The MusicSystem is a sixteen-voice digital synthesizer consisting of a music editor, music player, music merger, and instrument definer. The system is appropriate for upper grade elementary school students and disabled students and is also sophisticated enough to accommodate advanced research and composition by professionals. (KC)

Examines the reliability of consensual assessment, where experts rate creative products. Focuses on musical compositions by fourth and fifth grade students. Addresses the reliability of certain types of judges using this method (composers, music teachers, theorists, seventh-grade children, and second-grade children). (CMK)

Analyzes John Corigliano's "Symphony No. 1" to explicate its communicative value for the AIDS crisis. Contends that music without lyrics can serve as an argument by functioning as a form of enthymeme. Discusses enthymeme's relevance to music, identifies the premises established in Corigliano's work and analyzes how they are developed in…

A look at the history of music education in American colleges and universities indicates its late development. Suggestions for enhancing the nation's musical life include viewing composition, performance, and listening as integrated processes; developing a broader focus for music specialists; and paying more attention to musical literacy in the…

Explores a tentative typology of young children's invented notations proposed in a previous study transferred across another group of musically naive kindergarteners. Extends the previous study by including notation of known and original song material. A modal dissonance was found in the children's notations of known and original songs. (CMK)

Presents a study which assessed undergraduates' and children's music preferences for examples of symphonic music. Serving as a teaching and planning experience for undergraduates, the study revealed that children's preferences were increased through undergraduate presentations and that college students used larger vocabularies when describing…

The author highlights some of the progressive trends in jazz band arrangements--woodwind doubling, synthesizers, strings, multipercussion, and other nontraditional instruments--and suggests sources for such scores to school jazz band directors. This article is part of a theme issue on popular music. (Author/SJL)

At the end of the two-year term of the first licenses for performance of music copyrighted under the new copyright law, the "model" licenses are being reconsidered. Considered here is whether an institution should sign a model license, or any other license, based on reference to the law itself. (MSE)

Offers ideas for teaching musicians to be improvisors. Suggests that structure, organization, and continuity are problems that can be solved by learning to improvise. Recommends exercises in building phrases to help students acquire a sense of the developing whole. Concludes that improvisation can be taught by showing students how to teach…

Discusses the use of technology in music and music education for teachers. Describes resources that are available presently and how they may be used for performing, composing, research, and administration. Addresses areas where a gap exists between what is or should be available and the technology actually being used in classrooms. (DK)

Investigates whether the language characteristics of Northern Sotho and English song-texts have any effects on children's singing pitch and whether there are any differences between the Sotho- and English-speaking children's singing pitch. Demonstrates differences in children's singing pitch due to the languages of song-texts and linguistic…

Examines possible musical and sociocultural influences on decision-making by untrained 8- and 9-year-olds during open-ended, non-notated composing tasks through a classroom ethnography. Uses one of the 21 child-composers participating in this study as an illustrative case. Discusses the results and implications for teachers and researchers. (CMK)

Explores the importance of emotional expression in music performance. Performers played music to express different emotions and then listening tests were conducted in order to determine whether the intended expressions were perceived. Presents and discusses the results. (CMK)

Examines an effective method of curing tsumari, a phenomenon whereby the first note in a sequence of two eighth-notes is performed shorter than the second note. Considers two possible causes: (1) insufficient motor skill control and (2) a lack of steady beat perception. Reveals a reduction in tsumari after procedural instruction. (CMK)

Investigates how accurately children, ages 6-9 from England, Japan, Korea, Spain, and the United States, could match eight animal drawings to excerpts from the well-known concert music, "The Carnival of the Animals" by Charles Camille Saint-Saens. Indicates a mean correct response of 40% without instruction. Discusses two extension…