Examines the effects of music teacher delivery skills, lesson content, and student academic standing on 511 university music students' perceptions of lesson quality or teacher appeal. Indicates that student interest and preference varied by academic standing, teacher delivery, and lesson quality. Includes references. (CMK)

Compares three methods of teaching keyboard sight-reading to 69 undergraduate music majors enrolled in six piano classes were randomly divided among three conditions: (1) error-detection practice plus "shadowing" (EDS); (2) shadowing only; and (3) unguided independent practice. Indicates that the EDS subjects achieved moderate overall gains.…

Examines the effects of soloistic versus blended choral singing and random versus acoustic choral seating arrangements on evaluations of choral blend and overall choral sound. States that 37 choral conductors, 33 voice teachers, and 32 nonvocal musicians rated performances of four pieces by a choir of 22 voice majors. Includes references. (CMK)

Investigates the effects of breath management instruction on the performance of 61 elementary brass players in in grades 4, 5, and 6. Shows that breathing instruction within group lessons was effective in improving the breathing and performance of elementary brass players. Includes references. (CMK)

Explores the development of sight-reading and harmonization skills among 39 nonkeyboard music majors enrolled in six intact sections of class piano. Indicates that the right hand was more accurate and consistent, made less improvement on all tasks, and was slightly more accurate on harmonization tasks than the left hand. Includes references. (CMK)

Investigates the development of tonal pattern discrimination in 24 college musicians, 24 college nonmusicians, and 38 children in the first grade. Demonstrates that college nonmusicians were no more accurate although they responded to some item types faster than the first-grade group. Includes references. (CMK)

Offers the speech by John M. Geringer, recipient of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) 2000 Senior Researcher Award, that was presented to the Society for Research in Music Education. Focuses on how to mentor researchers, publications in the field, and the importance of academic pluralism to all music related research. (CMK)

Examines teacher and student behaviors in 48 violin and cello lessons taught by 12 expert Suzuki string teachers. Reveals that approximately 45% of the mean percentage of time was devoted to teacher verbalizations, 20% to teacher modeling, and 41% to student performance. (CMK)

Evaluates the effects of changes in tone quality on the perception of pitch and determines the extent to which the same tone-quality conditions affect the performance of pitch of 64 high school and university wind instrumentalists. Indicates that tone-quality conditions affected the perception and performance of pitch. (CMK)

Explores the influence of tempo on musical preference for students in grades 2-6, focusing on the effects of various styles using a MIDI keyboard. Explains that the students listened to 10 musical selections identifying their preferences and perceptions of tempo. Reveals that the preferred styles were Hip-Hop, Heavy Rock Shuffle, Samba, and Funk2.…

Examines the effect of classroom ethnic majority/minority status on third-, fifth-, and seventh-grade children's responses (N=118)while listening to and discussing the music of a Latin salsa artist, African-American rhythm and blues artist, and a European-American folk artist. Investigates the students' artist and music preferences. (CMK)

Focuses on fifth- and sixth-grade students writing about music using three types of description: metaphor and emotion, analytic elements of music, and temporal change and sequence. (CMK)

Explores practices in a Yamaha Music School to determine in what ways these practices were congruent or incongruent with the National Association for the Education of Young Children Developmentally Appropriate Practice guidelines. Includes children, ages four to six, their teachers, and parents in the setting. (CMK)

Examines what songs are familiar to most people. Uncovers various epistemological definitions of what it means to "know" a song. Discovers how many of the 42 songs listed in Music Educators National Conference (MENC) publication, "Get America Singing Again!", appeared in previous investigations and in community song movement books. (CMK)

Examines whether selected nonmusical attributes of 20 sixth-grade pianists would affect ratings of their performances by 123 musically trained evaluators. States that the visual group evaluators viewed a videotape, without the sound, rating the pianists on appropriateness of dress, stage behavior, and physical attractiveness. The audio and…