The aim of this study, whose theoretical framework is based on Bandura's social cognitive theory, was to investigate the effectiveness of including a metacognitive approach in teaching expressivity at the piano. Questions addressed the perceived effect of metacognition by investigating the processes allowing young pianists to elicit an expressive…

Musical expression is often not explicitly addressed in secondary instrumental rehearsals due to the perception of expression as an obscure concept and the instructional time constraints on music educators. Secondary music educators, however, are encouraged to discuss expressive performance goals with instrumental students from the beginning of…

To sing while taking melodic dictation is a strategy employed by some Ear Training students as an aid, but there is a disagreement among the literature about its efficiency. Thus, it is important to disambiguate this question examining the contributions related to vocalization. The purpose of this research is to investigate the influence singing…

Categories are fundamental to everyday life and the ability to learn new categories is relevant across the lifespan. Categories are ubiquitous across modalities, supporting complex processes such as object recognition and speech perception. Prior work has proposed that different categories may engage learning systems with unique developmental…

The ability to identify errors by sight and sound--commonly referred to as "error detection"--is a musical ability needed in a variety of music professions. Instructors of undergraduate aural-skills courses often agree that strong error-detection skills are an essential outcome of these courses; however, error-detection activities are…

Rote versus note beginning instrumental pedagogy has been an active topic for music educators. Traditional method books have often comprised a significant portion of beginning instrumental curricula, though content has varied and may have been based on convention. Advocates of a rote-before-note approach have recommended that singing, movement,…

Aural preparation is operationally defined as hearing, performing, decoding, and creating rhythms or pitches aurally prior to the introduction of music notation. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of aural preparation on second grade students' music literacy rhythm skills (i.e. reading, performing, and dictation). The research…

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of familiarity with the sound of a melody on children's performance of the melody. Children in kindergarten through fourth grade (N = 97) with no previous formal instrumental instruction were taught to play a four-measure melody on a keyboard during an individual instruction session. Before…

Discusses the benefits of using mental-memorization techniques in conjunction with kinesthetic memory. Expounds that memorization helps students feel both more secure and musical. Describes several kinds of memory: physical kinesthetic, mental kinesthetic, visual memory, aural memory, and structural memory. Gives tips for strengthening memory and…