Music Education Research Research Articles

Feedback in augmented and virtual reality piano tutoring systems: a mini review

Researchers in music education are exploring the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to support piano instruction. Beginner piano students tend to receive short, infrequent lessons, which they practice on their own. This lack of instructor feedback creates opportunities for students to develop improper technique. Current strategies for using AR and VR to guide solo practice use moving shapes to help students to identify what notes to play. Improvements in commercial AR/VR technology will be needed to provide more detailed real-time feedback.

Interdisciplinary Studies in Music Research the Substance of Study and Implications of Fine Arts, Mathematics, and Philosophy

Interdisciplinary studies in music education research can integrate various disciplines that can help enrich the understanding of fine arts, mathematics, and philosophy. In terms of fine arts, this approach can help students understand the relationship between fine arts and music to enrich their experience in understanding and producing works of art. In terms of mathematics, mathematical elements found in music theory can be applied in music education, so that students can understand how mathematical principles can be applied in the arts. In terms of philosophy, an understanding of ontology, epistemology as well as axiology can help students consider the meaning and value of musical artworks. Interdisciplinary study in music research implies that students can gain a richer and more multidimensional learning experience, and develop skills and understanding that are holistic and beneficial to their future lives.

Ethical Criteria in Research in Music Education in Brazil

Ethical Criteria in Research in Music Education in Brazil

Music education research special issue: posthuman perspectives for music education

"Music education research special issue: posthuman perspectives for music education." Music Education Research, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), p. 1

Sing by Ear project: multiple-case studies of popular music education in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT This study explores the impacts of popular music education in classroom practices from different aspects such as learning by ear, motivation, musicianship, peer learning and creativity. The Sing by Ear approach was created based on the concepts of informal learning in singing a cappella. A total of 323 participants aged 11–14 were invited to participate in the 3-month project. Students learnt to sing cover songs by ear in an a cappella setting instead of reading music notations. The result from the case studies showed that students gained positive experiences in musicianship, peer-learning and peer-teaching, confidence and satisfaction, and creativity following the project. A pedagogical model was proposed based on the literature and findings in the study to inform the research and practice in popular music education for teachers and researchers.

Technological Diversification of Music Education: Views of Contemporary Foreign Researchers

The purpose of the article is to trace the main changes in modern scientific research of music education, taking into account its technological and informational diversification. The research methodology involves the complex use of a number of methods and approaches integrated from art history, pedagogy, informatics, and other sciences. General scientific research methods are also used, in particular analysis, synthesis, system, and generalisation. Methods of processing textual information, bibliographic method and content analysis of scientific information resources are significant. The scientific novelty consists in drawing attention to the reorientation of music education research as an important component model of the modern concept of intellectual education in an interdisciplinary direction based on technological developments. Conclusions. Traditional music education is gradually giving way to various new types of learning involving information technologies – digital devices, computer games, virtual reality, various simulations and network learning platforms, artificial intelligence, automatic control systems, and applications. Thus, the latest technologies break the traditional model of music education, contribute to its development and expand human opportunities for acquiring quality knowledge. In addition, the involvement of the latest technologies in the learning process requires changes not only in the content, methods, and process of learning, but also in the very theory of music education. In general, all these processes improve the quality of music education and ensure its sustainable development within the latest progressive concepts. Therefore, it is not surprising that based on the analysis of a number of foreign publications of modern researchers the following conclusion can be drawn: most of the research on music education is aimed to understand how to combine traditional learning with modern technological achievements, in particular, informational ones. This, in particular, refers to the understanding of the need to conceptualise a number of concepts of modern music education along the lines of interdisciplinary research traditions, including those mediated by the significant influence of informational and technical disciplines.
 Key words: music education, learning, teaching, information and digital technologies, virtual reality, artificial intelligence.

“Om”: Singing Vedic Philosophy for Music Education

Abstract: Extending a nascent line of Asian philosophical research in music education, we mine Indian philosophies of music and education. Three key questions guide our project: What are Vedic philosophies of music? What are Vedic philosophies of education? Taken together, what insights can we draw for contemporary music education writ large? To address our questions, we analyze key passages from the Upanishads and synthesize ideas from these texts. A quartet of inter-related ideas emerge from our analysis: the guru , the shishya, vidya , and moksha . In brief, the guru (teacher) is revered as one would god, for it is the teacher who leads the shishya (student) toward vidya (knowledge) and through that toward moksha (liberation of the soul), which can also be attained via making music, such as the singing of Om (the absolute sound). In addition to proffering insights for contemporary music education, particularly in terms of how the ancient Vedic guru-shishya parampara adds nuance to contemporary discussions on the master-apprentice model of music education, we imagine how music education philosophy might look like if it were to be sung.

Musical Futures and Irish primary schools: an investigation into the impact of informal learning and non-formal teaching on music education

ABSTRACT Musical Futures is an approach to music education grounded in the principles of informal learning. Research has shown that Musical Futures has profoundly impacted teaching and learning in music, pupil engagement and educational strategies for music (Green, Lucy. 2002. How Popular Musicians Learn: A Way Ahead for Music Education. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2008b). This paper presents changes in music teaching and learning using Musical Futures approaches conducted in six primary schools in the Republic of Ireland. Using Participatory Action Research, teachers (n = 7) and students (n = 137) engaged with Musical Futures from a period of ten to thirty weeks. Data collection instruments included: pre- and post-engagement semi-structured interviews with generalist teachers; focus group interviews with students; lesson observations; video recordings of lessons; researcher journaling; and teacher reflective notes. Building on the pilot study conducted in Ireland by (Moore, Gwen. 2019. “Musical Futures in Ireland: Findings from a Pilot Study in Primary and Secondary Schools.” Music Education Research 21 (3): 243–256.), no study has examined the potential of the approach in this manner within the Irish primary context. Shifts in practice in music teaching and learning are examined from the teacher and student perspectives respectively, with findings indicating changes in the ownership of learning; assessment practices in music; and musical and extra-musical skill development. This paper proffers new perspectives into music teaching and learning, furthering the understanding of, and enhancing practice within the Irish primary generalist context.

Reflections on didactical thinking in music education: Insights through the comparison of two german didactical concepts

The term “Didaktik” is very typical for German music education scholars. Nevertheless, different meanings of the concept “Didaktik” can be found in music education research. It can mean the “analysis of lessons” and be based on theories from Educational Psychology or it also can mean “theory and praxis of teaching and learning”. Since teaching exists in other countries without referring to this construct, we ask, “Why is Didaktik helpful?” We will discuss this topic by looking at two of the most prominent concepts of “Didaktik” currently being advocated in the domain of music education in Germany. We will present two fictitious music lessons that follow these didactic concepts in an idealised form. One lesson is based on the concept of “Produktionsdidaktik” which aims at musical aesthetic experiences (Rolle 1999; Wallbaum 2009, 2000). The other lesson follows the concept called “Aufbauender Musikunterricht” (AMU), which focuses especially on verifiable competence development. Both lessons have the same topic. The differences between the two lessons in terms of musical approaches, methodology or the role of the teacher are discussed. They make the effects of didactical thinking visible.

Listening with 'Big Ears': Accountability in cross-cultural music education research with Indigenous partners.

In this theoretical article, I examine various conceptions of focused listening-including those held by specific First Nations communities-to determine how each conception might offer insights for listening while conducting cross-cultural music education research. First, I discuss the notion of "Big Ears," as it is understood by the jazz community. Then, I turn to scholars from various First Nations in British Columbia to learn about their conceptions of listening. I outline decolonial listening strategies as proposed by Indigenous Arts scholar Dylan Robinson, before learning about the role of listening from a settler-Canadian who formally Witnessed the testimonies of Indigenous residential school survivors over a period of years while working for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. I examine the writings of music education researchers who have proposed listening as an important strategy in cross-cultural/intercultural pedagogy and research, albeit in different circumstances and for different reasons. Finally, I describe/reflect on my process of learning to listen cross-culturally as a settler-Canadian music education researcher engaged in community-based participatory research (CBPR) over the course of three studies, and list some of the ongoing questions I have. I conclude by proposing a revised understanding of Listening with "Big Ears" as one possible way for non-Indigenous researchers using a CBPR approach to enhance their application of Indigenist research methodology, especially in demonstrating their accountability to Indigenous co-researchers, participants, and communities, as they engage collaboratively in music education research.

Outstanding Dissertation Award

Research Article| January 01 2023 Outstanding Dissertation Award Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education (2023) (235): 80. https://doi.org/10.5406/21627223.235.05 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Outstanding Dissertation Award. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education 1 January 2023; (235): 80. doi: https://doi.org/10.5406/21627223.235.05 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All Scholarly Publishing CollectiveUniversity of Illinois PressBulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education Search Advanced Search The Council for Research in Music Education is pleased to announce the recipients of the Outstanding Dissertation Award for 2020–2021.Twenty-one dissertations were nominated before undergoing review by members of the Council for Research in Music Education and other scholars. Reviewers were asked to consider how each dissertation: Advanced overarching values of music education, broadly defined;Employed rigorous and/or innovative methodologies;Integrated research and theory grounded in a variety of intellectual traditions; andOffered insightful implications for improving practice or forwarding theoretical constructs.Kelly BylicaThe University of Western OntarioCritical Border Crossing: Exploring Positionalities Through Soundscape Composition and Critical ReflectionPatrick K. Schmidt, AdvisorLaurel ForshawUniversity of TorontoEngaging Indigenous Voices in the Academy: Indigenizing Music in Canadian UniversitiesLori-Anne Dolloff, AdvisorThank you to Council for Research in Music Education researchers who served on review panels and to Karen Blackall for her invaluable assistance with this project.... You do not currently have access to this content.

String Music Education Research: A Content Analysis of Peer-Reviewed Journals From 1990–2021

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify trends in string research published in peer-reviewed music education research journals between 1990 and 2021. String education research was defined as scholarly articles in which the purpose of the article pertained specifically to string education and/or at least 33% of the participants played bowed stringed instruments. Peer-reviewed journals were determined based on Hamann and Lucas's (1998) list of top-tier journals, Farmer and Kloss's (2022) quasi-replication of that study, a 2006 list compiled by a music education researcher, and an informal survey of music education faculty at a large midwestern university. The resulting list included the Journal of Research in Music Education, Psychology of Music, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Music Education Research, International Journal of Music Education, Research Studies in Music Education, Philosophy of Music Education Review, Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, and String Research Journal.For each journal issue, the researchers counted the total number of scholarly articles (N = 4,727) and the total number of string education research articles (n = 276). String education articles represented less than 6% of the total scholarly articles, or less than 5% without the String Research Journal. The method, instruments, participants, and topic of each string article were also recorded. Descriptive research methods were used most frequently, strings and violin were the most frequent instrument categories studied, university students were the most studied participant population, and musical training and skills was the most frequently investigated topic.

Embodying Dynamical Systems in Music Performance

The present contribution introduces a theoretical framework to explore music performance from a perspective inspired by the conceptual resources of two orientations known as Dynamical System Theory and Embodied Cognitive Science. We discursively elaborate on how music performance might be conceived of as a complex, multi-component system that deals with evolving patterns of stability and instability, and examine how a combination of cognitive, motor, and affective skills stands at the heart of the performer’s capacity to optimize their performance. In doing so, we consider how musicians often generate different interpretative “hypotheses” with little or no pre-planning and use their body to selectively navigate the range of possibilities such hypotheses entail. In conclusion, the relevance of this perspective is discussed in relation to current research in music performance and music education to outline continuities and differences between the two domains.

Editorial, Vol. 3 (2022)

The third volume of Nordic Research in Music Education encapsulates five articles, all published during the autumn of 2022. Directly or indirectly, the articles address issues of power, hegemonies, and the place and treatment of marginalised groups in music education contexts. Several articles in this issue address attempts at expanding the domains of music education research, and demonstrate in multiple ways how innovative research may contribute to overcoming limitations for learning and engaging with music.

Learning Analytics and Higher Music Education: Perspectives and Challenges

Continually monitoring student learning, improving tutoring, predicting academic risks such as performance drops or dropouts, assessing more objectively or understanding the behavior of student groups are some of the tasks that have been beyond the reach of music teachers. The current technology of massive data processing (Big Data) and its analysis (Learning Analytics-LA) allows to achieve these goals with relative ease. The possibility of extracting individual behavior patterns facilitates attention to diversity, reduces school dropout and failure, and opens the possibility of implementing new educational strategies. The phenomenon of data-based education has led to different types of studies. This paper reflects on three trends or fundamental perspectives in the use of the collection of massive information applied to learning and teaching. We offer an overview of research and applications of Learning Analytics specifically in the field of music education, as well as a reflection on its possible practical uses in higher music education in conservatories. For this purpose, we discuss some practical examples of how this technological methodology could be incorporated into music and music education research, and its influence on possible new educational paradigms that lead to innovation on teaching-learning process through new technological resources.

Teachers’ conceptions of music teaching: A systematic literature review 2010-2020

This article provides an overview of research in music education between 2010 and 2020 and affords a systematic review of literature related to the experiences of teachers in teaching music in the classroom. The literature reports that music teaching depends mostly on the teacher, who must employ teaching-learning strategies according to the initial training received and the different educational contexts of professional practice. The article has the objective of analyzing the teaching practices that teachers deploy in the regular classroom of primary and secondary education. Bibliographic information was collected from the Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCO databases. The inclusion of studies was based on having the elements of the search strategy and the selection process through inclusion criteria according to the stated objective. There were 21 selected articles. The results indicate that musical interventions by teachers in the classroom depends on some factors: i) Socioeconomic context of the educational institution; ii) Educational policies, initial teacher training; and iii) Insufficient support for this discipline. The conclusion according to the teachers’ perceptions indicate that music teaching depends on the purposes of the educational institution, the professional development of the teacher, and the teacher's preparation in the management of musical content and teaching skills.

What music teacher will I be? A case study on the teaching philosophies of last-year pre-service Swedish music teachers

Written teaching philosophies are a common part of applications for music teaching positions. However, their contents are not commonly addressed in the music-education research literature. At the present study, I aim to explore the beliefs in practicing the profession as expressed in those statements and based on the case of last-year pre-service music teachers at a Swedish university. The results showed four different areas of concern: methodology-related, self-related, curriculum-related and student-related aspects. Furthermore, I discuss the impossibility to classify the underlying philosophies within the traditional ones in music education and the implications for the professional world.

Do we all have to be “leftists”? A dialogue about antagonism and agonism in music education research

In this article, the tension between diversity and uniformity in our music education research communities is discussed as it relates to Thomas Piketty’s research on elites and shifting political leanings, Francis Fukuyama’s and Judith Butler’s reflections on identity politics, and Chantal Mouffe’s critical discussion of an antagonistic way of thinking, in which opponents are not defined politically but, rather, morally. We must establish an agonistic public sphere, Mouffe argues, a political sphere characterised by fights in which different political projects confront one another, accepting the fact that identity is relational. The article is the result of a series of ongoing dialogues between the authors and offered as an attempt at agonistic turn-taking that clearly identifies the two voices involved and their respective views.

Unobserved Potential: Latent Variables and Music Education Research

AbstractThis article describes several latent variable approaches that can support rigorous quantitative inquiry in music education. I provide a definition of latent variables, list several advantages associated with their use for the measurement of constructs, and review three types of latent variables featuring utility for music education scholars: factor models, item response models, and latent class (mixture) models. Each type of model is illustrated with exemplar studies from music education literature. In addition, I report the results of a systematic analysis of latent variables’ use in published music education research. Over the past decade, latent variables were used in only 14.29% of the quantitative research reports in two prominent journals: the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education and the Journal of Research in Music Education. The majority of these latent variable applications (80.56%) were factor models; however, there are myriad additional possibilities. While not appropriate for every study, latent variable models have as-yet unrealized potential to improve the richness and rigor in nearly all areas of music education research.

Sanism and Narrative Research: Making Room for Mad Stories

AbstractThis article considers challenges and possibilities that narrative researchers in music education might encounter when attempting to recount stories of Madness. Narrative restorying often follows a three-dimensional space structure that includes the commonplaces of temporality, sociality, and place (Clandinin, 2016; Clandinin et al., 2016; Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). Mad stories, however, do not easily restory into this structure. I center my own experiences of being bipolar to explore how such experiences particularly disrupt dimensions of temporality and sociality and assert that narrative researchers might learn to make room for Madness when telling stories. Moreover, I reflect on the impact of sanism—the oppression that Mad people experience—on Mad stories. In considering how narrative researchers might make space for Mad stories, I offer an expanded four-dimensional narrative structure alongside critical storytelling and draw upon the work of Patricia O'Toole (1994) and Roberta Lamb (1993–1994) to explore how researchers might represent such stories.