The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a singing-aural imitation treatment on collegiate instrumentalists' jazz performance achievement and self-efficacy to play and teach jazz and improvisation. A secondary purpose was to investigate to what extent various background variables might relate to jazz improvisation…

Band directors have a strong sense of the traditions of band when they begin teaching. They learned these traditions as students in band and through music education coursework. They also have unique personal histories that influence the ways in which they perpetuate or alter these traditions. The variety of personal and professional experiences…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of short-term mindfulness practices on self-regulation of practice routines in high school instrumental students. We implemented mindfulness techniques prior to at-home practice routines for high school instrumental students (N = 117) over 16 weeks. Using the four-factor model of self-regulation…

In education, the term "living contradictions" refers to "holding educational values whilst at the same time negating them" in practice (Whitehead, 1993, p. 17), and self-study research often begins with a question surrounding such living contradictions. In this self-study, I implemented an instrumental case study design to…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of listening condition, age, and years of performing experience on the melodic error detection process and accuracy of adult amateur musicians. Participants (N = 33) engaged in a series of six short melodies, where each participant played three melodies and listened to three melodies. The…

Musical composition is widely considered to be a fundamental component of good musicianship. Recent state and national standards make it clear that preservice music teachers will be expected to include the teaching of musical composition in their curricula when they enter the field. The purpose of this study was to investigate the integration of…

Internet video has altered the teaching and learning of instrumental music, breaking down barriers separating instruction at school from practice at home. The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess the educational value of beginning instrumental music tutorials available via the video-sharing site YouTube. Results of searches for flute,…

Given the prevalence of honor ensembles (Lien & Humphreys, 2001) and the lack of research investigating these ensembles outside of the event itself, the purpose of this study was to examine collegiate musicians' remembered benefits and experiences of such honor ensemble experiences. Participants (N = 86) were undergraduate and graduate…

This study was designed to explore differences between instrumental music teachers' comfort and self-perceived competence ratings based on their undergraduate choral methods curricular background and in-service choral teaching experiences, using a 7-point Likert scale, on 15 specific choral teaching skills presented through a researcher-developed…

School-based bullying is a serious issue facing adolescents within the United States and relational bullying and victimization behaviors within music ensemble classrooms have become a topic of inquiry among music education researchers. Using data from a convenience sample of high school youth enrolled in an instrumental music program, we examined…

The purpose of this study was to describe novice band directors' perceptions of (a) the importance of skills/knowledge competencies, (b) the difficulty of acquiring skills/knowledge competencies, (c) differences between teaching competency importance and acquisition ratings, (d) benefits of university coursework, and (e) potential improvements to…

The purpose of the present study was to examine collegiate band, choir, and orchestra members' preferred teacher interpersonal behaviors. The sample (N = 705) was composed of band, choir, and orchestra members at six universities. Participants completed the Teacher Interaction Preference Questionnaire (TIPQ). Descriptive results showed that all…

Practice, skill and competition are important aspects of participating in school bands and orchestras. However, writers have questioned their value. In this philosophical paper, I mine the writings of the American pragmatists--in particular, their theories of habit and experience--to construct a theory of action for instrumental music education,…

Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) is a sometimes debilitating condition affecting many young musicians as they perform in testing or concert settings. These students may consult their teachers to seek aid in overcoming their anxiety. The purpose of this multiple case study was to investigate the strategies and methods utilized by middle and high…

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…