The purpose of the present study was to investigate aspects of vibrato performance among high school and university string players. The main questions were to determine whether students consistently initiate vibrato in an upward or downward direction and whether players vibrate continuously when performing slurs. Forty high school and university…

There are some professions in which tradition holds strong, in which one generation schools the next in the techniques of the trade. These services help us maintain some of our dearest possessions--such as an antique watch or a prized violin--with their specialized skill and delicate touch. But not all of these technicians enter the field through…

Unlikely as it might seem, a simple request from music teachers to borrow musical instruments can be the beginning of a productive teaching and learning experience for students at their school. With a set of stringed and band instruments from their local music store, every student at a given grade level can have the chance to perform on an…

The purpose of this study was to describe the current practices (band setup, musical instruction, member interactions, and challenges) of adult beginning instruction in ensemble settings. Subjects in the current study were 35 adult band/orchestra directors from 19 US states and one province. The responding directors were 24 men and 11 women…

In this article, we chose the musical form of a sonata to examine tetrads, a simple four-fold structure that Marshall McLuhan coined and employed to describe various technologies. Tetrads, as cognitive models, are used to refine, focus, or discover entities in cultures and technologies, which are hidden from view in the psyche. Tetradic logic…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of the learning experiences of gifted young string players in Taiwan. Nine musicians under the age of 40, who had been accepted into music programs for the gifted, were invited to discuss their experiences and the development of their careers. Thorough interviews were conducted and then…

Teaching guitar is about much more than just the instrument. It is about developing positive habits, attitudes, skills, and thought patterns that are transferrable to other areas of life. In this article, the author shares some effective techniques in teaching classroom guitar. He presents his daily lesson structure and describes the four basic…

Conflicting philosophies exist in education today between those who believe that the traditional approach to curriculum is the best and those who believe there are better ways. At the core of both approaches is the sincere desire to give children the best education in the world. In this article, the author uses integration to bring the study of…

Provides extensive annotated bibliographies on sound, musical instruments, the perception of musical sound and other aspects of musical acoustics. (Author/CP)

In consideration of the great amount of change in demand for specific sounds and colors from the percussion section, the author provided some hints for selecting sticks and mallets, practice pads, snare drums, cymbals, timpani, and keyboard instruments. (Author/RK)

Article discussed the inquiry approach in teaching music. (Editor/RK)

This paper is one of the first presentations of research into brain gym's effectiveness in learning musical instruments. Brain gym (or Edu-K) is the popular, over-arching name for a system of exercises, approaches, and techniques intended to improve mental and physical performance. We explain the basic concepts and activities of brain gym and…

This article describes an innovative approach to analysing, describing and evaluating the careers of musicians, and applies it in the case of 37 "professors", that is, instrumental teachers, working at a conservatoire in the UK. The professors emerge as flexible and committed musicians who enjoy teaching conservatoire students, and who…

This article was motivated by a staff development session when the brass faculty of a conservatoire were invited to share and discuss their approaches to teaching. It presents the results of interviews with six well known woodwind or brass players who have also taught at one or more conservatoires in London for periods of between one and 40 years.…

Part of a section, "Essays in Musical Retribalization.