Describes study of effects of learning procedures and performance tempo on ability of 64 middle school students to perform previously learned rhythmic passages. Reviews the four learning procedures used for each rhythmic passage. Finds no evidence attributed to learning procedure but significant adverse differences if the tempo was changed from…

Gives an overview of the nine current models in multicultural music education. Discusses and critiques an intercultural, or tree, model that offers the possibility of comparison of performing and composing in a variety of styles. Explains that the tree model also suggests a way of looking at and comparing various musical cultures. (CMK)

Discusses the importance of considering individual students' learning styles when encouraging them to practice their musical instruments at home on a regular basis, focusing on how to accommodate learning style preferences related to: light; time of day; persistence; nutritional intake; furniture design; practicing in pairs or small groups;…

The purpose of this study was to investigate vibrato performance of university student and high school string players. Forty violinists and cellists performed an eight-measure passage both with and without vibrato. Analyses indicated that the mean rate of vibrato was approximately 5.5 Hz, with no significant differences between instruments or…

In this article, the author argues that in many ways, developing instrumental practice techniques is an experiment with a sample of one. Musicians must learn which methods work best for them as individuals. This starts in the earliest stages of learning a musical instrument. Teachers offer suggestions: students discover how others are practicing,…

Musicians practice to build endurance, flexibility, and dexterity. They practice to maintain good performance, to sight-read better, to memorize, and simply, to enjoy music making. There are other motivations for practice, but one, more than others, is a catalyst for consequential change in musical development--practicing to solve performance…

In this article, the author asks music educators to imagine their band students being able to identify the melody of a piece as it jumps among sections after playing it just a few times. How about recognizing harmonic modulation, or applying dynamic contrast through understanding of compositional form? While these elements may seem obvious to…

Music teachers, like their colleagues in other fields, are living through a paradoxical time in schools. Currents of change in education and society seem to pull teachers in contradictory directions. Nowhere is this flux more apparent than in curriculum. While teachers are called upon to differentiate teaching approaches to meet the diverse needs…

Why do musicians specialize in the specific instruments that they do? Research has shown effects of such factors as the perceived masculinity/femininity of instruments and musician's personality but there are little background data on other factors. The present study had two major aims. The first aim was to gather some useful background data on…

Recent research has shown that both the speed and accuracy of novel motor skills improve during sleep in a process called consolidation. Such off-line learning in the absence of practice as yet has been experimentally observed only with learners performing relatively simple tasks. In the experiment we report here, we tested whether experienced…

This article provides teaching tips and materials related to recorder lesson. Teaching Recorder in the Music Classroom, by Fred Kersten, compiles more current recorder information than any other resource. In planning instruction, the major determining factor seems to be Rote or Note. This allows instructors to take familiar repertoire that…

The purpose of the present study was to investigate aspects of vibrato performance among high school and university string players. The main questions were to determine whether students consistently initiate vibrato in an upward or downward direction and whether players vibrate continuously when performing slurs. Forty high school and university…

There are some professions in which tradition holds strong, in which one generation schools the next in the techniques of the trade. These services help us maintain some of our dearest possessions--such as an antique watch or a prized violin--with their specialized skill and delicate touch. But not all of these technicians enter the field through…

Unlikely as it might seem, a simple request from music teachers to borrow musical instruments can be the beginning of a productive teaching and learning experience for students at their school. With a set of stringed and band instruments from their local music store, every student at a given grade level can have the chance to perform on an…

The purpose of this study was to describe the current practices (band setup, musical instruction, member interactions, and challenges) of adult beginning instruction in ensemble settings. Subjects in the current study were 35 adult band/orchestra directors from 19 US states and one province. The responding directors were 24 men and 11 women…