Neuroscientists have worked for over two decades to understand how the brain processes music, affects emotions, and changes brain development. Much of this research has been based on a model that compares the brain function of participants classified as musicians and nonmusicians. This body of knowledge reveals a large number of benefits from…

The article is based on a phenomenological way of thinking about knowledge and learning and will treat the concepts of response and critical friends as ways of sharing experience in higher music education. The problem area I want to illuminate is how teachers, who educate musicians, can use and facilitate development of their students' skills…

Preservice elementary education majors are required at many colleges and universities to take a course in music methods to become certified in their field. These courses are offered because they are a valuable component of a well-rounded liberal arts education and helps preservice educators to teach students in a well-rounded fashion. They are…

The purpose of this project was to examine adult learning perceptions of a model music program with group piano instruction and group percussion ensemble for beginning-level musicians (ages 60-86 years). Participants were matched by age and education to two 16-week music programs. Forty participants completed a post-training questionnaire related…

Various issues relating to education and religion continue to appear in federal court. One issue that is most relevant to music educators is the use of religious music in school music curriculum. Although no federal guidelines exist as to what is acceptable usage, a number of federal cases have addressed the various issues, from the use of…

This qualitative study investigated the role of music in the lives of those affected by the Holocaust. Participants were identified through purposeful and snowball sampling techniques, and a total of five were selected based on their connection to the Holocaust. Participants included those incarcerated in camps and ghettos, those who escaped…

Based on the needs for viable melodic dictation strategies and thoughtful approaches to teaching prerequisite skills, the central research question guiding this qualitative study was as follows: What strategies do dictation takers describe having used on successfully completing a standard melodic dictation? Six sophomore music majors, recommended…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the existence and impact of budgetary cutbacks to music teaching positions and district funding in three Midwestern states, namely Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. The results revealed cuts to staffing and district funding of music programs without a reduction in student enrollments in 2011-2012…

The purpose of this study was to investigate fourth-grade students' extrinsic motivators for joining and continuing in a school instrumental music program. Three research questions were investigated: (a) What extrinsic motivators have influenced fourth-grade students' initial interest and continuing participation in an instrumental music…

Music education leadership in public schools has often been the responsibility of a department chair or a district music supervisor. Nevertheless, budget constraints have forced districts to consolidate supervisory positions, frequently eliminating district chairs in music and the arts among other curricular areas. Without a strong advocate at the…

During evening practice sessions, 32 nonpianist musicians learned a short melody on piano, and then either learned a second short piano melody, learned a difficult unfamiliar piece on their principal instruments, practiced familiar material on their principal instruments, or engaged in no other music-related motor behavior prior to sleep; practice…

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice music educators' attitudes toward popular music in the music classroom. On a survey instrument designed by the investigators, participants ("N" = 82) rated (a) the effectiveness of popular music in addressing the National Standards for Music Education, (b) the appropriateness of…

Performance anxiety among musicians and music students has been widely addressed, but far less attention has been given to examining the rates and characteristics of broader mental distress in this population. This study examined depression and anxiety in music students at one university. A considerable number of students reported symptoms…

Music technology classes designed to use the latest in music software to develop music compositional skills within high school students are becoming more prominent in K-12 education. The purpose of this case study was to describe the development of creativity in high school students through their participation in a music technology course at one…

Pedagogical content knowledge, the particular ways that teachers understand their subjects in order to instruct others, has been described and explored in the math and science education fields in some depth, yet little research exists illustrating this concept in music instruction. I used a descriptive approach to explore expert beginning band…