integrate music into the curriculum in support of learning in other subjects, it also sought to help students acquire a fundamental knowledge of orches- tra instruments and foster interest in music study. Results indicated that students who participated in the part- nerships were from two to nine times more likely than comparison groups to choose instrumental music as a pos- sible vocation. Furthermore, as many as 60% of middle school instrumental- ists who participated in Partnership 2 in elementary school were influenced by the program to play an instrument.
The Adopt-A-School Program of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra (StL- SO) involves collaboration between StLSO musicians and staff, music spe- cialists, and classroom teachers to pro- vide second grade students in selected schools with a variety of classroom and extracurricular activities related to orchestra awareness, music terminol- ogy, and music experience. The stated goals of the program are to a) increase students’ understanding of the orches- tra, b) provide support for curriculum in other content areas, and c) improve students’ attitudes toward music. In order to test the effectiveness of the program in meeting the stated goals, researchers compared the gain in music knowledge and attitudes of stu- dents who participated in the program
(n = 108) with that of students who did not engage with symphony musi- cians but experienced an otherwise similar curriculum in their classrooms (n = 53). Using pre- and post- tests, the authors found that students who participated in the Adopt-A-School Program demonstrated significantly higher gains of knowledge of instru- ments and attitude towards music compared to students who did not participate (Henry, Murray, Hogrebe, & Thayer, n.d.).
Although we should always generalize results with caution, the studies pre- sented above demonstrate that school/ community partnerships with local symphony orchestras can increase students’ knowledge, interest, and positive attitudes toward instrumental music. However, we probably can sur- mise that participation alone will not be effective. Partnerships must have clearly stated goals and objectives and the commitment of all stakeholders in implementing the full curriculum. Furthermore, assessment during and after the completion of the program will help demonstrate its effectiveness and justify the financial support and time commitment required. In addi- tion to pre- and post-tests, assessment might involve student essays based on writing prompts, interviews with stu- dents and teachers, and evaluation of
student work samples based on criteria related to the program goals.
References
Abeles, H. (2004). The effect of three orchestra school partnerships on students’ interest in instrumental music instruction. Journal of Research in Music Education, 53, 248-263.
DeNardo, G. (1997). Authentic as- sessment of student learning in a community arts education part- nership. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 134, 1-8.
DeNardo, G. (2001). An assessment of student learning in the Mil- waukee symphony orchestra’s ACE partnership: 1991-2000. Bulletin of the Council for Re- search in Music Education, 148, 37-47.
Henry, M. A., Murray, K. S., Hogrebe, M., & Thayer, M. (n.d.). Positive impact of a symphony’s support of elementary music education. Retrieved from M. A. Henry Consulting, LLC website:
http://www.mahenryconsulting. com/pdf/SLSO%20AAS%20 Paper%20040510%2022.pdf
personal attention performance opportunities proven job placement
www.wmich.edu/music
MMEA wishes to thank JWPepper & Son, Inc., for their generous sponsorship of numerous MMEA events, including: • Fall Elementary Music Workshop • Collegiate Conference • Elementary Choral Festivals • Spring Board Meeting Luncheon
Please visit their website,
www.jwpepper.com
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