Children with severe multiple disabilities face numerous possibilities for enjoying music and participating in performance activities; however, the research practice for realizing these possibilities involves various difficulties. To understand the disabilities of children and their engagement with music, awareness of one's perception of…

This research uses three of the lesser-known concerti by Antonio Vivaldi to discuss how the musical material in these concerti is equally suitable to those concerti that have found popularity through printed editions earlier in the twentieth century, such as RV 484 in E minor. These concerti are excellent resources for musicianship development for…

In 2001, the government in England pledged in the white paper Schools Achieving Success that all primary school pupils who wanted to should have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument. The research reported here aimed to establish what contributed to the success of the implementation of this policy. The findings showed that success…

Any seasoned band teacher can attest to the challenge of teaching percussion. Many young percussionists face a sense of alienation from the rest of the ensemble because of a perception that percussionists have a lesser understanding of music than other instrumentalists. This perception has improved because many schools now include bell kits in…

The purpose of this project was to examine adult learning perceptions of a model music program with group piano instruction and group percussion ensemble for beginning-level musicians (ages 60-86 years). Participants were matched by age and education to two 16-week music programs. Forty participants completed a post-training questionnaire related…

The well-established socio-educational model of second language learning motivation developed by R. C. Gardner was adapted and applied to study instrumental music learning motivation. The similarities between music and language suggested that the adaptation might lead to new insights in the study of music motivation. At the heart of the proposed…

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…

Students with physical disabilities frequently are excluded from participation in instrumental music programs, yet the obstacles band directors face that preclude integration of these students have not been documented systematically. The primary purpose of this study was to measure Nebraska High School band directors' concerns regarding the…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of physical movement on listeners' perception of musical performance. Participants ( N = 112) rated a professional pianist performing with a recorded musical excerpt under three physical movement conditions: "no movement", "head and facial movement" and "full body movement". Relationships…

This study investigated infant listening preferences for two versions of an unfamiliar Chinese children's song: unaccompanied (i.e., voice only) and accompanied (i.e., voice and instrumental accompaniment). Three groups of 5-, 8- and 11-month-old infants were tested using the Headturn Preference Procedure. A general linear model analysis of…

This study examines the extent to which the perceptions of observers instructed to rate the quality of students' performances within ensemble rehearsals and applied lessons differ from those not so instructed. Music education majors (N = 52) wrote statements of observation during their viewing of a stimulus tape. All participants were informed of…

Article describes how a physically handicapped child learned to play the horn and particularly stresses the encouraging attitude of the band master. (MM)