Music educators typically use a variety of strategies to teach their subject matter, one core practice of which is modeling. Vocal modeling is a type of aural demonstration, with uses ranging from pitch matching and song instruction to vocal tone building and musicianship development. In early studies, researchers primarily studied the effects of…

The purpose of this literature review was to identify scholarship pertaining to teachers' vocal health and to discuss implications for music teachers. The review includes studies where researchers have addressed vocal health issues for K-12 teachers of all subjects as well as issues unique to music teachers. Risk factors, measurement, and…

As a growing number of immigrant children enter formal music education, research is crucial to understand their experiences and to promote culturally relevant and socially just music education pedagogies. Whereas, researchers have traditionally focused on immigrant adolescents and music, I chose to synthesize studies on musical childhood in…

Improvisation is an important element of global musical practices. However, musical improvisation is often neglected in K-12 and collegiate music education programs, with some music educators suggesting that improvisation cannot be taught. Rather, improvisation must be facilitated, enabled, and fostered. In this review of literature, I examined…

Women continue to be statistical minorities in the field of secondary band teaching, and past researchers have described the unique challenges and struggles of female band directors. Many of these experiences can be uniquely understood through the lens of gender microaggressions. In this literature review, I provide an overview of the various…

Students' motivation to engage in elective music courses can be complicated or nuanced and is often informed by myriad personal and environmental factors. In this review of literature, I examine general education and music education research related to organismic perspectives on the development and maintenance of academic motivation among middle…

The purpose of this review of literature was to investigate the unique issues facing female band directors at the high school and college levels. A search of 5 different databases was conducted, and 39 studies met the inclusion criteria for this study. Results of this review of literature are presented according to the following themes: (1)…

Elementary general music teachers encounter challenging behaviors in the music classroom when teaching students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD), which require prevention and response. In this article, I reviewed literature on pedagogical strategies and interventions for students with EBD in the elementary general music classroom. The…

In this literature review, I examined choral education research that extends beyond Eurocentric norms and in which researchers focused on the transmission of culturally diverse music and/or culturally diverse transmission practices that may connect to culturally diverse choral singers. I focused on practical implications for teaching culturally…

The purpose of this review was to synthesize the literature on attrition and retention in instrumental music and to identify strategies to encourage students' continued participation in school bands and orchestras. Retaining members from 1 year to the next is a key factor in building ensembles and helping individual musicians reach their full…

Humility is an important social virtue for musicians as they expose their own egos in the pursuit of artistic self-expression. Research findings have confirmed that humility is an important virtue of strength that lends itself meaningfully to prosocial and ethical interactions among musicians and music educators. In this article, I synthesize…

In this literature review, I explore poverty, the barriers to participation that exist for students in poverty, and why this issue should matter to music educators. Research findings about students and poverty generally fall into three categories: logistics, teacher attitudes, and policy. I identify participation barriers in each of these…

A common rationale for the continued existence and support of music education in schools has been the development of skills and attitudes leading to a lifetime of music-making for all students. Therefore, the purpose of this review of literature was to examine previous research on adult participation in large ensemble (i.e., band, choir, or…

In this review of literature related to burnout, I compiled definitions of the term, discussed factors contributing to burnout, effects of burnout, and prevention/possible remedies for burnout. Although there is no consensus on the term's definition, it is well understood that burnout has three dimensions: emotional exhaustion,…

Inclusion has been a prominent topic in music education since the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1974 (now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA 2004). In 2000, music educators at the Housewright Symposium presented a list of goals for music education for the year 2020 in a document called…