Adam Kruse, Michigan State University Pre-service Music Educators’ Experiences With and Attitudes toward Musical Genres
While research and rhetoric surrounding non-canonical music in the field of music education has undoubtedly increased, are North American music education students willing or prepared to teach musical genres beyond those associated with Western art music? Do the backgrounds and preferences of current music education majors reflect musical diversity? Are the musical experiences that these future teachers encounter in their degree programs prepar- ing them to teach a variety of musical genres, including popular genres? This study investigates pre-service music teachers’ experiences with and attitudes toward teaching 16 different musical genres.
With the intent of informing practice and policy related to music teacher education this survey study aimed to help music teacher educators understand pre-service music teachers’ experiences with and attitudes toward different musical genres. A 17-question survey was developed by the researcher and administered to undergraduate music education majors (N=124) at eight American universities in the Midwest and Northeast. Survey questions fit into three categories: Background, Teaching Preferences, and Genre Experiences/Attitudes. Given a list of 16 musical genres (including blues, children’s, Christian/gospel, country, dance/electronic, hip hop/rap, holiday/seasonal, jazz, Latin, new age, pop, R&B, rock, soundtrack, and world music), respondents rated their past performing experience, their current performing experience, their current listening activ- ity, and their beliefs about how often each genre should be included in school music programs.
Students performed more classical music than any other genre both currently and in their past; however, the differ- ence between classical and the other genres was greater in their current performing experiences. Students also lis- tened to more classical music than any other genre and be- lieved (as a whole) that classical was the most appropriate genre for school music. Students rated hip hop/rap lowest for past and current performance as well as for its appro- priateness for inclusion in school music, but in the middle in terms of the genres to which they are currently listen- ing. Open-ended responses further investigated students’ attitudes toward the least and most appropriate genres for inclusion in school music. Implications for the curricula and acceptance policies of post-secondary music education programs are offered.
Stephen Lounsbrough, Central Michigan University Tonal Patterns in Sight Reading Music: A Review
The purpose of this literature review is to analyze the task of music sight reading as tonal patterns. Sight reading is a performance of notated music without the benefit of prior practice, and involves score reconstruction skills of guess- ing, leaving out, and improvising musical material not otherwise accurately perceived and executed. Research points out that sight reading is an acquired set of skills as opposed to an innate ability or art, and requires musical and nonmusical problem solving skills that can improve with practice. Nonmusical factors that affect sight reading include reading, math, spatial and visual perception, and general academic achievement. Consistent in the literature is that sight reading involves tonal pattern recognition, and that these patterns influence sight reading achievement. Specific perceptual skills associated with pattern recogni- tion include visual scanning and monitoring, chunking, and feeling intervals. Where findings about which methods are most effective are mixed, the general conclusion is that using a system is better than no system and that individual instruction is better than group sight reading instruction.
Joshua Palkki, Michigan State University Gay Music Teachers Negotiating the Closet Door: A Review of Literature
For some music teachers, navigating their sexual orienta- tion at school involves daily decisions, evaluations, and, too often, lies and fear. In an effort to further the ongoing so- ciocultural dialogue exploring lived experiences of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) music educators, the purpose of this review of literature is to encapsulate experiences of gay in-service educators, and placing them within the larger contexts of LGBT issues in education and LGBT issues in the workplace. In particular, experiences regarding whether or not to disclose gay identity at school are explored. For many years, voices from the LGBT com- munity were absent from the music education literature and dialogue.
This review of literature will place the issue of LGBT music educators coming out of the closet within broader contexts, namely (a) being a gay professional, (b) being a gay music teacher, (c) decisions affecting gay teach- ers’ choices regarding disclosure at school, and (d) LGBT issues in (music) teacher education. It is important that pre-service and in-service teacher take part in the dialogue surrounding LGBT issues in music education. There are likely gay and lesbian teachers in every school building in America—perhaps in numbers greater than our represen- tation in the general population”. Likewise, there are gay and lesbian students everywhere. Their reality is part of the culture of school music programs and their points of view are an important part of classroom culture. The more
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