Extracurricular Music Activities Research Articles

National musical creativity in extracurricular activities

In the work we consider representation of national musical creativity in extracurricular musical activities which consist of: school choir, school orchestra and free musical activities. Recommended contents for extracurricular musical activities, which are contained in Ordinance on the curriculum for junior school children of primary education, indicate that our national musical tradition is presented enough, while its practical realization often depends on the environment in which the school is located, material resources of the school and determination of school staff for its successful realization.

How learning a musical instrument affects the development of skills

Despite numerous studies on skill development, we know little about the effects of extracurricular music activities on cognitive and non-cognitive skills. This study examines how music training during childhood and youth affects the development of cognitive skills, school grades, personality, time use and ambition using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). Our findings suggest that adolescents with music training have better school grades, are more conscientious, open and ambitious. These effects are stronger among adolescents from lower socio-economic status. In order to address the non-random selection into playing music, we take into account detailed information on the child and its parents, which may determine both the decision to pursue music lessons and educational outcomes. While lacking truly exogenous variations in music activities, our results are robust to a large range of sensitivity tests. We thereby approach causality better than previous observational studies.

What do mothers say? Korean mothers' perceptions of children's participation in extra-curricular musical activities

A recent study of Korean middle-class mothers' perceptions and parenting practices associated with children's participation in musical activities reported unique forms of musical parenting, which closely correspond with previous studies of concerted cultivation in Western middle-class families. Are these unique patterns exclusive to middle-class families? This study aims to explore typical Korean mothers' general perceptions and parenting practices regarding their children's participation in extra-curricular musical activities. In addition, this study also looks at how their perceptions and musical parenting practices differ from those of Korean middle-class mothers. Fourteen Korean mothers, whose children (aged 5 to 15) were engaged in some type of musical activities, participated in in-depth telephone interviews that explored their beliefs, expectations and parenting practices regarding their children's musical activities. Findings, analysed through the lens of concerted cultivation, revealed that most mothers had strong beliefs about the values and significance of their children's musical engagement. However, in spite of the mothers' strong beliefs and their active support, the extent to which mothers supported their children's extra-curricular musical activities varied considerably, depending on their socio-economic status, and some other prominent characteristics (e.g. high competitiveness, musical involvement as a way to reinforce their social status) shared by Korean middle-class mothers did not emerge in the current study.

Creativity and personality in classical, jazz and folk musicians

The music genre of jazz is commonly associated with creativity. However, this association has hardly been formally tested. Therefore, this study aimed at examining whether jazz musicians actually differ in creativity and personality from musicians of other music genres. We compared students of classical music, jazz music, and folk music with respect to their musical activities, psychometric creativity and different aspects of personality. In line with expectations, jazz musicians are more frequently engaged in extracurricular musical activities, and also complete a higher number of creative musical achievements. Additionally, jazz musicians show higher ideational creativity as measured by divergent thinking tasks, and tend to be more open to new experiences than classical musicians. This study provides first empirical evidence that jazz musicians show particularly high creativity with respect to domain-specific musical accomplishments but also in terms of domain-general indicators of divergent thinking ability that may be relevant for musical improvisation. The findings are further discussed with respect to differences in formal and informal learning approaches between music genres.

The socio-cultural and learning experiences of music students in a British university

Research into student experience in Higher Education has largely focused on students' role as learners. However, the student experience encompasses a much wider range of behaviours and beliefs than can be captured through a focus on teaching and learning alone. I report the findings of a research project which explored student experience in the music department of a British red-brick university. Music presents a particularly interesting case study given the presence of extra-curricular musical activities, the opportunity for social interaction between staff and students outside the formal context of the lecture or seminar room, and perceptions of Western art music as a form of ‘middle-class’ culture. Analysis of survey and interview data reveals the centrality of musical performance activities, and in particular the development of a performer identity, to students' experience of belonging and achievement. The influence of students' socio-economic background is also considered: social class was largely invisible to respondents within the departmental context, possibly because it is an invisible norm, within larger contemporary discourses in which social class is equated with financial difference rather than cultural difference. However, the research revealed an association between socio-economic background, term-time employment and academic achievement. The implications of these findings for teaching and learning in music in Higher Education are considered.

Extra-curricular Music Activities in Hong Kong Secondary Schools

Extra-curricular Music Activities in Hong Kong Secondary Schools

Extra-curricular Music Activities in Hong Kong Secondary Schools

This study highlights the importance of extra-curricular activities to students’ development. It reviews the phenomenon of extra-curricular activities in different countries and in Hong Kong, and discusses issues that arise. The aim of the study was to provide a profile of the provision of extra-curricular music activities in Hong Kong secondary schools, and to make recommendations for future development. A telephone survey was conducted among music teachers from 426 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Questions concerning the different types of classes and activities available were asked. Topics that emergedfor discussion included the predominance ofpiano playing amongst music teachers, few teachers play traditional Chinese instruments, issues of equality of opportunity, increased popularity of Chinese music, lack ofprovision for popular music and music technology, and the predominance of choral performance.

The Band Played On: Predicting Students' Intentions to Continue Studying Music

A model predicting student intentions to continue in a high school band program was developed and tested. Past research indicates that socioeconomic level and academic competency predict musical aptitude and achievement; these factors may also predict intentions to continue studying music or continue participating in a band program. Factors that may mediate the relation between socioeconomic level, intellectual competency, and intentions—such as students' attitudes toward the band program and their extracurricular musical activities—were also examined. Students provided information about their socioeconomic levels, current grades, attributions for performance in band class, extracurricular musical activities, and perceptions of the attitudes of their parents, band teachers, and the school toward the band program. In addition, band teachers evaluated each student's performance in band. Structural equation modeling indicated that socioeconomic level and teacher evaluations predicted intentions to continue both directly and indirectly through students' outside musical activities and through support for the program by their parents, band teachers, and the school. Implications of these findings for band instruction and suggestions for future research are presented.

Effect of Vocalization on the Sense of Pitch of Beginning Band Class Students

Studies have shown that wind instrumentalists tend to score lower on tests of aural acuity than do string players and pianists. Several explanations have been advanced to explain this deficiency among wind players. Research studies show that the students participating in both an instrumental and a vocal ensemble tend to score highest on tests of aural acuity. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effect of daily vocalization practice on the sense of pitch of students in selected beginning band classes. The experimental sample consisted of six selected beginning band classes of heterogeneous grouping. The six groups were equal in size, academic achievement, and extracurricular musical activities. A pretest of pitch discrimination and tonal memory revealed the groups were similar with respect to these abilities also. There were three control groups and three experimental groups. Instructors for the control groups were allowed to conduct their band classes as usual throughout the school year. Experimental-group instructors conducted their classes in the usual manner except to teach their students to vocalize previously designated pitches and exercises selected from the class text. A posttest given to all groups at the end of the school year revealed that: (1) Regular participation in band class resulted in improved pitch discrimination and tonal memory abilities. (2) Regular practice in vocalization during the band class had a significant effect on the sense of pitch of students in the experimental groups, who scored significantly higher on the posttest than the students in the control groups. (3) Brass and woodwind players were affected equally by the vocalization procedure. (4) Private piano study was a factor in the posttest results, especially on the test where subjects had to match musical sounds with notation. (5) Regular participation in an extracurricular vocal ensemble had little effect on posttest results.

An Evaluation of Achievement in Auditory-Visual Discrimination Resulting from Specific Types of Musical Experiences Among Junior High School Students

DURING THE SPRING SEMESTER, 1962-63, a study of the effects of ukulele and piano keyboard experiences in general music classes was conducted. The study took place in Axtell Park Junior High School, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and was conducted under a grant from the Bureau of Educational Research, University of Illinois. The purpose of the study was to determine what effects the addition of the ukulele or keyboard experiences would have on the regular activities and outcomes of the seventh-grade general music class, specifically: achievement on auditory-visual discrimination tests, in harmonic conceptualization, in better undertsanding of uses for required factual knowledge and on attitude toward general music. Three classes of seventh grade pupils were selected, based upon equality of scores on musical aptitude tests, intelligence quotient and grade average. Tests used for these scores were the Standardized Tests of Musical Intelligence by Herbert Wing and the Lorge-Thorndike test for intelligence. School records were consulted for the music grade average and the overall grade average. In addition a check was made to ascertain that the groups were comparable in number of students playing an instrument or studying piano outside of school as well as participating in extracurricular music activities within the school. Each group was taught by the same music teacher and given as nearly identical experiences in music as possible except for the portion of the period normally devoted to music reading. During this time the control group continued with normal vocal music reading experiences supplemented with instruments commonly found in the classroom-autoharps, melody bells, etc. In experimental group A each student had a ukulele while in experimental group B, three pianos were available. A minimum of two students at a time used the piano while the remainder of the class had paper keyboards. Classes consisted of approximately 30 students. The ukulele was chosen for the following reasons: it is a harmony producing instrument useful for introducing pupils to names, sounds, and functions of chords; it is inexpensive and simple to master, minimizing the factors of money and time in the average music teaching situation; it possesses high motivational qualities as it is associated with campfire songs, popular music and hero personalities that perform on it; its simplicity makes it a practical teaching tool for the average class, since no special ability is necessary for mastery. The piano was chosen for a second experimental instrument as a check on the ukulele group especially as a chord producing