A four-month research period into the practice of free music improvisation in Brazil during February-June 2014 allowed intriguing insights into how musicians think about, play and teach the music practice that is referred to as 'free improvisation.' An overview of the term 'free improvisation' with some historical context on its development will…

Many K-12 teachers face hurdles when it comes to running a Modern Band, including the pedagogical challenges of facilitating large scale ensembles with unfamiliar repertoire and instruments. Approximation and scaffolding are two important tools teachers can use to help learners thrive in this environment. This article uses music examples to…

This article presents the composer Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) as an historical educator in the context of the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures on Poetry at Harvard University (1939-1940), published as "The Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons." As music professors at North American institutions of Christian Higher Education, the…

The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether an experimental programme, based on interdisciplinary interactions between music education and history and the implementation of arts and cultural education objectives, could influence pupils' interest in Western classical music of the 20th century. The programme was designed on the basis…

Instrumental practice is vital to musical development. Between lessons musicians need to employ considerable self-regulated learning strategies to solve learning problems and to manage their practice. Many children lack these self-regulatory skills for effective and independent practice. Digital technology advancements are offering teachers new…

During the last decades of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth, a serious concern regarding the academic credentials of musicians arose in Spain. This movement was led by Francisco Barbieri and Felipe Pedrell. Drawing on Krausism and Regenerationism, Pedrell defined the cultural background required by true artists, following…

This paper explores the implications of children's out-of-school digital multimodal composing practices on learning and teaching in the formal educational context. It adopts a case study approach where publicly accessible "YouTube" video productions of three children around the world are examined. Applying a multimodal discourse analysis…

This article reflects on the experience of teaching a course called "Sacred Sound in World Religions" at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. I claim that the nature of music and music-making has profound implications for teaching and pedagogical theory in an interreligious setting. Drawing upon scholars including Lisa M. Hess,…

Feedback plays an essential role in music education, helping individuals learn to consider creative works from multiple perspectives. In this article, we explore the Critical Response Process, a four-step process for engaging with artistic works in progress. Founded on the principle that both artists and responders play active roles in feedback,…

In secondary ensembles, teachers navigate the demanding balance of developing music literacy skills while preparing for concerts. This challenge intensifies in online learning environments due to limited opportunities for instant feedback, ensemble synchronization, and fostering a sense of community. The problem was the lack of understanding of…

Metaphors are an important linguistic device that can enable music teachers to explain expressive performance features in a way that makes sense to their students. This study extends the limited literature on the application of metaphors within advanced music instruction, providing new insights into the nature and function of metaphor in the way…

Inspired by a desire to explore ways in which non-Indigenous Australians can meaningfully connect with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, this article reflects on my doctoral studies and the role educators can have in holding space for First Nations peoples to directly contribute toward the creation of mutually rewarding teaching and…

The curriculum used in amateur and professional piano education is shaped according to the physical and mental state of the students. Easy access to piano literature that can be used in case of one hand and/or one arm disability is important in terms of contributing to the students and piano instructors. For this reason, it is aimed to determine…

Music sight-reading is a valuable skill that eludes and frustrates many musicians. Techniques for teaching sight-reading are varied, with teachers mostly falling back on personal experience or simply hoping that, somehow, the penny will drop for the student. This study reports on a survey of the music learning and playing habits of expert and…

Musicians nowadays need to be able to work both creatively and collaboratively, often in a wider range of artistic, social and cultural contexts. A strong vision on conservatoire pedagogy is needed to reach this goal and at the same time align with the demands of higher education. At the start of the 21st century, renewal of curricula concentrated…