Author: crciorba

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Musical Meaning and Social Context: Thoughts by Selected Ethnomusicologists and Cultural Theorists (Froehlich, Chapter 5)

Culture: an interesting term that can inspire different meanings from a variety of people. From a musical perspective, some scholars have separated the term into two meanings: (a) culture (music that is part of a person’s life) and (b) Culture (“high” culture, which is often associated with Western classical music). Froehlich (2007) draws upon the scholarly writings of several prominent ethnomusicologists and cultural theorists to explain how both viewpoints can co-exist in our postmodern society, and more importantly, the field of education. Before we move any further with this discussion, let us note that scholarship from ethnomusicologists tend to take a microsociological perspective while cultural theorists often promote the macrosociological perspective.

The Ethnomusicologists

Charles Seeger (1886-1979) was a social activist who studied the American folksongs of rural America. Seeger stressed the importance of music’s social relevance in relation to its people. By developing a deep understanding of the music within your own culture, you can attain true musicianship. His views were unique in that he addressed the similarities among various musical cultures as opposed to the differences. John Blacking (1928-1990) made a name for himself in the field of ethnomusicology by completely immersing himself in the Venda culture of South Africa for a decade and a half. As a result of his efforts, Blacking developed what is known as the cultural analysis of music. He saw value in learning music informally through cultural immersion and imitation. Eileen Southern (1920-2002) was a music historian who studied the legacy of popular and classical music and how it helped to define African American culture in the United States. Her book, which is titled The Music of Black Americans, is a valuable resource for all music educators who are interested in teaching the music of this rich and valued heritage.

The Cultural Theorists

John Shepherd, a cultural theorist, understood the value of popular music from a sociological perspective. According to Shepherd, people often convey their previous experiences when listening to a piece of music. As a result, people are able to construct their own meaning from the music. This is referred to as the construction of meaning, and Shepherd believed music educators could help students use past experiences to develop musical meaning in the classroom. Christopher Small believes people develop musical meaning through actual performance (i.e., musicking). By engaging in the process of music making, people develop important social relationships. Different performances convey different rituals, and the roles of the performer and listener are of vital importance. Music educators who advocate this position are encouraged to have their students participate in informal music making activities that are meaningful to them.

By analyzing musical forms in relation to gender, narratives, and politics, Susan McClary maintains Small’s views from the feminist perspective. Like Small, she believes musical and social meanings are interconnected. Music reflects shifting perceptions about gender and sexuality, and these perceptions help us to describe ourselves.

Roger Scruton takes a position that is different from the others mentioned in this chapter in that he advocates for the representation of high culture as part of the core curriculum. Like Adorno, he is a formalist who believes musical meaning lies in the music itself. What may be seen as an elitist perspective of a previous era, Scruton’s beliefs are not without merit. For example, he emphasizes the importance of teaching music literacy. School music should highlight high culture, and music educators should not gratify students by addressing their interests in popular music, which are always subject to change.

What are your thoughts?

As musicians and teachers, it is natural for us to teach according to our own values, and perhaps the thoughts espoused by ethnomusicologists and cultural theorists can help us to refine our values. For your weekly assignment, please do the following:

  1. Read the fifth chapter of the Froehlich text, which is titled, Musical Meaning and Social Context: Thoughts by Selected Ethnomusicologists and Cultural Theorists
  2. Post a thread (500 words minimum) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 24th. Do not attempt to summarize the entire chapter.  Instead, try to expand on a particular topic within the chapter that is of interest to you.
  3. By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 26th, please post a response (200 word minimum) to TWO threads created by your classmates.

As you work on this chapter, please feel free to draw from following statements and questions:

  • Develop arguments in support of Scruton’s position that the purpose of schooling is to focus on teaching music from the perspective of “high culture” alone.
  • In light of the viewpoints outlined in this chapter, voice your own position and articulate your allegiance, if any, with one of the individuals introduced in this chapter. If you had a chance to visit with any of them, what would you like to comment on most immediately? What criticism of concerns would you have?

Froehlich, H. C. (2007). Sociology for music teachers: Perspectives for practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

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Music and Social Context (Froehlich, Chapter 4)

When discussing music and social context, Froehlich draws upon the important connections between philosophical and sociological perspectives in Western music. Since our course is sociological in nature, please allow me to offer a few traditional philosophical approaches, which provide a basis for establishing the meaning of music:

  • Referentialism: Musical meaning is extrinsic. Musical meaning is derived from nonmusical factors (e.g., objects or ideas).
  • Expressionism: Musical meaning is extrinsic. Musical meaning is derived from emotional states.
  • Formalism: Musical meaning is intrinsic. Musical meaning is derived from the music itself (e.g., volume, pitch, theory).
  • Absolute Expressionism: Musical meaning is intrinsic. Music may contain extrinsic attributes, but they are a direct result of music’s intrinsic qualities.

Weber and Adorno’s influence in the sociology of music plays a predominant role in this chapter. Weber suggests that musical meaning is intrinsic. He also set forth the idea that Western classical music is superior to non-Western pitch systems. Please keep in mind that recent philosophical thought has drifted away from perspectives that support musical superiority. For example, Nattiez (1990) states, music can be whatever you want it to be. Music can be defined through a process that is unrestricted, and each culture is responsible for defining music in accordance to their values.

Adorno, a member of the Frankfurt School of critical theory, drew a line between classical and popular music. Specifically, since the marketplace manipulates the role of popular music in Western society, such music cannot provide an authentic listening experience to its audience. I have always been intrigued by Adorno’s thoughts on the market’s control of popular music, and given the manner in which the recording industry has changed over the past 17 years in reaction to file sharing, streaming, and the Internet, how would you interpret Adorno’s views today?

Froehlich refers to additional texts (Silbermann, Supicic, Kaplan, Etzkorn, etc.), and I encourage you to take all of these thoughts into consideration when making your curricular choices. By establishing informed curricular decisions based on sociological theory, you ensure that what you teach is musically, socially, and educationally relevant (Froehlich, 2007, p. 63). Most importantly, does the music you teach connect to the lives and experiences of your students?

For your weekly assignment, please do the following:

  • Read the fourth chapter of the Froehlich text, which is titled, Music and Social Context: Macro, Micro, and Interactive Perspectives in Selected Texts on the Sociology of Music.
  • Post a thread (500 words minimum) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 17th. Do not attempt to summarize the entire chapter.  Instead, try to expand on a particular topic within the chapter that is of interest to you.
  • By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 19th, please post a response (200 word minimum) to TWO threads created by your classmates.

As you work on this chapter, please feel free to draw from following statements and questions:

  • Find examples of dialectic logic and living in your everyday life.
  • Consider what high school students nowadays might call “authentic music.” What is authentic music in your own experience? How useful is the term in your view to determine what to include in music listening lessons for a middle school general music classroom?
  • Discuss your view of the relationship between music as a leisure pursuit and music as a school subject. Identify similarities and differences as you have experienced them.
  • In your point of view, how useful is it to distinguish between commercial and aesthetic purposes of music? Where and how would such a distinction be beneficial in setting curricular goals and objectives?
  • Which of the books described in this chapter are most relevant to you and why?

Froehlich, H. C. (2007). Sociology for music teachers: Perspectives for practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Nattiez, J. J. (1990). Music and discourse: Toward a semiology of music (C. Abbate, Trans.). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

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Music Learning and Teaching as Socially Situated Acts (Froehlich, Chapter 3)

Take a moment to consider the terms teaching and learning. While doing so, please reflect on Froehlich’s statement, where she indicates it is a common belief in our profession that both terms are “nearly indistinguishable from each other” (p. 37). This certainly can be the case when examining self-taught musicians, but think about the teaching and learning that occurs in your own music classroom. While much of what is learned is indeed a result of your instruction, it is important to consider the other variables that play a role in the teaching and learning process. Do some of your students come from a home environment where music learning is encouraged through supportive parental involvement? Do some of your students perform in a church group or a garage band? When students rehearse and perform in your ensembles, are some of them simply faking it? Even if we can come up with legitimate answers to these questions, it is difficult to determine if teaching and learning are completely aligned in the music classroom.

Music learning outside of the classroom can be accomplished through casual listening, having conversations about music, and active music making. With all of this musical activity occurring outside of school, it is apparent that music is an important part of our culture. As a result, students arrive in your classroom with a clear set of music preferences. Taking this into consideration, I believe music educators should be encouaged to develop a clear set of instructional goals pertaining to the styles of music they want their students to learn (and hopefully appreciate). When students and teachers share common musical values, it is more likely that students will be motivated to learn. Motivation plays a critical role in the learning process. According to Asmus (1994), it is estimated that 11 to 27 percent of achievement in schools can be credited to motivation.

Froehlich goes on to discuss the role of music teachers as bridge builders between music communities in and out of a formal school setting. Three sociological perspectives are outlined in this discussion, and they include the macro, micro, and interactive views.

  • Macro View: The birds eye view, which involves the development of theoretical and broad-based perspectives.
  • Micro View: The bottoms-up view, which examines the behaviors of individuals to gain a better perspective of society.
  • Interactionist View: Utilizes both the macro and micro views as a means to examine the large patterns of a society (macro) and the efforts put forth by individuals (micro). Usually longitudinal in design.

For your weekly assignment, please do the following:

  • Read the third chapter of the Froehlich text, which is titled, Music Learning and Teaching as Socially Situate Acts.
  • Post a thread (500 words minimum) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 10th. Do not attempt to summarize the entire chapter.  Instead, try to expand on a particular topic within the chapter that is of interest to you.
  • By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 12th, please post a response (200 word minimum) to TWO threads created by your classmates.

As you work on this chapter, please feel free to draw from following questions:

  • How do you react to different types of music present in today’s culture with which you are not very familiar? How would you educate yourself about such music in a way that you would allow yourself to incorporate it in your teaching?
  • Considering the different styles of music that exist side-by-side in our society, take the position of a macro-sociologist, a micro-sociologist, and an interactionist. Discuss how they might suggest we teach about music as a social phenomenon. Include in your discussion how each of the three perspectives might impact research on the diversity of musical styles in our society.

Asmus, E. P. (1994). Motivation in music teaching and learning. The Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning, 5(4), 5-32.

Froehlich, H. C. (2007). Sociology for music teachers: Perspectives for practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ:p Pearson Education, Inc.

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Teaching as Work: What Educational Sociologists Tell Us (Froehlich, Chapter 2)

For those of us who chose to pursue a career in teaching, we often came to the realization our undergraduate coursework focused more on teaching methods and less on the bureaucratic demands we are required to face in the workplace. Upon graduation, we entered the workforce and faced a complex system regulated by numerous policies and regulations. To be successful, it is not enough to be an effective teacher. One also needs to become savvy in the area of workplace politics. It is imperative to develop positive relationships with parents, teachers, and administrators, while concurrently developing effective classroom management strategies.

Froehlich equates the dichotomy between teaching and bureaucracy as instructional objectives vs. institutional objectives. Metaphorically speaking, teachers are often required to work their way through a political minefield on a daily basis. How many of you had to navigate through difficult conversations with parents, administrators, and teachers? For example, I once remember conducting a successful concert when I worked for the Ann Arbor Public Schools. It was Multicultural Night, and the evening was a complete success. The community arrived en masse, and the students were dressed in various outfits that represented their cultural heritage. There was plenty of food, and the music was great! I even hired a local storyteller to perform. The storyteller was wonderful, and while I do not remember the story entirely, the topic involved certain aspects of Middle Eastern culture (keep in mind this evening occurred several months after 9/11). Well, I arrived at work the next morning, and I was feeling pretty good. It was several minutes before the final morning bell and the hallway was crowded. I had a huge smile on my face; that was until one of the parents confronted me. The parent was extremely unhappy because her daughter was not in the front row, center stage, for the musical performance. I was not prepared for such a confrontation, and she immediately stormed off once she finished humiliating me in public. I sought refuge in the main office only to witness a member of our office staff take a phone call from another angry parent. This particular parent was offended the storyteller from the previous evening made several references to Middle Eastern culture (once again, it is important to note this occurred several months after 9/11). Thankfully, I had a supportive principal, and all we could do was look at each other and shrug. I proceeded to go about my day and did my best to provide a positive learning experience for the students. The point I’m trying to make is that our success in these instances depends on how well we are able to develop our occupational socialization (see Chapter 1). Those who are able to quickly adjust to their workplace are truly fortunate.

To shed further light on this discussion, Froehlich (2007) stated, “social norms are rules and principals of behavior that define a particular social group” (p. 23). These social norms help us to govern our values. These values can be voluntarily shared, or they can be enforced by the administration. As musicians and teachers, we have a great deal of autonomy over what we teach and how we teach. It is one of the many advantages we possess in a career that is rich in personal rewards and self-fulfillment. This is quite a realization in a world where meaningful work is considered a luxury. Still, the expectations required of us can often lead to us to doubt our role in the workplace. This uncertainty is referred to as role distance, which can often result in role conflict. Our degree of conflict depends on how well we are able to work and communicate with others.

For your weekly assignment, please do the following:

  • Read the second chapter of the Froehlich text, which is titled, Teaching as Work: What Educational Sociologists Tell Us.
  • Post a thread (500 words minimum) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 3rd. Do not attempt to summarize the entire chapter.  Instead, try to expand on a particular topic within the chapter that is of interest to you.
  • By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 5th, please post a response (200 word minimum) to TWO threads created by your classmates.

As you work on this chapter, please feel free to draw from following questions:

  • Discuss the significance of knowing your role in the workplace (i.e. the classroom or the studio). Give examples that describe your experiences in various workplaces, not just necessarily teaching.
  • Describe experiences you had that might serve as examples for facing hierarchical relationships in your workplace. What impact did those experiences have for the way you work?
  • Talk to a musician or teacher whose work you admire and who you consider to be a role model. How do they see themselves as professionals, and how do they handle possible disagreements among themselves, other non-music faculty members, and school administrators?
  • What is your position on alternative certification for music teachers? Do you believe alternative certification is necessary? Why? Why not?
  • What are your plans for career mobility and status? Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?
  • According to Froehlich, the research presented in this chapter is dated. Much of it was conducted 40 or more years ago. Do you find the results to be reflective of a bygone era, or are some of the findings still relevant? Please discuss.

Froehlich, H. C. (2007). Sociology for music teachers: Perspectives for practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

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The Performer and Teacher in You: A Matter of Identity (Froehlich, Chapter 1)

As we begin to study the topic of Sociological Perspectives in Music, it is important for us to gather our self-knowledge to understand how we (a) became musicians and teachers, (b) interact professionally, and (c) serve the educational needs of our students. By addressing these issues, we can hopefully understand why others (e.g., administrators, teachers of other subjects, and students) often value art and music differently than we do.

According to North, Hargreaves, and Tarrant (2002), a disconnect may exist between school music culture and everyday culture. Have you ever been at odds with your students and/or colleagues in regards to your curriculum? Consider the following questions:

  • Have your students ever asked, “Why can’t we sing/play “good music?”
  • Have you ever had a colleague imply that what you do as a music educator is of secondary importance within the education system?
  • Do you believe it is important to bridge the gap between school music culture and everyday culture in your music classroom?
  • Do you think it is important to maintain the traditional music curriculum in your classroom?

As music educators, I think is important for us to consider these questions as we continuously develop our social identities. According to Froehlich (2007), “When we articulate our socioeconomic and cultural background for the purpose of getting a sense of our own position in society, as compared to that of others around us, we describe our socialization” (p. 7). The process of socialization occurs in distinct phases:

  • Primary socialization begins in early childhood. Those who are responsible for your upbringing often guide this process.
  • Secondary socialization begins as you enter school and normally continues until you reach adulthood.
  • Occupational socialization begins when you start to make decisions about your professional role in society. For example, when did you first decide to become a musician and/or music educator?

Taking this process into consideration, Froehlich devotes the remainder of the chapter to the topic of occupational identity. For your first weekly assignment, please do the following:

  1. Read the first chapter of the Froehlich text (The Performer and Teacher in You: A Matter of Identity).
  2. Post a thread (500 words minimum) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, January 27th. Do not attempt to summarize the entire chapter.  Instead, try to expand on a particular topic within the chapter that is of interest to you.
  3. By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 29th, please post a response (200 word minimum) to TWO threads created by your classmates.

As you reflect on the reading, please consider the following points outlined in the text:

  • Discuss your memories of classmates who participated in the same high school ensemble(s) you took part in but who made it very clear that going into music professionally was “not for them.” Try to recall their reasons and how you reacted to them at the time.
  • Do the research findings on the worlds of music teachers and professional performers resonate with your own experiences? If so, to what extent? If not, how do your own experiences differ?
  • Outline some questions you would ask your colleagues and classmates about their own (music) socialization processes.

Froehlich, H. C. (2007). Sociology for music teachers: Perspectives for practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

North, A., Hargreaves, D., & Tarrant, M. (2002). Social psychology and music education. In R. Colwell and C. Richardson (Eds.), The new handbook for research on music teaching and learning (pp. 604-625). New York: Oxford University Press.

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Simple Bivariate Regression

Multiple regression is a statistical procedure that allows you determine if a group of variables have an impact on another variable. For example, I have always been fascinated with jazz improvisation. Specifically, how does a musician learn to improvise? Over the past several years, I have isolated several variables that have been shown to be statistically significant predictors of jazz improvisation achievement, and I would like to use a pre-existing data set to provide a basic introduction to various regression analyses.

My first example involves a procedure known as simple bivariate regression, which utilizes only one independent variable. I want to know if self-assessment (independent variable) is a statistically significant predictor of jazz improvisation achievement (dependent variable). Participants (N = 102) were student musicians enrolled in their high school jazz ensemble. To measure the independent variable of self-assessment, participants recorded the melody and two impro­vised choruses for B-flat Blues and one improvised chorus for Satin Doll. Immediately following the recording process, participants listened to the recordings and assessed their performances using the Jazz Improvisation Self-Assessment (JISA) measure. To mea­sure the dependent variable of jazz improvisation achievement, a panel of three judges evaluated the recordings for each participant using the Jazz Improvisation Performance Assessment (JIPA) measure.

Frequencies and Descriptive Statistics

Prior to conducting the regression analysis, I examined the frequencies and descriptive statistics for both variables. There were no missing data, and the range of values seemed to be in order.

Correlation Analysis

correlations

  • The correlation between self-assessment and jazz improvisation achievement (r = .487) is considered moderate, as it lies in the middle of the positive continuum.
  • In addition, the correlation is statistically significant (p < .001).

The Regression Analysis: Using SPSS, I regressed the dependent variable (jazz improvisation achievement) on the independent variable (self-assessment).

PART 1: Model Summary

model-summary

  • What is R? In the case of a simple bivariate regression, R is known as the zero order correlation (i.e., the Pearson correlation coefficient between two variables). R (.487) is the same as the correlation coefficient (see above).
  • What is R2? R2 (.238) is an index, which provides the variance explained in the dependent variable by the independent variable. Self-assessment accounts for 23.8% of the variance in jazz improvisation achievement.

PART 2: ANOVA

anova

  • An ANOVA (i.e., F test) is used to test the overall significance of the regression.
  • Sum of squares regression (SSregression) measures the variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the independent variable.
  • Sum of squares residual (SSresidual) measures the variance unexplained by the regression.
  • Degrees of freedom for the regression are equal to the number of the independent variables.
  • Degrees of freedom for the residual (i.e., error) are equal to the sample size minus the number of the independent variables in the equation minus 1.
  • According to the output, the F value (31.167) is statistically significant (p < .001).

PART 3: Regression Equation

coefficients

  • b (1.187) is the unstandardized regression coefficient (SPSS uses an upper case B).
  • B (.487) is the standardized regression coefficient (Beta).
    • The regression coefficient describes the change in the dependent variable for each unit change in the independent variable. So, which regression coefficient (standardized or unstandardized) do we interpret for our current example? It all depends on what is being measured.
    • If the variables were measured using a metric that is easy to interpret, then it would be appropriate to use the unstandardized regression coefficient. For example, let’s say the independent variable was hours spent practicing per week. Since hours spent practicing per week is a meaningful metric that can easily be interpreted by the general public, you could interpret the unstandardized regression coefficient as follows: For each extra hour spent practicing per week, a student’s jazz improvisation achievement score will increase by X units.
    • For the current analysis, both the independent variable and the dependent variable were measured using points derived from a rating scale. These scales do not utilize a meaningful metric that is easy to interpret by the general public. As such, it would be appropriate to interpret the standardized regression coefficient. Why? Because the standardized regression coefficient measures change using standard deviation (SD) units. As a result, the current example can be interpreted as follows: For each standard deviation (SD) increase in self-assessment, jazz improvisation achievement will increase by .487 of a standard deviation (about one half of a SD).
  • The constant (47.465), otherwise known as the intercept, is the predicted score on the dependent variable for someone who scored a zero on the independent variable.
  • According to the SPSS output, the t-statistic (5.583) is significant (p < .001). This tells us that self-assessment is a statistically significant predictor of jazz improvisation achievement.
  • Confidence Interval: As is the case with regression, b is an estimate. We really want to know the actual value of the regression coefficient in the population, so we will refer to the confidence interval. According to the SPSS output, the 95% confidence interval ranges from .765 to 1.609. Interpretation: (a) there is a 95% chance the true regression coefficient falls within this range or (b) if we were to conduct this study 100 times, the b would fall within this range 95 times. Since the range does not include zero, we know that b is statistically significant.
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What is Music?

What is music? This is a difficult question to answer, indeed. One may as well ask, “What is the meaning of life?” In a world without music, life would have very little meaning. This is not to say that music is a necessity. It is a phenomenon, something perceived or experienced, especially as it is apprehended by the human senses.

abstract-free-vector-music-equalizerMusic is a phenomenon that exists in every culture throughout the world, and each culture is responsible for defining music in accordance to their values. Music is emotion. It is power. It is expression. It can mean many different things to many different people.

From a listener’s perspective, music can be defined through Alison’s theory of taste, which travels through a three-step process. First, when music is perceived, an emotion is produced in the mind. Second, this emotion ignites the imagination, which in turn, produces a complex association of ideas. As individuals, these associations are extremely personal, and as a result, music can mean anything to anybody. Under these circumstances, the definition of music certainly lies within the eye, or should I say ear, of the beholder.

If these perceived emotions are strong enough, one can have an aesthetic experience. Such experiences are powerful tools for music educators. I ask you, “Who out there has never had an aesthetic experience to music? Have you never experienced the joy, the bliss, the uncontrollable chills one feels when listening to that special piece of music?” As an educator, I believe students who have an aesthetic experience are much more likely to continue listening, enjoying, performing, studying, and defining music for the rest of their lives. From this perspective, I believe that music is power.

Musicians and composers, on the other hand, have the ability to form a unique bond with their music. They are able to express their most personal feelings and emotions directly to the listener. People who are able to indulge in such a creative form of expression are truly fortunate. Music is, and always will be, one of our most sophisticated forms of expression.

Whether you are a listener, an educator, a composer, a musician, or any combination thereof, music should be an enjoyable experience. It brings joy and happiness to what otherwise could be a sad and miserable world. In conclusion, if you were to ask me, “What is music?” I would respond by saying, “Music is one of life’s great experiences, and that is a good thing: a very good thing, indeed.”

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ISME 2016

I realize this post is a bit late, but a few months after the fact certainly does not cause the feelings towards my experiences at ISME 2016 to wane a single bit.  The International Society of Music Education ch13880133_10210144090059998_7387177970352393475_nose an ideal location: Glasgow, Scotland!  I have been told my mother’s father was born in Glasgow.  This certainly must have been the case, as I felt an immediate connection to this wonderful city.  The people, the history, everything about it made me feel at home.  Of course, Lani Garner (OU Ph.D candidate) and I went to present our research (see abstract is below).  Our research study was well received, and we hope to be submitting our manuscript for publication very soon.  It is my plan to return to Scotland some day, but in the mean time Dr. Brian Russell and I will be presenting our latest research at the ISAME conference in Birmingham, UK next April.

Describing K-12 Music Programs Using the Whole School Effectiveness Guidelines for Music Programs: A Nationwide Investigation

Abstract

In the United States, music’s role in the K-12 curriculum has endured its share of economic and political struggles. In response to this dilemma, Ciorba and Rand (2006) developed the Whole School Effectiveness Guidelines Survey for Music Programs as a means to describe the operations of music programs. A well-developed understanding of these operations may provide a means to improve the role of music education in the K-12 educational system, and better prepare music educators to deal with the economic and political struggles set before them. The nine areas for assessment included (a) Music Educator as Leader; (b) Clearly Stated Vision and Mission; (c) Safe, Caring, and Orderly Environment; (d) High Expectations; (e) Assessment and Monitoring; (f) Parent and Community Involvement; (g) Instructional Delivery; (h) Professional Development; and (i) Music Program Culture. The measure consisted of 36 statements, which were aligned with the following Likert-type response scale: (a) not applicable (N/A), (b) never, (c) sometimes, (d) often, and (e) always. Using an online database from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) website, a stratified random sample of 25 districts per state was chosen based on the characteristics of each state population. The researchers then visited each school website and collected the email addresses of 7,031 music educators. Invitations to participate were sent to each potential participant using SurveyMonkey, a web-based service used to administer online surveys. At the end of the data collection period, 1,585 participants completed the survey for a 22.5% response rate. Participants reported positive self-perceptions regarding their (a) teaching abilities; (b) leadership qualities; and (c) ability to provide a non-threatening, non-oppressive learning environment. Furthermore, participants were less certain when communicating goals, expectations, vision, mission, and current research with parents and the rest of the educational community. These results are similar to those reported by Ciorba and McClay (2009), indicating that consistent trends may exist regarding the classroom operations of K-12 music educators.

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Test Your Jazz Theory Knowledge!

71oK1Jd978L-2Dear Participants,

My name is Dr. Charles Ciorba, and I am an Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Oklahoma. I am conducting a research study to examine the effectiveness of a new Jazz Theory Test. I plan to build on the results of this research to create an educational theory that can help jazz educators diagnose the musical imperfections exhibited by beginning improvisers with the intention of creating appropriate solutions. In addition, music educators can use these results to develop innovative curricula, which can be used to effectively teach the art of jazz improvisation to their students.
If you agree to participate in this research, you will be asked to complete a 60-item jazz theory test, which should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. There are no risks and no benefits from being in this research. Participation is completely voluntary, and all responses will remain anonymous.

If you would like to participate, please click on the link below.

https://ousurvey.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9WERwTaism2OgGF

Sincerely,

Dr. Charles R. Ciorba
Associate Professor
Coordinator of Graduate Music Education
University of Oklahoma
Email: cciorba@ou.edu

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Perceptions Towards Music Education

_MG_5355-flugel-1As an educator, I have always had a deep passion for the inclusion of music in the public schools. As a professional researcher, it has been a long-term goal of mine to conduct a nationwide research study that examines professional perceptions towards music education.  Given the introduction of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), now seems like a perfect time to gauge these perceptions. Over the past year and a half, a group of dedicated graduate students and I compiled a list of publically available email addresses from a random sample of approximately 470 school districts across the nation.

The primary purpose of this study is to examine perceptions toward the impor­tance of music education as reflected by administrators, music teachers, teachers of other subject areas, and support staff (e.g., paraprofessionals, counselors, media special­ists) using the Music Education Perception Measure. A second­ary purpose is to ask members of the K–12 educational community how they would improve music in the schools.

Data collection has begun, and over the course of this semester, I will be contacting thousands of professionals by email to ask for their participation in this study. It is hoped the findings from this research may provide a better understanding of how the importance of music education is perceived in the United States, and that the implications derived from this study can further enhance the discussion regarding the importance of music education.