Music Classroom Research Articles

Even better musicians: Acoustic enhancement in the music classroom

Music educators are using electronic sound reproduction and acoustic enhancement in primary and secondary schools – and are producing better musicians as a result. The development of musical ability is inherently tied to room acoustics; a supportive variable acoustic environment accelerates the ear training and critical listening skills to proficiently play or sing in an ensemble. This presentation will review findings from the past 20 years spent with these technologies in music education. How might sound reproduction be optimized for learning clarinet? How can acoustic enhancement reduce the potential for hearing loss and other playing injuries? Is a low ceiling ever beneficial in a music rehearsal space? (Hint: no – but we’ll attempt to address that, too).

Ski-hill Graph Pedagogy meter fundamentals acoustics education

Acoustics education in school music classrooms is generally approached as a study of sound as pitch frequencies, spectral analysis, and other elements of music such as rhythm, volume, and timbre. While the psychoacoustic aspects of these acoustic properties continue to inspire and educate, the musical meter is yet to be introduced as an ordinary aspect of acoustics discussions. The meter is taught as notation, time signatures and a beat grouped in a measure, even though the listener may experience a disconnect between what is experienced and what is taught and represented as meter. Combined, the meter’s psychoacoustic role during music experiences is less critical or misunderstood due to the previous lack of meter theory than tonality. Meter theorists and music educators are responding to the call for solutions (Cohn, 2020). To illustrate how meter can be understood and taught through listening to music, as psychoacoustical and mathematical from the earliest lessons, the paper provides a solution to introduce contemporary meter theory (Cohn, 2020) to beginners based on listening experiences. The report discusses the ski-hill graph as applied to meter fundamentals and provides inclusive music education; cross-cultural, multi-sensory applications demonstrate plausible benefits through an interdisciplinary approach to the meter.

Perceptions of future teachers of Therapeutic Pedagogy on an intercultural music workshop

ABSTRACT Pupils who are late entrants to the Spanish education system may require a response from Therapeutic Pedagogy. They, as children of immigrants, may have educational needs such as socio-cultural adaptation and the need for respect and non-discrimination of their culture and religion. From an intercultural approach, the music classroom could provide a scenario of coexistence based on social inclusion and cultural exchange. Based on these assumptions, the ‘Caribbean Music Workshop’ was developed within the framework of the subject ‘Physical, plastic and music education and its didactics in special educational needs’. It is a subject of the Therapeutic Pedagogy Major of the Primary Education Teacher Training Degree at the University of Valencia. With the aim of assessing the perceptions of the future Therapeutic Pedagogy teachers about the workshop, at the end of the activity the students filled in a questionnaire with their considerations about the relevance of the intervention and other benefits it could bring to the pedagogical and therapeutic work. After a mixed analysis, the results revealed that the workshop represents a valid intercultural proposal to promote the social inclusion of students who are children of immigrants, as well as to address other educational needs.

Teaching Analysis on Cultivating Students' Innovative Music Ability in Middle School Music Classroom

The Music Curriculum Standards for the Compulsory Educational stage (2022) stipulates that the core quality of music discipline mainly includes four aspects: aesthetic perception, artistic expression, cultural understanding, and creative practice. In the teaching process of high school music classrooms, more emphasis is placed on the cultivation of core competencies. In middle school music teaching, teachers should start from their core competencies, combine with the actual situation of music teaching, create a music teaching atmosphere, stimulate students' interest in music, and enable them to experience the artistic charm of music in the music classroom. To achieve this, teachers need to explore teaching methods from an innovative perspective and adopt advanced teaching methods to cultivate students' innovative abilities. To cultivate students' innovative abilities in the classroom, teachers need to change their teaching methods and concepts.

On the Gains and Losses of Multimedia-Assisted Instruction Technology in College Music Teaching Practice

Applying multimedia technology to college music teaching can directly present some abstract knowledge to students. This not only breaks the limitation of traditional teaching time and space, but also enriches the teaching content and improves the teaching quality. Therefore, it is very important to change the teaching concept, actively practice and explore, and seek a new teaching mode. This article deeply analyzes the application of multimedia in college music classroom teaching, the role and position of multimedia in music teaching, compares the advantages and limitations of multimedia technology with other educational technologies in music classroom teaching, and explains multimedia educational technology. Combined with teaching practice and courseware development, this article analyzes the application status of multimedia technology in middle schools, and demonstrates the position and role of multimedia teaching methods in music classroom from both teachers and students, so as to provide some references for the reform of music education in colleges and universities.

Supporting English Learners in Music Classrooms

This article offers music educators ideas for supporting English learners in music classrooms. Music teachers across all grade levels work with English Learners, a diverse group of students with varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In the classroom, planning specific instructional supports can increase English Learners’ participation and achievement in music. This article encourages educators to approach English learners from an assets-based perspective, creating a welcoming classroom environment that positively benefits students. With the goal of providing access to music education for all students, music teachers can become advocates for English learners in their classrooms and schools.

Harnessing the Power of Feedback to Improve Student Learning in Music

What does effective feedback look like in the music classroom? In this article, we explore a prominent perspective on feedback proposed by scholar John Hattie and his colleagues and then provide practical examples for application in music contexts. We begin by defining what feedback is and then explore what makes it effective and provide strategies for teachers to develop more effective feedback skills. Using this understanding of what makes feedback effective for learners, teachers can help students be active partners in the learning process and to achieve their goals with greater musical understanding.

The evolution of the method of ‘oral and heart-to-heart teaching’ in contemporary times: Based on the observation of Shandong opera classroom

As the main way of inheriting traditional Chinese art, oral and heart-to-heart teaching (OAHTHT) has survived in all kinds of art inheritance activities. However, the existing literature fails to provide a clear explanation of the applicability and evolution of OAHTHT in contemporary school music classrooms. This article reports on a project of ‘local opera in the classroom’ carried out in primary and secondary schools in six regions of Shandong Province from 2017 to 2020. It attempts to research the presentation and evolution of OAHTHT in contemporary music classrooms through classroom observation and semi-structured interviews with teachers and artists participating in the project. Findings show that the change in OAHTHT is not only reflected in the differences of material media, teaching space and spiritual space, but also in the relationship between ‘oral instruction’ and ‘heart to heart teaching’(Xin Chuan): from the past gradual relationship from skill to mind to parallel relationship of mutual subjects. Meanwhile, under the new OAHTHT inheritance mode, a new form of campus opera performance with children as the principal part is taking shape.

Liederkreis: Towards a Pedagogical Insight

The German term, Liederkreis, translated as a song cycle, refers to a group or cycle of individually completed songs, designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit. This paper employs a bibliographic strategy, seeking to trace the evolution of this musical genre, and determine its implication for music pedagogy, premised on the theory of contiguity. Saturated data, collected through document review, were subjected to thematic-textual analysis. Findings suggest that song cycles emerged, towards the end of the Classical period and rose to their highest point in the Romantic period, with Beethoven having the credit for pioneering the genre. The study also revealed that in Leiderkreis, key relationship is important and plays a coherent role by making the songs an organic, composite whole in a manner which could be either formal or dynamic. It was concluded that Liederkreis has rich pedagogical prospects due to its focus on the strengths, talents, abilities of every student. The study recommended deliberate and adequate use of Liederkreis in the music classroom. By doing so, students could learn to value each other’s uniqueness in strengths, abilities, and competencies thereby promoting a community of learners where music teaching and learning becomes simplistic and organic, allowing all to grow and bloom. Future research will examine the extent to which Liederkreis has been employed in various music instructional contexts.

Technology-enhanced creativity in K-12 music education: A scoping review

This scoping review addresses internationally published empirical studies on the subject of technology-enhanced creativity. The study aims to identify the types of technological tools used to enhance students’ creativity and examine how technological tools can support students’ creativity in K-12 music education. This review selected and analyzed 17 studies published from 1987 to 2022 in peer-reviewed journals using a rigorous five-stage scoping framework. Data extraction and analysis were conducted in Covidence. The results revealed eight types of technological tools used to enhance creativity in the music classroom, in which sequencer software and GarageBand were the most commonly used type of technological tools and applications respectively. Technology’s support for creativity was also discussed from the perspectives of Lubart’s four roles of computers: (a) computer as nanny, (b) computer as pen-pal, (c) computer as coach, and (d) computer as colleague. The results showed a dearth of research on how technology can become students’ partners to help them generate creative ideas. Based on the findings, this review concluded with implications and recommendations for future research.

Assessment practices in instrumental music classroom

The study aims to identify, explore, analyze and discuss assessment dimensions, strategies and tools present in the instrumental music classroom. Carried out in the context of music teachers training in Portuguese higher education, the study employed a qualitative, descriptive, and interpretative approach. The results indicate: (i) multidimensional assessment practices/strategies, (ii) the group development and discussion (student-students and teacher-student) of the evaluation process is not visible, and (iii) the non-involvement of students in the development of participatory assessment.

Retracted: Strategies of Using Multimedia Technology to Optimize Music Classroom Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools

Retracted: Strategies of Using Multimedia Technology to Optimize Music Classroom Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools

Policy influences on the inclusion of popular music in music teacher education programs

Despite the increased presence of popular music education in K-12 music classrooms and interest in the inclusion of popular musics in post-secondary music teacher preparation programs, most collegiate music schools emphasize Western art music (WAM) and replicate existing traditions. As the music industry outside the academy innovates at a dizzying pace, most university schools of music remain tightly focused on music of the past, resistant to change. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of hard policies (mandated by bodies outside the institution, particularly NASM accreditation) and soft policies (internal policies both overt and covert) on the emergence of popular music education in collegiate music programs. To better understand the perceived policy influences on the inclusion of popular musics in post-secondary music programs, we surveyed 117 music education faculty and administrators at NASM-accredited schools of music. We found that most participants believed difficulties in enacting change were due to lack of resources, hard policies such as those handed down by state lawmakers, and soft policies like longstanding institutional traditions and faculty attitudes beliefs regarding the ultimate direction of music teaching and learning in higher education. We discuss opportunities, challenges, and implications for curricular change in music teacher preparation programs.

Music Streaming in the P–12 Music Classroom: A Scoping Review

The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesize literature regarding audio streaming in the P–12 music classroom by identifying the varied uses, recommendations for equitable access, and gaps in the knowledge base. A total of 23 publications met the criteria for inclusion. Ensemble and general music classrooms in elementary, middle, and high school contexts were represented in the literature with exemplification of concepts, genres, styles, and techniques evident as the most common usage. YouTube, Spotify, and Pandora were frequently referenced as streaming platforms. Authors cited inexpensive or free platforms and ubiquity of access most frequently when referencing equity and streaming. Most authors made no reference to potential access impediments. I identified gaps in the literature, including the uses of streamed music in jazz classrooms, performer compensation, diversity of content, barriers to student access, potential solutions to equitable access issues, and music perception differences for those with limited access.

Collaborative Composition and Urban Popular Music in Digital Music Didactics

Composition is one of the facets of musical activity that allows a more effective way to interrelate theoretical and practical contents in a real context to enhance the development of creativity and collaborative work in the music classroom. Through a qualitative methodology based on participant observation, the results of several projects aimed at implementing collaborative composition in the training of music teachers at the University of Salamanca through audio production tools (DAW) as a pedagogical strategy to address basic knowledge and specific skills of the curriculum of the music subject in secondary education, are synthesized. From this perspective, this work proposes a structured and sequential model for the collaborative composition of musical productions in the field of popular urban music (with special attention to the rock style), addressing and exemplifying in a practical way issues such as the layered structure in the prototypical song of rock bands, the fundamental rhythmic bases, the harmonic function and the development of chord progressions or the creation and development of melodic lines for the voice.

Applications of Self-Determination Theory in the General Music Classroom

Student motivation is frequently an issue in general music classrooms, and many long-standing theories designed to increase motivation have the opposite effect. This article introduces Self-Determination Theory, first developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, as a theory of human motivation. A key element of Self-Determination Theory is the concept of three basic human psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This article details each need and provides suggestions for direct applications to the general music classroom. Through the fulfillment of these needs, teachers can encourage and support a students’ engagement in musical activities and personal growth.

Developing teaching strategies for rural school pupils’ concentration in the distance music classroom

Developing teaching strategies for rural school pupils’ concentration in the distance music classroom

The Importance of Developing the Child’s Sense of Touch in the Music Classroom

Sensory learning can be traced back to ancient Greek times, and the sense of touch holds multiple types of benefits for classroom music learning. Touch is also a prerequisite for children’s future intellectual and social development. Between ages three and seven, a child’s physical and perceptual development is in a formational stage. Despite challenges that can sometimes be associated with touch, for example, behavior issues, overcrowded classrooms, increased student needs related to touching, teacher liability, and spread of viral germs, tactile activities involving human touch and manipulatives can prepare students to play musical instruments, think abstractly, and achieve socioemotional competency. Human touch activities can foster self-awareness, awareness of others, and even empathy. This article examines past theories and practices involving tactile learning, discusses research findings relevant to music instruction, offers strategies and ideas for using tactile activities, and proposes a rationale for integrating tactile learning within general music instruction.

Feedback Methods in the Music Classroom: A Review of Literature

Feedback is widely recognized as an effective instructional tool. Different feedback types and the efficacy of their role in the classroom have been researched extensively because all forms of feedback are impressionable to students. Research findings have indicated ways that feedback has been implemented into the classroom successfully. In this review, I summarize previous literature on feedback according to the following themes: (a) feedback types and (b) the role of feedback in the classroom. Based on these findings, I provide suggestions for music educators and their use of feedback applicable in the classroom, studio, or rehearsal. I also give implications for further research regarding burgeoning feedback frameworks.

Brass Haptics: Comparing Virtual and Physical Trumpets in Extended Realities

Despite the benefits of learning an instrument, many students drop out early because it can be frustrating for the student, expensive for the caregiver, and loud for the household. Virtual Reality (VR) and Extended Reality (XR) offer the potential to address these challenges by simulating multiple instruments in an engaging and motivating environment through headphones. To assess the potential for commercial VR to augment musical experiences, we used standard VR implementation processes to design four virtual trumpet interfaces: camera-tracking with tracked register selection (two ways), camera-tracking with voice activation, and a controller plus a force-feedback haptic glove. To evaluate these implementations, we created a virtual music classroom that produces audio, notes, and finger pattern guides loaded from a selected Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) file. We analytically compared these implementations against physical trumpets (both acoustic and MIDI), considering features of ease of use, familiarity, playability, noise, and versatility. The physical trumpets produced the most reliable and familiar experience, and some XR benefits were considered. The camera-based methods were easy to use but lacked tactile feedback. The haptic glove provided improved tracking accuracy and haptic feedback over camera-based methods. Each method was also considered as a proof-of-concept for other instruments, real or imaginary.