Music Program Research Articles

Movement-based music in the classroom: Investigating the effects of music programs incorporating body movement in primary school children.

Movement-based music in the classroom: Investigating the effects of music programs incorporating body movement in primary school children.

Supplemental Material for Movement-Based Music in the Classroom: Investigating the Effects of Music Programs Incorporating Body Movement in Primary School Children

Supplemental Material for Movement-Based Music in the Classroom: Investigating the Effects of Music Programs Incorporating Body Movement in Primary School Children

Creating a Benevolent World: Exploration of a Music-Based Rehabilitation Program for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals.

Many studies discuss the impact of music programs on prison inmates. However, few studies have investigated the impact of music programs on formerly incarcerated individuals (FIIs), and none of them have focused on the programs' characteristics. This phenomenological study explores the characteristics of a music-based rehabilitation program for FIIs. Five FIIs and three staff members who participated in a group music program were interviewed. The following four themes emerged: Continuity-the importance of the FIIs' previous positive acquaintance with the program while still being in prison. Egalitarian approach-the importance of the staff treating the FIIs with understanding, tolerance, non-judgmentalism, and the use of an eye-level approach. Cultural sensitivity-the staff members' sensitivity to the FIIs' different backgrounds to form a connection. Playfulness-the program's ability to break free from a "fight-or-flight" mode and experience a counter mode of playfulness. The findings are discussed through the perspective of positive criminology.

Music Playlists via FM Radio Music Programming

The online music libraries or what we can call as music streaming services have overflown their streaming platforms with hundreds and thousands of music playlist and music catalogs which has put the users in a struggle to find their best suitable music playlists according to their needs and their musical tastes. In this paper, we have aimed at designing a approach for generating playlists which suits the users musical taste. In this approach we analyze FM radio music programming, transform the songs into their audio features, and use that data to generate playlist for the users.

Implementation of Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health (MAPEH) Program and Challenges Encountered: Basis for a Proposed Action Plan

The study used the descriptive-survey method of research because it was most appropriate to use in determining the status of the MAPEH program in terms of its implementation and challenges. It used a survey-questionnaire as the main instrument to gather the data needed in the study. It involved 22 school administrators and 70 MAPEH teachers sourced from nine public junior high schools who served as respondents in the study. The data gathered were statistically treated using weighted mean, t-test, frequency count and ranking. The study generated the following findings: (1). The MAPEH program was implemented to a high extent in terms of the program’s objectives, curriculum, learning resources, teachers’ qualification, and competency, administrative support, funding, and community partnership. (2). There was no significant difference between the assessment of the two groups of respondents in the implementation of MAPEH program in terms of the aforementioned aspects. (3) The top five challenges encountered by the two groups of respondents in the implementation of the MAPEH program were: a) Fund for MAPEH program is not enough to finance its needs, b) Facilities for Music, Arts, P.E. and Health Education are not adequate c) Not all MAPEH teachers are competent in teaching all the components of the subject, d) Students’ engagement in MAPEH activities was limited in this pandemic time and e) Online instruction for MAPEH activities was difficult to carry out. (4) An action plan was proposed based on the result of the study.

Beyond the Corner: Introducing a String Music Program to Youth in Detention

Offering music programs in prisons is one way that artists may contribute to the correctional system’s rehabilitative goals. To explore the role music may play in rehabilitating youth in detention, I developed a string program at a Youth Development Center. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the outcomes of implementing the string program at the center. Eight of the program’s members, aged 13 to 17 from various cultural backgrounds, volunteered to participate in this study. Data collection included field notes and interviews with the youth and facility staff members. Results showed that the program was beneficial to students and the center. Although students learned to play string instruments, rehearse in an ensemble, and perform in public, they also reported feeling a sense of achievement and increased personal potential. In addition, students and staff members noted students’ improved communication skills, increased frustration tolerance, perseverance, and behavior regulation as a result of participating in the string program. Reported benefits to the center included pride in student success, community development within the center, the staff’s increased sense of making a difference, and positive press.

USE OF MODERN MUSIC AND COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES IN THE DISCIPLINE STUDY «CHORAL ARRANGEMENT»

Modernization of the education system of Ukraine involves changing the content of the training process for future professionals in the field of computer music. Taking into account the specifics of the training of music teachers, the approach to the choice of modern educational tools is changing. This allows us to emphasize the features of professional music education in Ukraine. The urgency of this topic is due to the widespread use of computers in modern music and pedagogical practice, a significant amount of scientific work in the field of theory of computer technology and its insufficient use in the educational and creative process of students of higher education institutions. The aim of this article is to reveal and analyze modern approaches to the use and application of music and computer technology in the study of choral arrangement and their important impact on the quality of training of future music teachers. The article describes the stages of learning that take place in the study of the discipline «Choral Arrangement» and focuses on the need to introduce innovative approaches, methods, forms and teaching aids using different types of technical means, namely: computer, synthesizer, electronic textbooks, Internet technologies and modern music and computer programs. An important place in the analytical review of the literature was occupied by published materials on the use of computer technology in music education. An analysis of the main research and publications on this issue, as well as the authors’ own observations, led to the conclusion that the use of modern music and computer technology is essential in choral arranging classes. Activation of students’ independent work in performing choral arrangements with the help of computer programs «Music Editor» and computer music programs for recording, processing and arranging choral works helps to intensify learning and interest of students in their future profession.

Music Theatre on Zoom: Significance in Integrating Virtual Performance in the Lives of Older Adults

Music Theatre on Zoom: Significance in Integrating Virtual Performance in the Lives of Older Adults Our study aims to explore the affordances of conducting research with an online choir for older adults and to examine how participant-observer experiences can inform our practices as performing musicians, music educators, and researchers. Studies show that participating in music and dance classes facilitates creativity, community, belonging, and enjoyment (Creech et al., 2013). Similarly, music enhances self-identity and reminiscing (McCabe, Greasley-Adams, & Goodson, 2013), while improvisational dance can foster a sense of expanded time and space (Almqvist, 2020). However, not enough is known about music theatre in a virtual platform and the role of participant-observers within this setting. To fill this research gap, we used a Collaborative Scholarly Personal Narrative methodology (Nash & Viray, 2013; Nash, 2019) as a means of interrogating our shared experiences as researchers on Rise, Shine, Sing!, a weekly, Kingston-based virtual music theatre program of approximately 20–30 participants. Drawing on observation reports collected over five months, we reflected upon participants’ levels and patterns of engagement, the choice of repertoire, and possible areas for improvement. We also reflected upon the advantages and disadvantages of conducting sessions online as opposed to in-person. Through a process of individual and shared inquiry, our findings revealed that building a sense of community led to increased engagement, with participants becoming more comfortable sharing their talents and conversing with others. Furthermore, our experiences with this online community of researchers and participants allowed for new forms of engagement and programming which will likely benefit our professional practices in significant and exciting ways.

Sonic Ecologies

Sonic Ecologies

Proses Produksi Program Podcast Berbasis Audio-Visual sebagai Media Penyebaran Informasi Proses Kreatif Musisi Pop Bali

Purpose: This research is to understand the production process of audio-visual-based podcast programs as a media for disseminating information on the creative process of Balinese pop musicians. Research Methods: In this internship program for the MBKM (Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka) program, the authors and partner i.g. Bali TV want to produce a podcast program with the aim of preserving Balinese Pop Music culture which is currently experiencing global challenges in the context of the industrial revolution 4.0. Results and Discussion: The presence of podcasts is a form of development from conventional radio media which previously would have been one of the most popular media. Currently, podcasts are in great demand because podcasts have various advantages compared to radio, namely podcasts are on demand (the control of the podcast is on its listener). The convenience and advantages offered by podcasts provide a new platform for the dissemination of information widely. Implication: Music programs that exist today are considered only able to fulfill the purpose of being an entertainment and promotion. For this reason, a podcast program that presents speakers who are engaged in their fields and also provides information about the creative process of Bali Pop musicians is considered to be a form of preserving Bali Pop Music from now onwards.

Mindful music – A pilot study of the effects of mindfulness-based music on staff members of the University of Limerick

Aim: This action research project investigates the perceived benefits of Mindful Music staff wellbeing programme on university staff members.
 Method: Mindful Music is an original programme of mindfulness-based music therapy (MBMT), designed by author 5, including guided live and recorded music listening combined with simple mindfulness practices (awareness of the breath /body scan/guided visualization). Staff were invited to participate in 30 - 45-minute Mindful Music sessions at lunchtime during working hours. Six in-person sessions were held at the university between March and December 2020 with 54 employees engaging in the programme. Qualitative feedback was analyzed using thematic analysis. A programme of four pre-recorded online sessions was conducted between September 2020 and January 2021 with 9 participants. A previously tested online anonymous survey relating to the perceived benefits of Mindful Music on workplace well-being and stress management was circulated following these sessions. Participants were asked to answer four quantitative questions with one qualitative question to enable participants to share comments on how they believe the sessions could be improved and to elaborate on perceived benefits.
 Results: Statistical analysis revealed a positive response to the sessions. 63 staff participated in the programme. The three most common feeling states chosen by participants prior to the session were tired (12.50%), busy (9.87%) and hopeful (8.88%). The three most common feeling states recorded after the intervention were relaxed (24.03%), hopeful (11.69%) and positive (11.69%). Participant feedback was generally positive, with many requesting more sessions, while few noted minor technical issues with sound quality and a desire for shorter interventions. Live music and live facilitated sessions (online or in person) were preferred to recorded sessions to be listened to at one’s own convenience. Limitations included lack of demographic data to enable further analysis based on staff grade and role, educational status, and other variables. The relatively small sample size also limits usefulness of findings as well as lack of comparison of music-based initiatives with other staff workplace well-being activities and in other work contexts.
 Discussion: Research on music-based workplace wellbeing initiatives is scarce. This study indicates that mindfulness-based music activities may support staff in improving workplace wellbeing and gives some evidence to support Mindful Music as a means of improving wellbeing and stress management for university staff. Future research should include larger sample sizes and a variety of workplace settings and compare music-based activity with other workplace wellbeing initiatives as well as further exploration of the impact of online vs in person well-being sessions for staff.

Large Ensemble Teachers’ Support for Popular Music Courses in High Schools

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether large ensemble teachers supported the inclusion of authentic popular music courses in high school music programs. We distributed the 61-item Popular Music in High School Questionnaire (PMQ) to a nationwide, stratified sample of 1,000 high school large ensemble teachers. Participants perceived several obstacles to widespread adoption of popular music courses in high schools, with their support for curricular inclusivity dependent on region of the country, teaching assignment/duties, and teaching experience. We discuss broad implications of the findings and highlight the cyclical relationship between music teacher preparation programs and curricular music content delivered in U.S. secondary schools.

Nursing Home Residents' Positive Behavioral Responses to Individualized Music Predict Improvements in Sundowning Symptoms After Music Listening.

Objective: The goal of this exploratory study was to predict which long-term care residents with dementia would experience improvements in their sundowning symptoms after listening to personalized music playlists. Methods: We studied 101 residents with moderate to severe dementia from 15 long-term care facilities across 8months. We observed residents' behavioral responses to individualized music while they listened and recorded sundowning symptoms both before and after each listening session. Results: As hypothesized, residents who exhibited a greater number of positive reactive behaviors while listening to music also evidenced more improvements in their confusion, disengagement, unresponsiveness, and restlessness after their music-listening session. Discussion: Our results reveal that observing behavioral responses during music listening is an effective way to determine when nursing home residents are benefiting from personalized music playlists. These findings inform music programs in long-term care settings by identifying residents whose sundowning symptoms are most amenable to music intervention.

‘How the Music was Made’: Television, musicology and BBC Four

This article focuses on BBC Four’s original music programming, considering documentaries which, according to the channel’s commissioning guidelines, ‘tak[e] a musicology approach’ to give audiences a ‘privileged view’ of ‘how the music was made’. It focuses on two case studies: Tunes for Tyrants: Music and Power with Suzy Klein (2017) and Being Beethoven (2020) . Drawing upon original interviews with key production personnel for each series, this article explores the roles of music scholars in the television production process. It examines how musicologists are engaged with a production, what roles they undertake, and the value of their work for programme makers.

Research-to-Resource: Peer-Assisted Learning in the Music Program

Music educators are exploring ways to implement peer-assisted learning in their classrooms in an effort to foster a more inclusive and collaborative learning environment. By observing students in peer teaching roles, teachers can gain information related to individual levels of social appropriateness as well as skill comprehension, and additional individual repetitions of skill sequences can occur during a class period. In this research to resource article, I discuss research literature related to academic, social, and emotional benefits of peer-assisted learning. Two prominent approaches, cross-age peer tutoring and reciprocal peer tutoring, are outlined and the merits of each approach discussed. Strategies for successfully implementing peer-assisted learning in the music classroom are presented. Intelligently preparing peer-assisted learning and objectively assessing the outcome could allow this teaching and learning strategy to become a valuable part of a music teacher’s classroom routine and instructional toolkit.

Representation in music: College students’ perceptions of ensemble repertoire

Culturally responsive pedagogy in music education is becoming increasingly crucial for all students, in all types of music programs, and at all levels of education as demographic shifts occur in schools. In music ensembles, the selection of repertoire is a critical component of culturally responsive pedagogy. The purpose of this study was to investigate student perceptions of repertoire in college music ensembles. This study was guided by the following research questions: (a) Do students perceive current ensemble repertoire as representative and supportive of their self-identities? (b) What are these perceptions according to students’ race or ethnicity, gender, and ensemble type? (c) What factors do students consider important in directors’ selection of repertoire? (d) How are directors’ current repertoire selection practices, as experienced by the respondents, informed by or responsive to gender and racial diversity in the ensembles? Respondents ( N = 278) were graduate and undergraduate college students enrolled in band, choir, or orchestra. Data were collected through an online questionnaire. Overall, respondents felt that current repertoire practices were representative and supportive, although male respondents rated composer gender as lower in importance in repertoire selection than both females and those not identifying as male or female. White students indicated that they felt repertoire selection was more representative of their gender than Black, Indigenous, and other students of color. Respondents also indicated a desire for more underrepresented composers in ensemble repertoire. Numerous implications are provided, including the need for an increased focus on culturally responsive repertoire selection processes in teacher preparation programs.

Optimizing hearing aids for music perception in noise using subjective and objective measures

The perception of music is significantly compromised in the individuals using hearing aids (HA), which becomes further degraded in the presence of noise. Although HAs are heavily optimized for speech intelligibility in noise, they often are not well optimized for music perception, especially in the presence of noise. This study investigated the effect of signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) on music processed through HAs in two programs (1- Speech & 2- Music) using subjective and objective measures. The HA (fitted to NAL-NL2) processed music stimuli in the two programs at 5 SNRs (0, + 5, + 10, + 15 & + 20) were rated perceptually by 20 normal-hearing participants on a visual analogue scale of “Adjective descriptors of Music” adapted from “Iowa Musical Background Questionnaire,” while the quality of music was objectively analyzed using a music quality index (HAAQI) using MATLAB code. Results showed that the music perception was better for higher SNRs ( + 15 & + 20) than lower SNRs (0, + 5 &+10) in both subjective and objective measures for both the programs. The effect of SNRs was more pronounced in the music program. These results emphasize the need for subjective and objective validation of HA programs for music listening in clinical setups.

Here Am I, Send Me: The Life, Career and Legacy of Mary Frances Early

The purpose of this article is to chronicle the life and contributions of Mary Frances Early (b. 1936), the first African American to graduate from the University of Georgia in 1962. After suffering many indignities and being forgotten for more than three decades, Early became one of the University’s most celebrated graduates. Teaching music in segregated schools in Atlanta, Mary Frances Early worked tirelessly to provide her students with a high-quality music education, and she developed excellent music programs wherever she went. Throughout her long and distinguished career in the public schools, in higher education, and in service to the profession, Mary Frances Early dedicated her life to music teaching. She believed that all students deserved to have engaging and meaningful music education experiences, that music is an essential component of a well-rounded education, and that music would play a role throughout life. Primary and secondary sources include interviews, Miss Early’s personal papers, documentary film footage, and newspaper articles and clippings.

Nikolai Myaskovsky – 140th birth anniversary. Rediscovering the composer in the present times

Abstract On the occasion of the 140th anniversary of composer Nikolai Myaskovsky’s birth, in the spring of 2021, in the city of Ekaterinburg there took place the Myaskovsky Dialogues festival dedicated entirely to the Russian composer, being one of the few musical events with a musical programme based on his works. Known as the “father” of the Soviet symphony, Nikolai Myaskovsky was one of the pillars of resistance in Russian music culture in the first half of the 20th century, managing to maintain a stylistic balance between traditional genres, harmonic language with innovative tendencies, ideas promoted within the new political system and a neutral way of integrating communist ideals musically. Although his contemporaries perceived him with respect and consideration, N. Myaskovsky was discredited after the tensions and political events of 1948, entering a shadow zone during the Cold War, until the fall of the Iron Curtain. Therefore, it was only in the last three decades that he was rediscovered in the music world, due to the interest given to his works by well-known conductors such as E. Svetlanov, V. Gergiev, V. Petrenko, V. Jurowski. In this paper, our aim is to accomplish a historical perspective on N. Myaskovsky’s rediscovery and his approach in concert programs, records, reviews, chronicles, articles, musicological studies, papers and volumes from the 1970s to the present.

Encounters in Musical Ethnography as Opportunities for Transformative Learning

In this article, I offer an autobiographical account of teaching musical ethnography in an ethnomusicology classroom. My reflections derive from a variety of modules that are offered as part of undergraduate music programmes and that combine an ethnomusicology fieldwork component with a theoretical introduction to the cultural study of music and, in many cases, with hands-on musical performance. I see the classroom as an ethnographic field and explore its pedagogical potential for affective encounters, for engendering new cultural understandings and an ‘openness to different ways of being, knowing and doing’ (Spencer and Mills 2011). Responding to Wong’s call for education as cultural work (Wong 1998), I am especially interested in a critical pedagogy of ethnography that affords opportunities for transformative learning (Mezirow 1997, McIlwairth 2016) for students and teachers alike.