Two experiments are reported in which skilled musicians playing different instruments performed a piece of their choice under various attentional focus conditions. In the external focus condition, they were asked to focus on playing for the audience and the expressive sound of the music. In the internal focus condition, they were asked to focus on…

On November 15, 1981, the University of Illinois British Brass Band performed its first concert, conducted by University of Illinois Assistant Director of Bands James Curnow. The ensemble's antecedents lay in the brass bands established in Victorian England that were populated by members of the working classes, while its 1980s founding occurred in…

The purpose of this study was to examine the history of the Austin High School (AHS) Girls' Band (AHSGB) of Chicago, Illinois, which existed from 1925 to 1956. This research focused on the band's (a) organization and leadership, (b) activities within the school and community, (c) relationship to the AHS Boys Band, and (d) efforts to challenge and…

As a result of the impact of the COVID 19 epidemic, the use of alternative mass media has become mandatory in the field of education, as in many areas, and this has led to the search for a new approach to education. In this context, communication problems may occur during rhythm practice in distance piano lessons that are conducted synchronously.…

As a response to the ban on singing and playing woodwind and brass instruments, and with the heightened exposure of Auslan interpreters in the media due to COVID reporting, many music teachers considered Auslan choirs to be a safe singing-replacement activity for end-of-year performances. Auslan holds deep cultural significance to the Deaf…

This article explores the life histories of virtuoso classical music soloists with particular reference to conservatoire provision. Detailed life-history interviews were conducted with six virtuosi between May 2018 and January 2019. These participants were three singers, two cellists and a concert pianist. Resultant qualitative data were stored in…

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and experiences of clarinet lesson teachers toward their private students with special needs, and to outline pedagogical strategies that clarinet teachers can use with special learners. To determine the results, a survey was sent to private clarinet teachers from the United States (N = 80).…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the effect of learner-centered pedagogy on student engagement in a virtual elementary instrumental music program. Eleven fourth- and fifth-grade students from an elementary school in the Southeastern United States worked remotely toward creating a virtual performance over 28 weeks. All…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a beginning jazz improvisation learning environment for middle school instrumentalists, including whether one of two instructional sequences of harmonic form improvisation tasks better supported four outcomes: achievement, self-assessment, self-efficacy, and motivation. Over 12…

In this study, we explored the ways in which listening tools within technology-mediated environments can facilitate children's self-regulation of instrumental music learning between lessons. This interpretive multiple case study utilized a software application assigned for 22 weeks to a piano teacher and four students (ages 8-10). Data sources…

The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed methods research is to (1) analyse research on the problems in music education management in Thailand in the past 5-10 years and (2) explore the current resources of music education in Thai institutions under the Office of The Basic Education Commission (OBEC). The study found that (1) the problems…

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…

How do we motivate students to practice and persist when facing challenges inherent in learning to play an instrument? In this article, I synthesize research findings into strategies to encourage students' mastery goal orientations and intrinsic motivation. Educators can use these strategies in the classroom or as inspiration to create innovative…

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…

This study is based on the premise that emotional skills--comprised of an intrapersonal dimension and an interpersonal dimension--help to achieve personal balance, which in turn can enhance performance. Following from this premise, the improvement of music students' emotional skills might have a positive effect on their musical performance. The…