged and ignored by choral singers, this article investigates the enigmatic nature of the act of conducting. Education and research are biased toward gestural aspects of the choral conductor role. At the same time, research shows that gestural skills rank strikingly low compared with other…

Based on narratives on six choral conductors' unfolding careers, the article investigates significant moments in professional trajectories -- "turning points" -- and how these shaped ongoing practices. The empirical material comprises interviews with conductors that represent different pre-conducting platforms -- musicologist, music…

This article explores taste processes within a group of musical theater students and their voice teacher, the latter also acting as researcher, while working with an aesthetically broad repertoire in a higher education setting in Norway. The study is designed using an action research approach, and the collected data--students' reflection notes,…

In this study I examined archival material relating to music lessons that aired on the "Indiana School of the Sky" during its inaugural season in the 1947-1948 school year. The "Indiana School of the Sky" was an educational radio program intended for use in the public schools and produced by Indiana University students and…

This article presents the results of a survey among rectors of schools of music and performing arts in Norway. The aim was to map the schools' offerings in terms of musical genres and related instruments and ensembles, and to determine how the availability of different genres was distributed demographically and geographically. A questionnaire…

In an attempt to bridge the gap between the distinct pedagogical strategies often employed in the respective fields of song and dance, this study investigates how collaborative teaching and dialogue can serve as a starting point in finding new teaching and learning methods. This pilot study involving three teacher-researchers and three students…

The purpose of this study was to investigate a broad range of choral conductors' views on competences needed in their own practice, and how education and experience have contributed to their current level of mastery. Choral conductors (N = 685) in Norway, Sweden, and Germany completed a survey covering 15 competence items that together constitute…

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…

Choral conducting is a complex and multi-faceted leader role. Leading music is a particular kind of leadership through the prominence of gestural communication, and it is a ubiquitous phenomenon across a variety of social settings, musical genres, and ensemble types. Despite the variety, colloquial writing as well as academic research implicitly…

This article presents results from a large-scale Norwegian study that examines the quality of early childhood education and care, using the research tool ITERS-R. Although ITERS-R consists of 39 items, this article focuses solely on results within music education in Item 18. Music and movement. According to ITERS-R, results from 206 toddler day…

This article addresses migrant children's entries into new education systems from the vantage point of musical participation. Through an ethnographic study of one Norwegian primary school, it investigates what scope for musical participation is available to newly arrived migrant children in a dedicated introductory class, and how their engagement…

This study investigated ways to improve the appraisal of vocal performances within a national academy of music. Since a criterion-based assessment framework had already been adopted, the conceptual foundation of an assessment rubric was used as a guide in an action research project. The group of teachers involved wanted to explore thinking…

In this article I discuss children's everyday uses of recorded music (such as CDs, Mp3-files) in the light of sociological notions of "children" and "childhood". The discussion provides perspectives on musical engagement and musicality that supplement perspectives within developmental psychology. The study is based on…

The intention of this article is to explore, challenge and expand our understandings of children's improvised vocalisations, a fundamentally human form of expression. Based on selected examples from observation and recording in non-institutional settings, the article outlines how this phenomenon can be understood as learning and as communication.…