In this study, the American pianist and composer Jeff Manookian's "Etudes for the Intermediate Pianist" method was examined. In this qualitative study, the descriptive research model was employed and the literature was scanned through document review. As a result of the examination, no study was found on Manookian's piano etudes. To that…

The purpose of this study was to examine effects of ensemble size and repertoire difficulty on listeners' perceptions of concert band performances. Undergraduate music majors (N = 210) viewed an audiovisual stimulus consisting of various images of large and small concert bands paired with identical audio performances of either an easy or difficult…

The questions of which strategies are determined and/or used for cello performance in Turkish Music, in which circumstances and how the determined strategies are used can only be answered through a qualitative research. Therefore, this study is structured as a qualitative study. The study has primarily revealed the strategies used by students; the…

The purpose of this study was to describe the development of a valid and reliable rubric to assess secondary-level solo instrumental music performance based on principles of invariant measurement. The research questions that guided this study included (1) What is the psychometric quality (i.e., validity, reliability, and precision) of a scale…

Little is currently known about the possible benefits of using networked technology to enhance ensemble performance. This study explored whether the introduction of specially devised technology -- networked tablets using traditional music notation -- to a primary school orchestra would enhance the experience of ensemble music. Particular emphasis…

This study extends an eight-country mapping exercise (McPherson & O'Neill, 2010; see "Research Studies in Music Education" issues 2010-2011) to include students' motivation to study music within the Australian context. It sought to determine whether music learners (students learning an instrument or voice), might be more motivated to…

In this article, we provide a process description of scaffolding in music lessons based on the scaffolding model of Van Geert and Steenbeek (2005). Scaffolding is a form of socially mediated learning in which teacher and student constantly adapt their behavior to one another in order to reach a goal. To illustrate this process, data from…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of cognitive load during practice on university wind students' learning. Cognitive load was manipulated through instrument family (woodwind or brass) and the amount of repetition used in practice (highly repetitive or random). University woodwind and valved-brass students (N = 46)…

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…

In this article, a qualitative, collaborative study on two students' preparation of public performances of guitar duos is presented. A cultural-psychological perspective was used, and data were collected in natural settings. Participants' processes of finding interpretations are characterized by complex strategies, based on individual familiarity…

Attempts to determine the relative difficulty of playing selected types of melodic pattern by ear; studies the effects of performance experience and instrument family on the ability to play by ear; and investigates the relationship between tonal aptitude and ability to play by ear. Presents results and questions for further research. (DSK)