Multiple movement methods have been used in the music classroom for educational and research purposes. Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) is a movement framework that has been used with conductors, but there is limited research using Laban movements with K-12 band ensemble students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Laban…

"Accompanist" is the old term. "Collaborative pianist" is the new one. "Accompanist" implies a mostly subservient role, whereas "collaborative pianist" gestures toward a more equitable relationship between the soloist and pianist, no longer a mere follower. Degree programs that prepare collaborative piano…

Social and emotional growth is an important aspect of child development. Children spend their formative years engaging with parents, peers, teachers, religious leaders, and other community members--each one of these interactions plays a vital role in the social and emotional development of every human. The purpose of this study was to investigate…

Overwhelming evidence supports the fact that music instruction greatly increases academic achievement on standardized test scores at the elementary, middle and high school level. When school districts face budget deficits, typically they alleviate the shortfall by eliminating music programs. Currently in Dallas ISD, teacher salaries are affected…

Despite music education being endorsed by researchers as an effective tool to improve the social-emotional competence of students who live in poverty, African American students, who are overrepresented among the population of students who live in poverty, often fail to take advantage of music education programs (Elpus & Abril, 2011; Hoffman…

During the past 60 years, jazz music has slowly become recognized as a genre worthy of study in high school music programs throughout the United States. Only a few researchers have analyzed large samples of jazz-related instruction in instrumental music programs, and of these studies no data were collected to investigate the inclusion of jazz in…

Many American university percussion students in the early 21st Century are expected to have performance abilities in genres outside of the Western percussion tradition. With the increase in ethnomusicology programs and the active hiring of teachers with non-Western musical capabilities, many universities now offer multiple options for performance…

The dissertation builds on the research literature studying conductor training and the musical attributes requisite for adequate conducting skill and musical performance. The study also provides evidence that effective tools for evaluation of band and orchestra conductors are prevalent throughout the music education literature. Public school…

As schools face tough decisions regarding budget cuts and program elimination, research regarding the importance of extracurricular activities is increasingly important. This study focused on the impact of involvement in band on student achievement as defined by GPA and attendance. Because students were only involved in band extracurricularly…

Measurement and assessment are becoming increasingly important to all music educators. The purpose of this study was to investigate the following questions: 1) in what specific ways are current high school band directors assessing students in their ensemble classes; 2) what are high school band directors' attitudes toward the assessment process;…

This study examined whether or not students that participated in a school sponsored instrumental music program had higher academic achievement and attendance than students that did not participate in a school sponsor instrumental music program. Units of measurement included standardized test scores and attendance, without taking into consideration…

The impetus for this study was the question of whether extended techniques are actually being taught in college trumpet studio settings as standard skills necessary on the instrument. The specific purposes of this document included: (1) catalogue the extended techniques available to today's trumpet performer, (2) reflect on their current use and…

The purposes of this study were: 1) To assess the effects of practice strategies, metronome, meter, hand, and musical function on piano performance accuracy of undergraduate music majors enrolled in piano class (N=39), and 2) To assess the effects of practice strategies on practice time relative to two unfamiliar pieces of keyboard music.…