Research investigated how high school students conceptualize the basic Classical-Romantic values dichotomy as exemplified by various aesthetic eras, styles, and objects, and how students operate within such aesthetic-conceptual frameworks in terms of their preferences and identification-categorization abilities. (Author/AM)

Offers brief descriptions of 16 films (1936-1994)--biographies of classical composers--that are available in video format. Notes their usefulness to therapists working with special populations. (SR)

The emotion understanding of children with language impairment (LI) was examined in two studies employing emotion-recognition tasks selected to minimize reliance on language skills. Participants consisted of 43 children with LI and 43 typically developing, age-matched peers, sampled from the age ranges of 5 to 8 and 9 to 12 years. In the first…

The purpose of this action research project was to improve student vocabulary acquisition through a multisensory, direct instructional approach. The study involved three teachers and a target population of 73 students in second and seventh grade classrooms. The intervention was implemented from September through December of 2006 and analyzed in…

This study examined the effects of background classical music on silent reading in a sixth grade class, in order to determine the amount and type of influence it would have on the reader's written response to what was read. Thirty-four suburban sixth graders from two history classes were selected for this study. The data was obtained over a period…

This project explored the effects of slow tempo classical music on children's on-task performance during independent writing. The project sample consisted of 24 students from a first grade classroom in the New York City Public School System. The students' on-task behavior was observed with and without use of slow tempo classical music playing, and…

The job of college music programs is not only to teach the classics but also to teach and encourage appreciation of the relative merits of all forms and periods of music, and to teach methods of evaluating musical quality. (MSE)

Although they abandon traditional techniques and materials, today's radical composers may still be considered the logical continuation of Western classical tradition, for they retain the one thing most characteristic of Western music: self-conscious, intellectual, individualized craftsmanship. (Part of a theme issue on aspects of contemporary…

Describes the use of television commercials to teach classical music. Points out that a large number of commercials use classical selections which can serve as a starting point for introducing students to this form. Urges music educators to broaden their views and use these truncated selections to transmit our cultural heritage. (KO)

Presents the results from two meta-analyses of the Mozart Effect studies. Explains that in Christopher Chabris' meta-analyses, 16 studies with subjects (n=714) and 12 studies with subjects (n=522) were analyzed; while in the author's meta-analysis 36 studies with subjects (n=2,465) and 31 studies with subjects (n=2,089) were analyzed. (CMK)

The article describes a program which introduced classical music to 18 students in a residential treatment program for adolescents with a history of substance abuse. Use as background music progressed to students requesting tape copies for personal use and group attendance at a symphony rehearsal and concert. (DB)

Supports the use of novels in music classes to activate student interest in an unfamiliar field. Shows how "Come Sing, Jimmy Jo" (K. Paterson), "Pennington's Seventeenth Summer" (K.M. Peyton), and "Jazz Country" (N. Hentoff) can enhance music learning because characters engage in aesthetic judgment, struggle with…

Presents a series of interesting and creative learning activities designed to enhance students understanding and appreciation of classical music. Although designed to work in conjunction with a CD-ROM, most of the electronic material (music selections, scores, brief biographies) is available in libraries. Learning activities include objectives and…

Hearing causes brain cells (neurons) to connect and neural networks to form. Advanced brain-scan technology and neuroscience research reveal that when children participate in music, the brain "light[s] up like a Christmas tree" in many different areas (Parr, Radford, & Snyder 1998, cited in Isenberg & Jalongo 2001, 159). The growing neural…

In traditional reading and CARE lessons (a curriculum used to help students learn to read and identify sounds), music is not played to enhance the learning environment. However, some studies have shown that when music is played during learning experiences there is more retention of the material. This research project compared the traditional…