Since the end of the 19th century, musical theater has thrived and continued to grow as a prominent American artform. Though musical theater has roots in classical style singing, it quickly capitalized on the inclusion of contemporary music trends, notation, orchestration, and themes. Because of its influence from contemporary styles, musical…

This study explored the decision making process of novice musical theater voice teachers. Musical theater voice teachers often begin teaching with diverse backgrounds in terms of teacher preparation. Currently, there is no standardized trajectory for someone who is interested in pursuing voice teaching. Further, there is no well-defined body of…

This study explores the integration of career development into performing arts curriculum and its relevance to job satisfaction in the labor market for African American Music degree graduates. Through a phenomenological analysis utilizing interpretative analysis and snowball sampling, 11 interviews were conducted across two Historically Black…

Evidence exists that the performing arts (dance, music, and theatre) foster skills, qualities, and capacities that are vital to a 21st century education. However, despite being known to promote essential learning experiences, the performing arts are often overlooked, underfunded, and undervalued across institutions of higher education because of…

Within the last twenty years there have been a growing number of prospective students interested in pursuing musical theater (MT) training in colleges and universities throughout the United States. To meet this demand, the number of schools offering baccalaureate MT degrees has also grown. However, information on how to assess the music and…

This study intended to identify commonalities of fine arts programs at selected private liberal arts colleges and universities in order to ultimately develop an exemplary fine arts program in a similar setting. This study searched for answers to three research questions within the context of art, music, dance, and theatre. The first research…

The importance of music improvisation can be seen in its inclusion in the National Standards for Music Education and the accreditation standards for the National Association of Schools of Music. The purpose of this study was to examine the pedagogical techniques and materials of improvisation instructors who do not hold academic credentials. The…

The purpose of this study was to explore the benefits of arts-based education for adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) placed in an inclusion program. The goal was to examine the potential of arts education as an inclusive curricular component that enhances students' engagement in learning. The study is framed within the education policy…