Joshua Palkki (Michigan State University) & Paul Caldwell (Chicago), The Role of Secondary School Choral Programs in Creating Safe Space for LGBTQ Students: A National Survey
Bullying is a persistent and detrimental problem in American Schools. Victimization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgen- der, and queer and/or questioning (LGBTQ) youth (or those perceived to be LGBTQ) is an untiring and injurious form of bullying. The negative effects of such bullying on LG- BTQ youth are both personal and academic. Schools should take steps to provide safe spaces in which LGBTQ students can express their identity without fear. “Safe space” gener- ally is defined as a place in which students feel comfortable expressing traits that define them as “other.” For example, teachers and administrators can signal their support through means as simple as playing a “safe space” sticker on a class- room or office door.
Our study surveyed college and university choral singers who self-identify as LGBTQ (N=1,123). Respondents re- flected upon their middle school/junior high and high school experiences in an effort to determine whether school choral programs provided safe space for them as they navigated their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Preliminary analysis of survey data suggests that high school choral programs were perceived as providing safe space and that choral programs were more influential in crafting safe space than were secondary schools writ large. A majority of re- spondents reported a high school choral teacher who openly spoke of their support for LGBTQ students in class. Despite such support, a majority of LGBTQ students did share their LGBTQ identity with their choral teacher(s). With a clearer understanding of the strategies that have worked well in cre- ating safe spaces for LGBTQ students, we can improve cho- ral music education for future generations of students.
Nathan Kruse (Case Western Reserve University), Gerontology, Reminiscence, and Music Participation: A Literature Review
Research has shown that music participation can contribute to the quality of life among aging and older adults. Early studies aimed to dispel many of the stereotypes associated with the aging process, such as diminished learning abilities and faulty memories. In these and other reports, self-confi- dence, the sense of accomplishment, and the independence of older adults were enhanced through music participation, and the need for developing music programs for an aging population was established. Gerontology, or the study of the aging process from middle age to later life, is one discipline that could provide additional insight for enhancing adult mu- sic education. Gerontology is a multidisciplinary field that examines the physical, social, and cognitive aspects of ag-
ing, and can inform procedures related to policy and public health. As human longevity has increased over time, so too have the gerontological tenets that focus on maximizing and prolonging quality of life. The prospects that gerontology offers regarding the lifestyles and motivational tendencies of older adults could provide music educators with a greater understanding of the role that music plays in people’s lives. It also could bolster the rationale for developing musical op- portunities for older adults, because it is through participa- tion in the arts that creativity and vitality can be experienced. One step in this process might be to explore how individuals reflect on, or reminisce about, life events involving music participation.
This literature review serves as the foundation for a new study on reminiscence and music participation among older adults. Using Wong’s Taxonomy of Reminiscence as a theo- retical framework and Meltzer’s Self-Discovery Tapestry as a tool to stimulate memories, this research seeks to explore the ways in which adults in their 60s, 70s, and 80s talk about past musical events over the course of their lives. Additional implications related to this literature review will be provided.
Frank Nawrot (Central Michigan University), The Neces- sary Skills for Undergraduate Composition Students
This paper is a review of literature concerning what com- posers of music need to know and be able to do in order to be successful in their field. Composition pedagogy is a relatively undisciplined facet of music education, especially at the college and university level. For composers, having a unique voice is generally regarded as the most important trait. Although the majority of contemporary composition pedagogues will not explicitly admit to a need for thorough development of compositional techniques, e.g. counterpoint and form, the evidence suggests that a composer with well- rounded technique will have a better chance of success than his or her peers who lack technical skill. Included within this review is an overview of the technical skills that emerged most frequently or were argued for most convincingly with- in the literature. The aim of this review is to offer research- ers and educators theories to test in order to further develop and refine music composition curricula at the college and university level.
Daniel Albert, Stuart Chapman Hill, Joshua Palkki, and Ryan Shaw (Michigan State University), Twenty Years of the MENC Biennial Conference: A Content Analysis
With the intent of illuminating trends and topics in profes- sional development, the purpose of this study was to inves- tigate the content and intended audiences of the educational sessions offered at MENC Biennial Conferences. Specific research questions
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