Musical Skills Research Articles

The Extent of Activating Educational Technologies (TPACK Model) Among Teachers of Musical Skills in The Sultanate of Oman to Keep Pace with The Requirements of The Twenty-First Century Skills

The research aims to determine the extent to which teachers of musical skills activate educational techniques (TPACK model) in the Sultanate of Oman. The descriptive analytical approach was used with a dependent variable, which is the extent to which teachers activate educational techniques (TPACK model) in Oman. The research population was teachers of musical skills in Oman. The application was carried out through an electronic questionnaire, and it resulted that the educational knowledge axis received the highest rank, and this is due to the actual practice resulting from the effectiveness of the teachers’ role and tasks, knowledge of the content, and their keenness to do so. To implement the content. As for the axis of knowledge of technology and content, it is average because there is no connection between educational content and technology. Finally, the axes of knowledge of technology and knowledge of technology and education are few and are due to the failure to link content and education with modern technology to facilitate its use and application. The research recommends the importance of paying attention to employing electronic learning platforms in presenting the subject and encouraging teachers to Participate in computer training with good planning for teaching the subject.

Breaking the sound of silence: Professional learning in an early career music teacher conversation group

Professional development, typically initiated by administrators to improve student achievement outcomes, is often irrelevant to the needs of early career music teachers. As music teacher educators, we were concerned about issues of importance to early career music teachers as they entered the music teaching profession. We explored conversation as a conduit of reflection and professional learning by convening a conversation group of five early career music teachers who gathered over six, one-hour-long meetings. Guiding their discussions were topics they identified in questionnaires administered before and during the study. Data included audio-visual recordings of the meetings, questionnaires, and researcher memos. Four themes emerged from our analysis of their conversations: (a) educating administrators and mentors, (b) knowing their place, (c) overcoming a lack of resources, and (d) giving students lifelong musical skills. We interpreted these findings through the lens of Snow’s principles of symbolic interactionism. The conversation group facilitated the music teachers’ move from the initial shock of sedimented school culture to a position of agency. The freedom of conversation around chosen topics of professional and personal importance provided the early career music teachers with choice, self-direction, collective support, and agency—key components of professional learning.

Cantacumine.ro - An E-Learning Tool that Supports Composition Approach. An Illustrative Application Within a Collaboration Between Two Music-Specialized Schools / cantacumine.ro - Resursă tehnologică suport în abordarea aspectelor creative. Exemple de bune practici din cadrul unui parteneriat dintre două licee vocaționale cu profil muzică din țară

This article showcases a successful cooperation that addresses a novel addition introduced in the 2017 Music Theory school curricula, with a particular emphasis on creative elements. The exemplified scenario is a product of a partnership between two Music-Specialised High Schools. The students, who played a pivotal and valued role in this activity, were guided by coordinating teachers and supported by the section dedicated to creative aspects of the platform https://www.cantacumine.ro/. They had the opportunity to develop their creative talent in rhythmical-melodic and harmonic contexts, creating new musical structures in one, two or three parts. The students used notation programs to create their compositions, demonstrating their eagerness to acquire digital music notation skills through dedicated practice, largely carried out after school hours.

Investigation of the Status of Music Teaching in Middle School under the Background of "Art into the Middle School Entrance Examination" in Dejiang County, China

Aesthetic education is an indispensable part of all-round quality education. Art education belongs to the category of aesthetic education and is an important content and way to implement aesthetic education. Music education is a form of education with music art as the medium and aesthetics as the core. In October, 2020, the general offices of the General Office of the Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council issued the Opinions on Comprehensively Strengthening and Improving Aesthetic Education in Schools in the New Era, which put forward the requirement of bringing art subjects into the pilot reform of senior high school entrance examination. The implementation of the new policy of "art entering the senior high school entrance examination" is a brand-new challenge to junior high school music teaching. In order to better implement the policy of "art entering the senior high school entrance examination", it is necessary to understand the current situation of junior high school music teaching. In this study, 241 junior high school students in four middle schools in Dejiang County, Guizhou Province were investigated from three aspects: their attitude towards music, the basic reasons for liking music and the mastery of basic music skills, and then the data were statistically analyzed by Excel and SPSS software. Based on the analysis results of the previous part, combined with the requirements of "Art Entrance Examination", this paper puts forward that we should pay more attention to music courses, enrich the content of music courses and strengthen the teaching of basic music knowledge.

Situating the Self within the Changing Societal Dynamics- a Perspective of the Nat in India

ABSTRACT India is home to a wide range of ethnic groups. Each group has unique characteristics. The Nat, for instance, is a nomadic tribe and is known for its specialized acrobatic and musical skills. The associated traditional occupations, however, have proved restrictive to the socio-economic mobility of the tribe. This study, therefore, is an attempt to develop an understanding of the ways in which the Nat situate themselves within the changing social dynamics by addressing the following questions: How do members of the Nat community evolve in response to changing societal dynamics? Has the change been restrictive to the tribe’s social and economic mobility? In order to find answers to these questions 31 case studies were conducted of the Nat from four states in India who had gathered at a famous fair organized annually in Chhattisgarh state. Analysis of the data collected followed Wolcott’s and Biggam’s iterative approach to the description and interpretation of the field notes and case studies. The findings of the study suggest that in order to survive, the Nat community has significantly assimilated with mainstream society by adopting social differentiation based on caste and religion. Instead of reaping positive results, this process has proved detrimental to the socio-economic situation of the Nat. While other communities reap the benefits of the developmental processes, the Nat nomadic tribe continues to be stigmatized and marginalized. Social and economic mobility is significantly lacking and the few measures taken for their welfare have not improved their situation. Efforts from both the researchers and the major stakeholders are indispensable so that relevant policy measures may be introduced for their welfare.

Intelligent Construction of University Music Education Teaching System Based on Artificial Intelligence Technology

The university music education teaching system plays a vital role in nurturing aspiring musicians and music enthusiasts by providing a comprehensive framework for musical learning and development. This system typically encompasses a diverse range of courses, workshops, and performance opportunities designed to cultivate students' musical talents, theoretical knowledge, and practical skills. Through a combination of classroom instruction, ensemble rehearsals, private lessons, and hands-on experiences, students receive a well-rounded musical education that covers various genres, styles, and traditions. Moreover, university music education teaching systems often incorporate state-of-the-art facilities, including rehearsal rooms, recording studios, and performance venues, to support students' artistic growth and creative expression. This paper presents an innovative approach to the intelligent construction of university music education teaching systems, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) technology with Intelligent Fuzzy Regression Classification (IFRC). Recognizing the complexity and diversity of music education, this research aims to optimize teaching methodologies and enhance learning outcomes through AI-driven strategies. The proposed approach integrates AI technology, particularly IFRC, into the design and implementation of university music education teaching systems. IFRC combines fuzzy logic with regression analysis and classification techniques to model and predict complex relationships within music education datasets, enabling the system to adapt and respond dynamically to student needs and preferences. The IFRC-enhanced teaching system can generate personalized learning pathways, recommend tailored resources, and provide real-time feedback to students and instructors alike. This intelligent adaptation to individual learning styles and progress fosters a more engaging, effective, and inclusive music education environment. The IFRC-enhanced teaching system achieves an average improvement of 25% in student performance compared to traditional teaching methods. Moreover, specific musical skills, such as sight-reading, ear training, and music theory comprehension, exhibit notable enhancements, with average score increases of 30%, 20%, and 35%, respectively.

‘We Come Here and Play Music Like Hell’: The Royal Papuan Constabulary Band’s 1945 Australian ‘Victory Loan’ Tour

The March 1945 Australian tour of the Royal Papuan Constabulary (RPC) Band offered Australians a vignette of Papuans’ progress since the Australian ‘civilising’ mandate began in 1906. After recounting the RPC Band’s origins and wartime propaganda role, this article examines the sponsors’ framing of the tour, the public’s responses to the visitors, and the outcomes of the trip for the musicians. The tour challenged Australians to rethink their sentimental appreciation of Papuans as ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels’, while press reportage described both what was strange (language, recreation, diet, sleeping habits) and what was familiar (discipline, musical skill) about the visiting Papuans. Colonialist attitudes regarding race relations were also challenged during the tour. The RPC tour gave Papua New Guineans and Australians an unusual opportunity to see each other in a different light.

Music Exposure and Maternal Musicality Predict Vocabulary Development in Children with Cochlear Implants

Children with cochlear implants (CIs) exhibit large individual differences in vocabulary outcomes. We hypothesized that understudied sources of variance are amount of music engagement and exposure and maternal musicality. Additionally, we explored whether objective measures of music exposure captured from the CI data logs and parent reports about music engagement provide converging and/or complementary evidence, and whether these correlate with maternal musicality. Sixteen children with CIs (Mage = 16.7 months, SD = 7.7, range = 9.6–32.9) were tested before implantation and three, six, and 12 months post-CI activation. Music exposure throughout the first year post-activation was extracted from the CI data logs. Children’s vocabulary and home music engagement and maternal musicality were assessed using parent reports. Analyses revealed relatively low home music engagement and maternal musicality. Nonetheless, positive effects emerged for music exposure on children’s early receptive and expressive vocabulary and for maternal musicality on expressive vocabulary three months post-activation. Results underline the importance of combining automatic measures and parent reports to understand children’s acoustic environment and suggest that environmental music factors may affect early vocabulary acquisition in children with CIs. The presence of these effects despite poor music exposure and skills further motivates the involvement of children with CIs and their parents in music intervention programs.

수업 시연 과정에서 나타난 초등 예비교사의 음악 수업에 대한 인식

Purpose: This study aimed to discover the perceptions of pre-service teachers about music classes and to seek directions for enhancing the music class expertise through difficulties and demands for their music classes.
 Methods: Elementary school pre-service teachers participated in micro-teaching and filled out self-assessment sheets based on recorded class videos. A survey was conducted with 201 pre-service elementary school teachers about their perception of music classes before and after micro-teaching and what they believed their needs were to improve their music class expertise after micro-teaching.
 Results: First, the teachers recognized music classes as classes that felt the beauty of music and sympathized with emotions and values by considering the learners based on music knowledge. Second, they wanted a student participation-oriented music class based on the teacher's musical knowledge and practical skills, but they were experiencing trial and error in the micro-teaching due to their lack of music class experiences. Third, they had many individual differences in their confident music classes. To improve the professionalism of music classes, they believed that they required teacher training institutions to strengthen their connection with the field, support for improving musical competence, expand the number of hours of related subjects, expand class equipment, and provide opportunities to observe and analyze excellent classes. In addition, they recognized the need to develop individual abilities in relation to music practical skills, music knowledge, and music teaching methods in relation to the difficulties they encountered while micro-teaching.
 Conclusion: For the participants in the study to grow into teachers with music instruction expertise, various efforts are required, including not only for the individuals but also teacher training institutions. Following this study, it is expected that future studies will examine specific measures to improve the professionalism of music classes.

Finnish music class studies and extracurricular playing in promoting grit and sisu, the inner fortitude: Reconceptualizing sisu as a predecessor of flow, growth and flourishing

This article investigates musical grit and sisu, inner fortitude, as predecessors of flow, flourishing and personal growth. Grit has been identified as an important factor for success. Our aim was to increase knowledge of the benefits of intensified music education for building grit, resilience and fortitude. Data were collected with mixed methods in 2020 from two schools and 96 children. Surveys were filled out by students in both music and regular classes. Qualitative data about music education experiences were collected through interviews and writing tasks from the music class students and interviews with their teachers. Music classes scored higher than regular classes in perseverance, certain dimensions of flow and musical flourishing. Musical flourishing correlated with playing years and had high correlation with self-efficacy, flow experiences and general well-being. The sequence of facing, but also beating, challenges as a group in musical performances and then feeling flow and flourishing seemed to be beneficial for children’s personal growth. Students in music classes learned not only musical skills, but also resilient and optimistic thinking related to their challenges. The theoretical model of Trust, Hope and Love was revised to display how sisu, the inner fortitude, advances flourishing.

Loudness Balancing Optimization for Better Speech Intelligibility, Music Perception, and Spectral Temporal Resolution in Cochlear Implant Users.

The behaviorally based programming with loudness balancing (LB) would result in better speech understanding, spectral-temporal resolution, and music perception scores, and there would be a relationship between these scores. Loudness imbalances at upper stimulation levels may cause sounds to be perceived as irregular, gravelly, or overly echoed and may negatively affect the listening performance of the cochlear implant (CI) user. LB should be performed after fitting to overcome these problems. The study included 26 unilateral Med-EL CI users. Two different CI programs based on the objective electrically evoked stapedial reflex threshold (P1) and the behaviorally program with LB (P2) were recorded for each participant. The Turkish Matrix Sentence Test (TMS) was applied to evaluate speech perception; the Random Gap Detection Test (RGDT) and Spectral-Temporally Modulated Ripple Test (SMRT) were applied to evaluate spectral temporal resolution skills; the Mini Profile of Music Perception Skills (mini-PROMS) and Melodic Contour Identification (MCI) tests were applied to evaluate music perception, and the results were compared. Significantly better scores were obtained with P2 in TMS tests performed in noise and quiet. SMRT scores were significantly correlated with TMS in quiet and noise, and mini-PROMS sound perception results. Although better scores were obtained with P2 in the mini-PROMS total score and MCI, a significant difference was found only for MCI. The data from the current study showed that equalization of loudness across CI electrodes leads to better perceptual acuity. It also revealed the relationship between speech perception, spectral-temporal resolution, and music perception.

Assessment Practices and Beliefs of Secondary Choir Teachers

Previous research findings of assessment in choir indicated that teachers favor non-performance criteria such as attendance and attitude over music knowledge and skill. Music education researchers have encouraged teachers to instead use measurable learning goals that inform teaching practices and document student growth. New assessment technologies designed to assist teachers with individual assessment may have affected the assessment practices of secondary choir teachers. The purpose of this study was to describe the current assessment practices and beliefs among secondary choir teachers in Indiana. Respondents ( N = 182) completed an online survey regarding their use of formative and summative assessments in choir. Findings suggest that choir teachers in this study continued to rely upon non-achievement data such as attendance and participation in assessment. Given these findings, I offer implications and suggestions for practicing choral music educators.

The Elementary School Students' Skills in Playing The Gamelan Instruments

The aim of this research is to provide an overview of the skills in playing the gamelan musical instrument of elementary school students at Sibale Subsidized Elementary School and to identify common patterns emerging in their skills. This research employs a quantitative method with a descriptive approach. Data collection was conducted through observation and documentation techniques. A total of 9 students were observed during gamelan musical instrument skill tests conducted during extracurricular hours. The data was then analyzed descriptively using statistical methods to provide a general overview of their gamelan musical instrument playing skills. The results indicate that the majority of students fall into the skilled category, with only one student classified as highly skilled. However, there are deficiencies in students' ability to manipulate the gamelan musical instrument without guidance from the instructor, especially in the criteria of construction.

Wearing sensor data integration for promoting the performance skills of music in IoT

AbstractThis study integrates multi‐node wearable sensor data to improve music performance skills. A window‐adding method is used during time‐frequency feature extraction. By incorporating kernel functions, we present a generalized discriminant analysis (GDA) method to reduce the high‐dimensional sensor features while retaining performance traits. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed GDA approach achieves higher accuracy (92.71%), precision (90.54%), and recall (88.68%) compared to linear discriminant analysis (82.39% accuracy) and principal component analysis (88.56% accuracy) in classifying motions performed by music performers. The integrated analysis of wearable sensor data facilitates comprehensive feedback to strengthen proficiency across various music performance skills.

Very low association between multidimensional musical environment exposure and musical perception skills among children: Evidence from a large multilevel cross-sectional study

This study aimed to explore whether music perception is correlated with the load of exposure to musical activities in daily life, such as attending musical events, playing an instrument, attending music classes (at school or for a social project), and the time children spend listening to music using a non-experimental design. We are reusing data from the studies by Barros et al. and Cogo-Moreira & Lamont, from a random school-based sample (multilevel design) including 1,006 children from first to fifth grade in 14 schools in São Paulo, Brazil. Data were collected using the “M-factor”, a new paradigm to assess music perception, and a questionnaire to track children’s self-reported musical activities related to their individual daily lives in different environments (home and school). At the within-participants level, self-reported exposure to music activity accounted for only 5.3% of the variance in music perception after adjusting for age and sex. Hence, the magnitude of the association between music exposure and music perception skills was small when both music exposure and music perception skills were evaluated under continuous scores and using a heterogeneous population.

Using music to assist language learning in autistic children with minimal verbal language: The MAP feasibility RCT.

Research has shown that autistic individuals often have unusually good musical skills and that combining words and music helps autistic individuals to focus on spoken words. This study tests the idea that music will help with early language learning of preschool autistic children. The results show that when caregivers sing words to autistic children, the children pay more attention to the caregiver than when the words are spoken and that they learn word combinations more easily.

Video Conferencing in Music Performance Learning from The Perspective of Selected Music Students

Video conferencing has become part of the new norm in music education and music performance since the world was affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. From solo to large-ensemble music, people can watch live musical performances through their smartphones, computers, televisions, or any internet-connected device. Therefore, this study focuses on documenting the perceptions of undergraduate students from the UiTM Faculty of Music towards online music performance learning. To gather necessary information, a survey was distributed, enquiring the selected UiTM music students about their experiences engaging in one-to-one studio lessons and other performance-based lessons in an online environment and the advantages and disadvantages of video conference streaming from their perspectives. The outcomes of this study provided the required information that can serve as a practical guide or point of reference to music lecturers and students who want to incorporate online platforms in their teaching and learning method, whether through synchronous or asynchronous approaches, especially when it involves demonstrating music performance skills. Through observing and analysing the survey results regarding significant issues within the online learning environment, this study outlines and justifies how potential improvements in the online music performance classes can be realised based on the suggestions of those who took the survey, which will benefit the musicians, music educators and music students in Malaysia.

Developing community music in Italy: The journey

This article deals with the relationship between community music and scholarly research within the context of Italian community life, cultural politics, conditions and history. Community music theory and practice activities provide participants with opportunities for growth, development and collaboration, ranging from specific musical skills to social and cultural outreach and the positive challenge of increasing self-awareness and empowerment. After discussing the links between community music projects and social work, music therapy or arts education, the article locates community music in the landscape of Italian music research and, especially, musicology. It summarizes the current state of community music and the efforts to create an Italian network of community music scholars as well as establish a dialogue with similar international networks. The aim is to create the conditions for the establishment of an academic and theoretical framework for community music in Italy that can work as a pathway between music for social change, musicology and music education.

Exploring auditory emotion perception in cochlear implant users: Investigating the interplay of speech processing and affective signals

Human emotions are intricately expressed through vocal sounds, encompassing affective prosody in speech and non-verbal cues such as screams and laughter. Recent evidence indicates that vocalizations take neurophysiological precedence over speech-embedded emotions and are generally easier to identify. However, Cochlear implant (CI) users still face challenges deciphering the subtle nuances in these primal signals. The implant's limited fidelity in transmitting acoustic information results in highly variable levels of emotion perception abilities among its users. Identifying the factors explaining this significant variability in abilities among CI users remains of great interest. Our recent investigations into CI users' abilities to perceive emotions and speaker sincerity have often incorporated diverse aspects of auditory proficiency, including pitch discrimination, music processing, and speech intelligibility. The combination of results from these different projects can help shed light on the intricate interplay between speech processing and emotional recognition in CI users. Surprisingly, even when presented with emotional musical stimuli, CI users' proficiency often leaned toward processes related to speech intelligibility, proposing common mechanisms underlying linguistic and affective processes in CI users that do not readily relate to musical skills or pitch sensitivity. Hence, maintaining a clinical focus on speech processing remains crucial, even when exploring affective skills in CI users.

MODERN MUSIC PERFORMANCE CONTEST AS A CULTURE PHENOMENON

The research aimed to determine the distinctive features of contemporary performing arts and their reflection in the specifics of the instrumental competitions. In particular, the roles of the jury and the audience are considered in the context of the influence on the development of the musical career and skill of participants in the competitions and the vectors of instrumental music development in general. Particular attention in the study is paid to musical works created using the latest digital technologies. In general, the role of instrumental competitions in shaping the development vectors of the performing arts and accompanying concerns are outlined.