The Alexander Technique is a method that emerged as a result of Actor Frederick Matthias Alexander's work on himself to solve the problems he had with his voice during his performance. This technique, which was effective for himself, rapidly became widespread because it was tried by different people over time and positive results were obtained.…

This qualitative multiple case study was designed to investigate the experiences and the perceptions of three different collegiate brass instrumentalists with physical disabilities. I sought to discern the meaning of inclusion to students with disabilities and the state of current inclusive practices. I also sought to understand their challenges…

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between high school concert band directors' self-efficacy for classroom management, efficacious sources, and classroom management behaviors. Participants (N = 271) completed the Band Director Self-Efficacy for Classroom Management scale and responded to items about their demographic and school…

This article was inspired by a speaker at a music education conference who complained that performances get in the way of real learning. This complaint prompted me to ask what musicians understand performance to be and why performance is not considered part of the curriculum or 'real' work of a musician. I suggest a model of performance education…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two pre-tuning vocalization behaviors (humming and singing) on the tuning accuracy of woodwind and brass instrumentalists. Undergraduate collegiate musicians (N = 72) performed a sustained stimulus pitch (concert B-flat) while engaging in one of the two conditions or the control condition…

The purpose of this study was to develop a measure to investigate studio teacher's observational skill as a function of the observer's ability to identify effective pedagogical practices. A secondary purpose was to see if observational skill varied as a function of scores on a measure of empathy. Participants (N = 60) were saxophonists who…

The purpose of this study was to compare the muscle activation of singers and instrumentalists while performing simple vocal exercises. Volunteer participants (N = 28) were undergraduate music majors and minors, with an equal number being vocalists and instrumentalists. Participants performed five vowel sounds (ah, eh, ee, oh, oo), while…

Music performance requires high levels of motor control. Professional musicians use body movements not only to accomplish and help technical efficiency, but to shape expressive interpretation. Here, we recorded motion and audio data of twenty participants performing four musical fragments varying in the degree of technical difficulty to analyze…

This study investigates the careers of 28 classical pianists in Australia to develop greater understanding of skills needed to build professional music careers and to highlight implications for higher music education training. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed for emerging themes using Subotnik and Jarvin's scholarly productivity or…

This study investigated expert vocalists' approaches to practice in terms of planning, time, and strategy usage. Participants were 79 university voice professors and members of professional choirs. The researchers sent each participant the Vocal Practice Survey (VPS)which collected data on the participants' professional backgrounds, attitudes…

Musical settings that require consumers to construct their own musical instruments serve as potential sites of reconnection between musicians, the musical instruments they make, the natural resources that comprise those instruments, and the labor required to produce them. When musicians reconnect in these ways, they are able to understand and…

The American Brass Band Movement (1835-1892) is an important period within music history that is disproportionally and inadequately taught in collegiate music history classrooms. By learning about America's band history and by performing in these ensembles, future music educators will be able to have a more well-rounded understanding of the…

This essay represents my attempt to develop an expanded voice-as-researcher. My intent is to create a space for an improvisatory and playful process of self-discovery through writing aimed at extracting deeply-held, even concealed, possibilities rarely invoked in my practices as researcher. To facilitate this process of self-discovery, I use a…

In this second of three in the series, we explore methods for incorporating instrumental ensembles into your music classroom. Experiences such as performing on ukulele, bucket drums, and in modern popular music ensembles are excellent ways to provide meaningful, relevant music education to students of all ages. Using both research-based…

Professional development can help to ensure teaching artists have the requisite knowledge and skills to lead effective instruction. However, the specific format of professional development can vary. One organization that provides professional development for their teaching artists is the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) program, which is an El…