Applied violin instructors at the postsecondary level often implement remedial pedagogy with incoming first-year students in order to address technical/musical habits or deficiencies. As students strive to alter their technique, resistance to change and low self-efficacy often result. Using a descriptive qualitative multiple case study research…

This study, a replication and extension of work by Norris (2004), examined sight-reading requirements at middle and high school large-group band festivals across the United States. As in the earlier investigation, answers to the following questions were solicited from all 50 states: (1) Are there ratings-based large-group band festivals? (2) Is…

The impetus for this study was the question of whether extended techniques are actually being taught in college trumpet studio settings as standard skills necessary on the instrument. The specific purposes of this document included: (1) catalogue the extended techniques available to today's trumpet performer, (2) reflect on their current use and…

Public school music education in the USA remains wedded to large ensemble performance. Instruction tends to be teacher directed, relies on styles from the Western canon and exhibits little concern for musical interests of students. The idea that a fundamental purpose of education is the creation of a just society is difficult for many music…