This study investigated primary teachers' knowledge of pronunciation instruction, and its manifestation in classroom practices in Korean EFL contexts. To this end, the questionnaire data collected from 47 teachers were quantitatively analyzed. The emerging themes from 5 teachers' interviews were qualitatively analyzed, based on content analysis.…

On 20 September 2019 in Cape Town, as part of the global protests on inaction on climate change, the African Climate Alliance submitted a memorandum of demands to South African government representatives, one of which was 'the creation of a mandatory climate-education curriculum for South Africa'. This raises the question of how this imperative…

Anthony Johnson Showalter (c. 1853-1924) was a music educator, gospel composer, publisher, and considered a pioneer in gospel music and education in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Showalter is notably mentioned in numerous texts and studies related to gospel music; however, little data has been collected regarding the…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine speech characteristics in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) before and after participation in an 11-week choral singing intervention. Speech characteristics were analyzed using an acoustic measure of vowel space area (VSA) and a standardized speech intelligibility metric. Participants…

Folkloric music and dance in Bulgaria are performed as has been for generations, but also present are innovative hybrids in text, form, and instrumentation. Historically, traditional musical activities were divided by gender with singing a priority for women and playing instruments for men. This has been rapidly changing as in so many countries,…

In Verona, Northern Italy, a music group is revalorizing a local "dialetto" ('dialect') by putting it to music. By both reviving hundred-year old songs and writing their own music and lyrics, they are widening the cultural reach that this language has and they are finding contemporary ways for people to engage with it. Unlike political…

The focus of the classroom karaoke study was to determine if singing could help Japanese EFL students improve their English pronunciation skills. Five students from a private English language school in Japan were the main participants. They ranged in age (from 20-50) as well as in English proficiency level (from beginning to advanced). After the…

This article describes a dataset on pop songs that charted on the Billboard Top 40 and/or at one or more of five radio stations, three in Chicago, Illinois, and two in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from the early 1960s through 1970. The dataset includes 5746 observations and 26 variables. In the body of the paper article, we describe how the cleaned…

Can you think of a research-supported strategy that simultaneously encourages critical and creative thinking; develops knowledge, skills, and affect; promotes meaningful connection with music; and creates lifelong learners? Problem-based learning (PBL) effectively meets and exceeds these criteria by providing an engaging opportunity for students…

Applause, an overt expression of approval from audience to performer, is one of the most common forms of audience response to live musical performances. In this study, we examined the effects of applause magnitude (high, low, or no applause) and musical style (motet or spiritual) on listeners' ratings of choral performances. A secondary area of…

The complex realities of musicians' portfolio careers highlight the need for research on musicians' wellbeing. Musicians may include community work within their portfolio such as the facilitation of singing groups for health and wellbeing. Until recently, research on these groups has focused primarily on health and wellbeing outcomes for group…

Gender identity has become a topic of much discussion, both in society and in (music) education. Researchers have explored various topics surrounding gender over the past several decades. One such study was Koza's (1993a) content analysis of choral methods textbooks and articles published between 1982 and 1992 utilising Socialist Feminist Theory…

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of four US music educators during and after a 3-week adult choir camp in South Africa. Findings reveal that the camp positively influenced music teacher understandings and practices, both during and after the exchange. Throughout the camp, participants navigated race, privilege and prejudice…

Which are the new directions in learning and teaching Modern Languages and English through literature? How can we use songs to talk about poetry in the language classroom, and how can creative writing workshops help with language teaching beyond the classroom? These are just a few questions addressed in this volume. Researchers and practitioners…

Learning to sing from notation is a complex task, and accurately performing pitches without an external reference can be particularly challenging. As such, the use of mnemonic devices to reinforce tonal relationships is a long-standing practice among musicians. Chief among these mnemonic devices are pitch syllable systems and Curwen hand signs.…