This study investigated children's tonal awareness by measuring their abilities to detect dissonance in major tonality using the author-created "Tonal Dissonance Detection Test." A two-way analysis of variance of 312 elementary school subjects' Tonal Dissonance Detection Test scores revealed that first- and second-graders' dissonance detection…

Despite long-standing antidiscrimination laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which are meant to guarantee equal access, many school and community choirs appear to be populated primarily by students with typical physical, cognitive, and behavioral abilities. The purpose of this article…

There are more knowledge bases, skills, and dispositions that teachers need to have than can be covered in undergraduate music teacher education. One knowledge base that music teachers could benefit from, which is rarely covered in preservice teacher education, is social emotional learning (SEL) and techniques to implement it in their classrooms.…

Listening to, analyzing, and describing music, is perhaps the most difficult standard to present effectively in allotted classroom time. The purpose of this literature review is to better understand what constitutes effective listening instruction by examining students' listening practices, receptiveness, attentiveness, and activities that lead to…

John Dewey knew that when students were actively involved in their learning, they were more motivated and achieved higher. Unfortunately, our practices often negatively affect motivation, such as when teachers emphasize competition, social comparison, normative grading criteria, public forms of evaluation, and ability self-assessment. Most…

This article is a review of relevant literature on the use of phenomenology as a research methodology in education research, with a focus on music education research. The review is organized as follows: (a) general education, (b) music research, (c) music education research, (d) dissertations, (e) important figures, (f) themes, and (g) the future.…

Historically, music educators have expressed concerns about inadequate preparation to work with students with special needs, specifically desiring skills related to instruction adaptation. Research has indicated that educational supports (written words, color coding, icons, echoing, buddy system, and other visual aids) can be particularly…

Teacher turnover is an important issue in education. Studies have reported that almost half of new teachers leave by their fifth year. The problem is being examined in a number of ways, including the preparation of new teachers, costs to school districts, the impact on student achievement, and models of supply and demand. In the current study,…

This literature review examines and synthesizes 30 years of research into the relationship between gender and musical instruments. Specifically, the review focuses on how this relationship affects instrument selection by grade school students entering a school music program. Topics include the gender typing of musical instruments, instrument…

This review of the literature presents a systematic analysis of the capabilities and limitations of cochlear implant (CI) recipients with regard to music perception. Specifically, it (a) analyzes individual components of music (e.g., rhythm, timbre, and pitch) as they interface with the technical characteristics of CIs and the perceptual abilities…

The purpose of this investigation was to identify the findings of the studies devoted to the child voice, most of which have occurred in the past 25 years, and to present a synthesis of these findings with respect to the pedagogy, or art and science, of teaching children to sing. The data suggest that a philosophical disparity exists about…

The purpose of this study is to describe the decision-making processes of novice band students while engaged in individual practice. Five seventh- through ninth-grade students were videotaped while practicing and subsequently interviewed using retrospective verbal protocol. Students were asked to discuss the goals they had while practicing, their…

Musicians have recognized that physical problems often accompany playing, yet examinations of performance-related injuries and medical problems remain relatively new. The type of instrument played can affect musicians' pain-related problems as well as physical stature. The focus of this study was to determine whether physical intervention--easily…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the confidence, anxiety, and attitude of novice string student improvisers. A form of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales, as modified for improvisation by Wehr-Flowers, was given to middle school and high school string students (N = 121) after their participation in a 4-month improvisation…

The purpose of this study was to determine which "popular" classical repertoire is familiar and predictable to adolescents. Specifically, the study sought to examine (1) if students had heard the music before, (2) where they had heard the music before, and (3) if they could "name that tune". Participants (N = 668) for this study were middle school…