The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of varied accent/articulation marks on listeners' perceptions of forcefulness of attack and length of sustain in trombone articulations. Musicians (N = 68) were asked to listen to a series of seven short musical excerpts in which a predefined set of pitches would be accented. Participants rated…

Research in music education asserts that video review by performers facilitates self-directed learning and transforms performing. Yet, certain videos may be traumatic for musicians to view; those who perceive themselves as failing or experience performance-related failures are prone to feelings of distress and sadness that can negatively affect…

The purpose of this study was to explore personality type differences among high school band, string orchestra, and choir students according to ensemble membership. Participants (N = 355) were high school students who had participated in their school's band, orchestra, or choir for 1 year or more. The author administered the Myers-Briggs Type…

Directors strive for a unified sound throughout their wind and orchestra ensembles. Articulation affects sound uniformity among winds and strings. This baseline study examined whether a trumpet player could better match a violin player's articulation, as perceived by participants listening to a recording of two performances, when: (a) performing…

This study examined the programming trends of the elite wind bands/ensembles of the Atlantic Coast Conference universities. Using survey techniques previously employed by Powell (2009) and Paul (2010; in press), we contacted the directors of the Atlantic Coast Conference band programs and requested concert programs from their top groups for the…

An experienced cello soloist recorded her practice as she learned and memorized the Prelude from J.S. Bach's Suite No. 6 for solo cello and gave 10 public performances over a period of more than three years. She described the musical structure, decisions about basic technique (e.g., bowing), interpretation (e.g., dynamics), and five kinds of…

Many school bands organize their year around competitions, but Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the only contest is topping the previous season's performances for the student body and surrounding community. That is just how Michael Moran--Freedom's busy band and orchestra director, fine and practical arts department chair, and wind…

As world percussion has grown in popularity in American colleges and universities, two main problems have emerged. The first problem is that no known source exists detailing how percussion instructors have incorporated world percussion into their collegiate teaching. A review of the literature has highlighted four main approaches to incorporating…

The risk of injury in musicians has been well established over the past twenty-five years. Concerns about the risk of becoming injured have been increasingly present in the music world. Research in performing arts medicine has demonstrated that approximately 25 percent of music students experience a playing-related injury. Since musicians'…

This qualitative study investigated the vocational socialization turning points in families of classical musicians. I sampled and interviewed 20 parent-child dyads, for a total of 46 interviews. Data analysis revealed that classical musicians' experiences were marked by 11 turning points that affected their identification with the occupation:…

To test the extent to which learners performing a simple keyboard passage would be affected by directing their focus of attention to different aspects of their movements, 16 music majors performed a brief keyboard passage under each of four focus conditions arranged in a counterbalanced design--a total of 64 experimental sessions. As they…

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between observed practice behaviors consistent with conceptions of deliberate practice (Lehmann & Ericsson, 1997) and the performance achievement of collegiate wind players (N = 55). The secondary purpose of this study was to explore relationships among observed practice…

Just about every music teacher has an entertaining--or horrifying--story to tell about student instruments in an extreme state of disrepair. Most instrument problems aren't nearly so severe; loose screws, leaky pads, stuck mouthpieces, and wobbly bridges are far more the norm. Still, each little imperfection can have an impact on a student…

In this study, one-to-one tuition in higher music education (HME) was theorised as a culturally and historically grounded activity system consisting of relationships between musicians, instruments, music-making traditions and audiences. The "skills paradox", as seen in the inherent conflict between musicians' need for long-term artistic…

Thanks to technology and modern conveniences, the world continues to become a smaller place, while communities become more diverse. At the same time, it's becoming easier to learn about the world's many cultures, to appreciate their unique qualities, to understand their significance--and their fragility. For music teachers with wide-ranging…