Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether child musicians are better at listening to speech in noise (SPIN) than nonmusicians of the same age. In addition, we aimed to explore whether the musician SPIN advantage in children was related to general intelligence (IQ). Method: Fifty-one children aged 8.2-11.8 years and with…

Parents and guardians inherently become involved in diverse aspects of the music learning process and retain the potential to foster a musical home environment, influencing the musical growth, attitude, and level of participation of their children. Research suggests a relationship between parental support and successful development of music skills…

The purpose of this study was to develop a measure to investigate studio teacher's observational skill as a function of the observer's ability to identify effective pedagogical practices. A secondary purpose was to see if observational skill varied as a function of scores on a measure of empathy. Participants (N = 60) were saxophonists who…

This article reports on a pilot project exploring the viability of a teaching-through-playing approach in chamber music instruction in higher music education. Literature suggests that teaching traditions such as the one-to-one setting need renewal, and socio-cultural theories of learning propose that collaboration and participation are a way…

This article is about one focus of a two-year project researching the Penrith (NSW Australia) Youth Music Program offered at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. The Penrith Youth Music Program has been designed to encourage young string players through a program of guided rehearsals and tutorials with mentoring by performers from the…

Instrumental and vocal tuition is an important part of music education but relatively little is known about musicians who participate in this profession or their views on what makes someone 'qualified' to do so. An online survey was completed by 496 musicians teaching instrumental or vocal pupils in the UK. Findings focus on respondents'…

This report presents findings from the annual evaluation of the MacPhail Intensive Strings Program, specifically at Ascension Catholic School in Minneapolis. It includes satisfaction and outcome data for the 2021-22 school year. [For the 2020-21 report, see ED619377.]

This study aims to analyse differences in MPA (Musical Performance Anxiety) in students in five Spanish university-level music conservatories according to instrument type (solo or orchestra) and their academic year of enrolment (AYE). A sample of 476 students with a mean age of 22.59, enrolled in different specialties, responded to the K-MPAI…

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable rubric to be used for the evaluation of large ensemble wind band performances. The guiding questions for this study were: (a) what are the psychometric qualities (i.e., reliability and validity) of the scale developed to assess wind band ensemble performance at the high school level?…

This report presents findings from the annual evaluation of the MacPhail Intensive Strings Program, specifically at Ascension Catholic School in Minneapolis. It includes satisfaction and outcome data for the 2020-21 school year. [For the 2019-20 report, see ED619376.]

All musicians should be evaluated in a fair, accurate, and objective manner. It is imperative for solo evaluations to be objective since preconceived expectations about musicians and their performances, spurred by gender and behavioral stereotyping, may lead to biased evaluations. This study will investigate the possible gender and behavioral…

This study investigates the compositional and contextual thinking of composer, Stuart Greenbaum, and the preparatory thinking, and teaching experience of pianist, Yvonne Lau, in the preparation of the solo piano work, "First Light". Adopting a practice-informed interview approach with questions drawn from the researcher's own preparation…

The purpose of the study was to examine students' experiences of independent music lessons, and to ascertain what factors predicted enjoyment and success, especially those predictors arising from self-regulation learning theory. A self-report survey was used to gather data on student demographics, practising habits, musical skills, achievements,…

This report presents findings from the annual evaluation of the MacPhail Intensive Strings Program. It includes satisfaction and outcome data for the 2019-20 school year.

The MacPhail Center for Music Online School Partnerships program aims to increase access to high-quality music education for students who attend schools in Greater Minnesota in order to improve student interest and knowledge in music, and to improve or maintain positive school engagement and non-academic skills. The MacPhail Teaching Artists work…