This action research project examined a rural band director's attrition/retention and possible reasons for staying or leaving a position. The purpose of this case study was to describe a rural band director's experience with content-related professional development and support networks, providing access to and a process for collaboration in…

The purpose of our study was to examine how hacking -- as discussed and displayed by participants of Monthly Music Hackathon NYC -- could inform making music education practices more accessible and inclusive, if at all, for people with disabilities. Free and open to the public, Monthly Music Hackathon NYC hosts non-competitive community-based…

The theory of planned behavior (TPB) has been employed as a theoretical framework that predicts and explains an individual's intention to engage in a certain behavior. The TPB postulates that an individual's behavior is influenced by behavioral intentions, and behavioral intentions are caused by three distinct factors: attitude toward behavior,…

Incorporating surprise into music instruction can stimulate student attention, curiosity, and interest. Novelty focuses attention in the reticular activating system, increasing the potential for brain memory storage. Elementary ages are ideal for introducing novel instruments, pieces, composers, or styles of music. Young children have fewer…

Maxine Greene's (1995) concept of "wide awakeness" challenges educators to think outside routine and comfort. She asserts that morality in education depends upon educators' commitment to problematize transparent and oppressive norms by calling into question long held beliefs. Socrates referred to this process as aporia, a state of…

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate expertise-related differences in the evaluation of moment-to-moment rehearsal achievement. Nonmusic majors, music education majors, and expert music teachers (N = 60) listened to 18 "before" and "after" pairs of rehearsal trials of various high school bands in their pursuit…

For each person studying music in formal institutions in Spain, there are at least five others learning and performing in "informal" schools and settings. Choirs and "estudiantinas" or "tunas" are two examples of these informal schools found both in Ibero-America and worldwide. Their place in society and their…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenomenology of the female high school band director (FHSBD). In order to achieve a sample for regional maximum variation, one FHSBD from each county in the state of Connecticut was interviewed. After gathering data from a series of three interviews, I used Moustakas's modification of the Van Kaam…

It is astonishing to observe, listen, and co-learn with children as they engage with music to expand beyond the possible with their meaning-making abilities--immersing themselves in a hundred languages of music inspired by Loris Malaguzzi. In the current study, I examine how children in a split Grade 1/2 class explore and represent the sounds…

Music education has a long history of defending its place in the school curriculum, with practitioners and researchers alike arguing for the creative, social and cognitive benefits of music in young people's lives. Meanwhile, those who doubt the benefits of musical learning--or more likely give them very little thought--are themselves the product…

This article deconstructs some of the underlying assumptions that inform projects in Paynter and Aston's 1970 book, "Sound and Silence." Foucauldian and Deleuzian technologies of power and technologies of desire are used to frame an argument that Paynter and Aston's projects play into the fabrication of sonorous bodies and sonic selves…

This paper seeks to highlight some of the key issues of the social stigma associated with mental health-related issues, to present examples of some existing anti-stigma concepts found within mental health literature and, in turn, to begin to suggest ways in which the personal and social experience of participation within community music activities…

Improvisation is an ideal way to develop musical creativity in ensemble settings. This article describes two prominent theoretical frameworks related to improvisation. Next, based on research with developing and expert improvisers, it discusses how to sequence improvisatory activities so that students feel accomplished at every step. Finally, the…

Socioeconomic Status (SES) is defined as "the relative position of individuals, families, or groups in stratified social systems where some societal values (e.g., occupational prestige, education) are not uniformly distributed" (Bornstein & Bradley, 2003). The relationship between student achievement and SES has been a focus in…

There has been increasing interest in the educational value of outdoor learning around the world and in the United Kingdom. This is reflected in the statutory curricula of each country. At present, however, there has been little research into the potential of music-making in the outdoors. This study investigated how changing the physical location…