Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2015, Educational Administration (Education)

This dissertation examined the state of senior high school (SHS) music and dance education in the context of a growing economy and current socio-cultural transitions in Ghana. The research analyzed the experience of educational administrators, teachers, and students. Educational administrators included professionals at educational organizations and institutions, government officials, and professors at universities in Ghana. Teachers and students were primarily from five SHSs, across varying socioeconomic strata in the Ashanti Region, the Central Region, and the Greater Accra Region. The study employed ethnographic and multiple case study approaches. The research incorporated the data collection techniques of archival document review, focus group, interview, observation, and participant observation. Four interrelated theoretical perspectives informed the research: interdisciplinary African arts theory, leadership and organizational theory, post-colonial theory, and qualitative educational methods' perspectives. The incorporation of multiple theoretical frameworks allowed for diverse perspectives on education to be acknowledged. The dissertation consists of five chapters, which include an introduction, literature review, methodology, presentation of findings, and analysis. The major findings of this study are organized into five thematic categories that examine: (a) the significance of music and dance education in Ghanaian SHSs, (b) the challenges of music and dance education in Ghanaian SHSs, (c) the influence of Ghanaian economic development on music and dance education in SHSs, (d) the role of educational administrators, teachers, and students in decision-making regarding music and dance education in Ghanaian SHSs, and (e) Ghanaians' vision of the future of music and dance education in SHSs and the recommendations offered by study participants.

Committee: William Larson Dr. (Committee Chair) Subjects: African Studies; Dance; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Music Education

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2000, Music Education/Comprehensive Music Education

The purpose of this study was to develop a music education methods course component which could serve as an introduction to collaborative and integrative procedures for preservice education and music education majors. The design for the course component was two-fold: to provide preservice teachers with strategies for (a) the development of collaborative partnerships to facilitate the integration process, and (b) the development of interdisciplinary units. Four categories of teacher participants were designated: (a) the methods course instructor, (b) the preservice elementary education major, (c) the preservice music education major, and (d) the inservice elementary general music teacher. Preservice education and music education majors participate in heterogeneous teams. Each team includes one music education major and three elementary education majors from a variety of disciplines. methods course. Visual models and guidelines to facilitate collaboration and critical thinking are included. Implications and suggestions for implementation of this action thesis are discussed in Chapter Four.

Committee: I. Barbara O'Hagin (Advisor); Ed Duling (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Elementary Education; Gifted Education; Higher Education; Middle School Education; Multicultural Education; Music; Music Education; Special Education; Teacher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Arts Administration, Education and Policy

The problem addressed in this critical autoethnographic study concerns the lack of higher education opportunities for musicians in the state of Sonora, Mexico and the ways in which that impacts music educators from the region. In particular, I look at the different paths music teachers take to follow their vocation by critically examining my privileged music education story. I base this critical lens on a framework of capital to understand the types of resources and forms of capital that are needed to study music professionally in Sonora. This study is presented through stories and poems that reflect the realities of my music education journey as well as the stories of this study's participants. The primary research question was: What factors, including social class, impact the availability and accessibility of resources and professional development opportunities for music educators in Sonora, Mexico? To collect my data, I employed individual/personal and what I call “collective” forms of data collection through journaling/creative writing and interactive focus groups. The creative writing I engaged with included letter-writing, poems, and vignettes. I did some of my personal writing before and after conducting the interactive interviews to constantly reflect and embody the practice of meaning-making. This study included 19 participants who are active music educators in Sonora and who were assigned to three focus groups. Upon completion of the nine interview sessions (three per group), I began to engage with the collected data by relistening to interviews, reading Spanish transcriptions and thinking about the possibilities for selecting and translating such stories. After identifying important moments in participants' narratives, I reread my selections to identify different forms of capital that were represented. The four forms of capital with which I framed my analyses are economic, social, cultural, and human capital, which I based on literature by Becker (1964), (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jennifer Richardson (Committee Chair) Subjects: Art Education; Arts Management; Education; Fine Arts; Higher Education; Latin American History; Music; Music Education; Performing Arts; Sociology

PHD, Kent State University, 2020, College of the Arts / School of Music, Hugh A. Glauser

Music teacher education programs have remained largely unchanged since their development over a century ago, despite the evolving musical and pedagogical needs of preservice teachers and their future students. Scholars have advocated for a shift from traditional models of music teacher preparation to new conceptualizations of these programs that include democratic practices in their structure, curricular content, and modeled pedagogies. Therefore, the purpose of this multicase study was to examine democratic practices from the perspectives of undergraduate general music methods professors. Four participants from universities of varying size and location provided insights into the inclusion of these practices in their general music methods courses and music education degree programs. By investigating the experiences of general music education professors, my goal was to obtain a greater understanding of how democratic teaching practices are understood and implemented in music teacher education. Three research questions guided this study. First, how do four general music professors describe democratic practices in music teacher education? Second, how do these participants implement democratic practices in their undergraduate general music methods classes? Third, what challenges and opportunities do general music methods professors associate with these democratic practices? Data collection methods included directed journaling, artifact collection, interviews, and observations. An interpretive approach to analysis occurred alongside the collection of data, so that each stage of the data collection process could inform the next. A cross-case analysis revealed six characteristics of democratic practices—learner-centered, student agency, facilitator framework, mutual processes, teaching for social justice, and metacognition—and numerous considerations for implementation in general music methods environments. Though music education literature has provided broad (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Craig Resta PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Music; Music Education; Teacher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2010, Music Education

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the forms of pedagogical content knowledge needed by vocal jazz educators. A secondary purpose was to examine the role of professional development in the acquisition of pedagogical content knowledge by vocal jazz educators.Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) is the specialized type of knowledge teachers possess that is characterized by an overlapping and interaction of subject matter content and pedagogical understandings (Shulman, 1986). Using PCK as a theoretical construct, the researcher designed the Vocal Jazz Educator Knowledge and Skill Inventory (VJEKSI), a survey that contained primarily quantitative, closed-ended items, with a few open-ended responses also solicited. The survey was delivered online to 271 purposefully selected secondary and post-secondary vocal jazz educators. Ninety- three respondents returned completed surveys, representing a return rate of 34.3%. Data analysis prioritized the statistical examination of the quantitative data, but also employed qualitative data analysis in a sequential explanatory strategy to highlight conclusions and illuminate broad points with a personal perspective (Creswell, 2003). Respondents rated all 15 subject matter knowledge and 14 pedagogical skill items between “4” (moderately important) and “5” (important) on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The knowledge and skill data was further delineated into eight categories for additional analysis. Study participants indicated that they acquired their PCK from a variety of sources, with regular, focused listening to live and/or recorded jazz, attending jazz festivals as a member or director of an ensemble, self-study on various topics related to jazz, and participation in jazz workshops most frequently utilized. The top topics that participants indicated interest in for future professional development included vocal jazz ensemble rehearsal techniques, new literature sources, and opportunities for net (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: William Bauer PhD (Committee Chair); Lisa Koops PhD (Committee Member); Kathleen Horvath PhD (Committee Member); Richard Varga PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Music Education

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Music Education/Instrumental Music Education

In recent years, researchers and music teacher educators have proposed several additions to the undergraduate music education curriculum, including content on social justice (Kindall-Smith, 2012), emotional intelligence (McGinnis, 2018), and educational policy (Aguilar & Dye, 2020). Because of degree program credit constraints, these additions often take the form of lectures integrated into the existing curriculum or optional evening/online training modules. The primary challenge to adding new content is the already overcrowded nature of the current curriculum. Proposed solutions that include reducing or removing elements of the undergraduate curriculum are conspicuously absent from recent research. In this study, a total of 397 music teachers from Ohio completed a 52-item questionnaire in the spring of 2022. Participants used a Likert-type scale to describe their perceptions of the applicability of knowledge and skill areas (KSAs) that are addressed during preservice training. The collection of KSAs was derived from the Ohio Assessment for Educators' assessment framework for the music education licensure exam, as well as curriculum guidelines for institutions accredited by the National Association for Schools of Music. KSAs were sorted into six groupings using a principal components analysis. Group differences in participant responses relating to teaching area specialization (e.g., general music, band, orchestra, choir, and other), current specialization areas taught, years of experience, and teaching level (e.g., elementary, middle, and high school) were examined using multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA). A single open-ended item captured what participants would like to see added to an undergraduate music education curriculum. These responses were coded and organized thematically. Findings from the KSA inventory suggested that participants' perception of different groupings vary primarily according to their area of specialization. Individual KSAs des (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lisa Martin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Elaine Colprit Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lisa Gruenhagen Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Music Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2017, Music Education

Over the past few decades, many countries adapted a standards-based education in their schools. In 1967, the Music Education Supervisors Office in Kuwait published the General Goals for Music Education (GGfME). In an effort to better understand the relationship between written standards and current teaching practices in Kuwait, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Kuwaiti music educators' perspectives regarding the GGfME. The research questions that guided the study include: (a) how did Kuwaiti music educators learn about the GGfME?, (b) How and why do Kuwaiti music educators use the GGfME?, (c) What value do Kuwaiti music educators place on the GGfME?, (d) What challenges do Kuwaiti music educators face in using the GGfME?, (e) What are the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the GGfME?, and (f) What suggestions do Kuwaiti music educators have to change or improve the GGfME in order to better meet the needs of students in the 21st century? Data collection included personal semi-structured interviews and a focus group interview with nine Kuwaiti music educators with varied professions and experiences. Data analysis involved transcription and translating the recorded interview, and comparing results looking for common themes and categories. Findings indicated that Kuwaiti music teachers focus on only a few points from the GGfME due to the complexity, length, and impracticality of many of the goals. In addition, the emphasis on school band performance and lack of rehearsal time or a dedicated band class led Kuwaiti music teachers to focus only on students who participate in the band. Implications encompassed the need for revising the GGfME to address simple, clear, and measurable goals that include appropriate performance goals for all students, the insertion of a band class or activity period separated from general music classes, and the necessity of professional development sessions and workshops for music teachers. More resea (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mathew Garrett (Advisor) Subjects: Music Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2017, Music Education

The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the teacher preparation, continuing education, and professional development of music educators who identified as instrumental majors during their undergraduate degree programs and who were teaching elementary general music at the time of the study. The research questions included: (a) What factors influenced the participants' decision to take a teaching position outside of their undergraduate specialization? (b) What experiences during their undergraduate teacher preparation programs most prepared the participants for teaching elementary general music? (c) What aspects of teaching elementary general music were participants most prepared for? (d) What aspects of teaching elementary general music were participants least prepared for? (e) What sources of continuing education and professional development supported the participants' teaching of elementary general music? (f) How has the participants' teaching been influenced by working outside of their specialization? The research questions and analysis were developed using the theoretical framework of Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994). Five participants were selected based on the pre-determined criteria: that they had completed an undergraduate degree in instrumental music education, intended to teach instrumental music after graduation, and were teaching elementary general music at the time of the study. Data collection included an initial survey, interviews, observations, and journal entries. Data was analyzed within each case to describe the specific experiences of each participant. Cross-case analysis was then completed based on themes established by the original research questions. I developed three assertions regarding undergraduate music education preparation programs: the need for broader preparation, the importance of focusing on transferable skills, and the value of general music methods to prepare instrumental music (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lisa Koops Dr. (Committee Chair); Matthew Garrett Dr. (Committee Member); Nathan Kruse Dr. (Committee Member); Norah Feeny Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Music; Music Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2010, Music

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors involved in and influencing the teaching of instrumental music in rural school districts in Ohio. Five overarching research questions guided the study: 1) what do instrumental music teachers cite as factors that influenced their choice to teach in a rural setting, 2) do teachers report that their undergraduate teacher licensure programs prepared them to teach in a rural school environment, 3) how do the background experiences of instrumental music teachers influence their future teaching setting choices, 4) what are common factors that teachers report as affecting their work in rural school districts, and 5) what are some of the characteristics that teachers report as necessary to be successful instrumental music teachers in rural school districts? The study was broken into two phases: Phase I consisted of interviews of teachers who were teaching or had taught instrumental music in rural school districts; Phase II consisted of a grounded survey, based on themes derived from Phase I analysis, that was sent to a random sample of Ohio instrumental music teachers. Results indicated that teachers with personal backgrounds in rural schools were more likely to desire to teach and obtain employment in rural school districts. Also, teachers who moved out of rural school districts altogether were more likely to move to suburban districts rather than urban districts. Respondents who taught in rural districts reported they remained in their first rural school teaching position for three to ten years. No significant difference was found between teachers with and without rural teaching experience in their opinions of teacher licensure preparation as pertained to rural school instrumental music issues. Phase I participants and Phase II respondents agreed that teachers need to be versatile in rural districts, as a portion reported having their job descriptions modified after beginning employment in rural schools. Participants and (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Daryl Kinney PhD (Advisor); Patricia Flowers PhD (Committee Member); Jere Forsythe PhD (Committee Member); James Pyne (Committee Member) Subjects: Music

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2003, Music

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two instructional approaches on fifth-grade children's attitudes toward and preference for music sung in various languages. Specific questions included: Are there differences in children's attitudes toward music as a result of instruction? What is the relationship between familiarity with a language and general attitude toward songs in that language? How do music preference decisions differ by language of songs and instructional group? Twelve intact classes from four suburban elementary schools in Columbus, Ohio (N = 209) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: concept-based multicultural instruction, sociocultural-based multicultural instruction, or concept-based instruction with no multicultural content (control group). The dependent measures consisted of music attitude and preference scores. A test was developed consisting of nine musical excerpts, three sung in Spanish, in English, and in Mandarin Chinese. Students responded to nine statements about each musical excerpt using a Likert-type scale and answered one open-ended question. Pretest scores revealed that participants were significantly more positive toward the English-language songs than the songs sung in the other languages. There was also a significant difference between the Spanish- and Chinese-language examples, in favor of the Spanish. Self-reported familiarity with a language was found to positively correlate with subsequent attitude toward songs in that language. After the treatment period, children in the sociocultural instructional group expressed significantly more positive attitudes toward the foreign language songs than were those in the other groups. There was no difference between groups on the English-language songs. Musical preference scores were consistently lower than attitudes scores in each language. These scores generally paralleled the patterns of attitudes toward language in the context of song, although there we (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Frego (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2007, Music Education

The purpose of this study was to describe the teaching and learning strategies demonstrated by middle school band teachers in Northeast Ohio who reported a student-directed teaching style. This study used a two-stage mixed methods design prioritizing quantitative data and statistical analyses, but also employing qualitative data collection methods in a second stage to enrich perspective and discussion on student-directed teaching and learning strategies (Creswell, 2003). In the first stage, quantitative data was gathered using a researcher-designed demographic questionnaire and Gumm's Music Teaching Style Inventory (MTSI) (Gumm, 2004b). These surveys were delivered online to 120 middle school band teachers in Northeast Ohio, with hard copies administered to two participants who requested them (N = 122). Forty-nine respondents returned completed surveys, representing a return rate of 40.2%. In Stage One, data were analyzed to determine participant teaching styles so that the most student-directed middle school band teachers could be identified and observed during Stage Two. Relationships and differences among selected demographics and MTSI scores were also analyzed, yielding several significant results, including a significant, positive, moderate relationship (p = .00; r = .52) between teacher- and student-directed MTSI scores. Stage One results also revealed that teacher-directed instruction was more prevalent than student-directed instruction; middle school band teachers in Northeast Ohio seemed to prioritize a more teacher-directed rehearsal. In the second stage of the study, three of the most student-directed band teachers were observed and videotaped during five rehearsals, and interviewed following observation. Based on the analysis of videotapes, observational field notes, interview transcripts, and interview notes, quantitative computations and qualitative descriptions of student-directed band teachers were possible. The teachers observed and interviewed duri (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: William Bauer (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Arts, University of Akron, 2017, Theatre Arts-Arts Administration

Research has long supported the benefits of the arts, specifically to students in grades K-12. Although arts programs have been decreasing over the last decade, nonprofit organizations have created strong programs that enrich students in the arts and create opportunities for collaborations with the community. The Weill Institute of Music at Carnegie Hall developed the Link Up music education outreach program to provide a beneficial means of music education in collaboration with partner host organizations and schools and has proven to be highly effective.

Committee: Elisa Gargarella (Advisor); Ramona Ortega-Liston (Committee Member); Jonathan Willis (Committee Member) Subjects: Arts Management; Music; Music Education

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Music Education/Comprehensive Music Education

In 2004, Goran Folkestad analyzed teachers' approaches to instructing music composition and creativity in a meta-analysis. He found that there were no obvious changes in instruction across all age ranges, that students' creative experiences were informed by previous musical and cultural experiences, and that “external conditions [for composing were] formulated” (Folkestad, 2004). The aim of the present study is to expand on Folkestad's framework and explore the contexts and strategies that teachers use to successfully integrate music composition in their secondary classrooms. A total of ten studies were analyzed using a meta-aggregative approach in order to identify strategies, contexts, and technologies that are conducive to teaching music composition in secondary school classrooms. A comparison of Folkestad's original findings with the current data was also undertaken. The data indicated that the original themes presented by Folkestad were consistent with trends that emerged in the present analysis. In addition to these findings, it was also determined that four new trends may be added to this list: (1) establishing a creative environment for students that allows them to experiment is crucial for composition development; (2) feedback is essential for students to learn how to critique their own works and peers' works; (3) technology can be used to differentiate composition instruction across a variety of ability levels; and (4) collaboration may help students gain confidence while developing their compositions.

Committee: Elizabeth Menard Ph.D. (Advisor); Elaine Colprit Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Composition; Music; Music Education; Secondary Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2018, Music Education

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore teachers' experiences in creating and implementing a new music elective outside of the traditional ensemble paradigm. The questions guiding this research were: (a) What influences a music educator's choice to create and implement non-band, -choir, and -orchestra (non-BCO) courses? (b) What are the philosophical, pedagogical, and organizational experiences teachers encounter in the process of creating and implementing a non-BCO course? (c) What resources, education, or experiences do music educators call upon in creating a non-BCO course? (d) What social, academic, musical, and financial effects do stakeholders observe in the school after the implementation of a non-BCO course? To answer these questions, I employed multiple case study methodology and collected data at three field sites. Primary participants were educators who created and implemented a new non-BCO course. Secondary participants were administrators and other educators who worked with the primary participant. At each school, I conducted interviews with participants, observed class meetings, and collected course artifacts. Data analysis included attribute, structural, and open coding, followed by an examination of the data with regard to the research questions and emergent themes. After the individual case analyses and reports were finished, I began cross-case analysis and developed themes in reference to the research questions. After completing cross-case analysis, I made five assertions about the quintain. In this research, the teachers who created non-BCO courses in their schools (a) wanted to provide a specific experience for their students, (b) described common but not identical experiences in the process, (c) found ways to achieve their goal, (d) received support from administrators, and (e) implemented their courses alongside BCO electives. The implications for school music teacher were: cultivate and strengthen admin (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lisa Koops (Committee Chair); Matthew Garrett (Committee Member); Nathan Kruse (Committee Member); Gary Deimling (Committee Member) Subjects: Music Education

PHD, Kent State University, 2017, College of the Arts / School of Music, Hugh A. Glauser

Todd Goodman's dissertation is in two parts: Part I is an operatic setting of the classic 1968 horror film Night of the Living Dead, with the original screenplay by George A. Romero and John Russo. The work, in two acts, is scored for eight principal soloists, six supporting soloists, chorus, and chamber orchestra--flute (doubling piccolo and alto flute), clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), violin, violoncello, piano, synthesizer, and percussion. The libretto for the opera is an adaptation by Stephen Catanzarite of the original screenplay, currently in the public domain. The opera is approximately two hours in duration. Part II, How Music Sounds: a Comprehensive Guide to the Study of the Grammar of Music, is a textbook intended for high-school students to help in their study of musicianship. This book creates a comprehensive foundation for teenage students to have a better understanding of the fundamentals of music through basic harmony, simple compositional technique, keyboarding skills, aural skills, and rhythmic comprehension. This textbook also includes historical contexts of how the theoretical understanding of music evolved—all at a pace that is conducive to the learning of that age group. This dissertation also includes a review of the current music theory, aural skills, and rhythmic studies textbooks currently in use throughout secondary education in the United States.

Committee: Ralph Lorenz PHD (Committee Co-Chair); Frank Wiley DMA (Committee Co-Chair); Jay White DMA (Committee Member); Mark Lewis PHD (Committee Member) Subjects: Music; Music Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, Music

The purpose of this study was to examine Taiwanese fourth-year and fifth-year pre-service music teachers' preferences for, familiarity with, and willingness to teach six ethnic music styles (i.e., Chinese, Hokkien, Hakka, Taiwanese Aboriginal, Vietnamese, and Indonesian) to the largest student cultural groups in Taiwan. Participants (N = 126) listened to 18 excerpts and rated their preferences for, familiarity with, and willingness to teach the ethnic music examples on seven-point Likert-type scales. As a validity check, the pre-service music teachers were required to identify the ethnic language in which each music example was performed. However, their abilities to identify the languages were not strongly correlated with their preferences for, familiarity with, and willingness to teach the music examples. Findings indicated that the pre-service music teachers' preference and familiarity ratings were positively correlated to their willingness to teach the six ethnic music styles. Additionally, the participants' enrollment year, and the interaction between the year of enrollment and certificate level significantly affected the participants' familiarity with the ethnic music styles. Furthermore, music training was a significant variable that affected the participants' willingness to teach the Hokkien ethnic music style. Three open-ended questions regarding what the participants liked and disliked about the selected music and what would influence their willingness to teach the music examples were addressed to the pre-service music teachers. Participants' most common responses for these open-ended questions focused on music style, timbre, and language, respectively.

Committee: Jan Edwards (Advisor); Daryl Kinney (Committee Member); Julia Shaw (Committee Member); Timothy San Pedro (Committee Member) Subjects: Music Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Music

This dissertation aims to explore and describe, in ethnographic terms, some of the principal formal and non-formal environments in which jazz music is learned today. By elucidating the broad aesthetic, stylistic, and social landscapes of present-day jazz pedagogy, it seeks to encourage the revitalization and reorientation of jazz education, and of the cultural spaces in which it takes place. Although formal learning environments have increasingly supported the activities of the jazz community, I argue that this development has also entailed a number of problems, notably a renewal of racial tensions spurred on by 1) the under-representation of non-white students and faculty, especially black Americans; 2) the widespread adoption of 'color-blind' methodologies in formal music-learning environments, which serve to perpetuate ambivalence or apathy in the addressing of racial problems; 3) a failure adequately to address cultural studies related to the black heritage of jazz music; and 4) the perpetuation of a narrow vision of jazz music that privileges certain jazz styles, neglects others, and fails to acknowledge the representative intersections between jazz and related forms of black music. The study seeks to answer two main questions: What is the nature of the twenty-first-century learning environment? Moreover, how do cultural and racial dynamics affect the ways in which jazz is taught and understood in formal and non-formal settings? My proposition is that teaching jazz as a part of a broad spectrum of black musical styles and cultural traditions, which I shall call the black musical continuum, provides solutions for the dearth of cultural competency and narrow vision of jazz found in many learning environments. Through a continuum theory, I seek to provide a framework for viewing, teaching, learning, and performing jazz that situates it within the larger socio-cultural context of black American music. I argue that such a reorientation toward African-American cu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Graeme Boone (Committee Chair); Ryan Skinner (Committee Member); William McDaniel (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; American Studies; Black History; Black Studies; Cultural Anthropology; Fine Arts; Folklore; Music; Music Education; Performing Arts

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2015, Music Education/Comprehensive Music Education

Secondary music ensembles and community ensembles share many similarities, but participation in secondary music ensembles does not necessarily encourage amateur musicians to join community ensembles after graduation. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine: (1) adult amateur musicians' reasons and motivations for participating in an ensemble in adult life, and (2) adult amateur musicians' perceptions about the relationship between his/her participation in secondary instrumental ensembles and participation in an instrumental ensemble in adult life. Participants (n=9), ages 24-64, were current members of three separate community wind bands from the Midwestern United States and were previously enrolled in a secondary instrumental music ensemble. Each participant completed a semi-structured interview that was audio recorded by the researcher. Interviews were transcribed and coded for themes and categories. The themes that emerged included: (1) break in music making; (2) word of mouth; (3) early musical development; (4) enjoy music making; (5) skills gained from secondary ensembles; (6) different ages and backgrounds; (7) similarities and differences between secondary and community ensembles; (8) social environment; and (9) changes to secondary music education. These themes were used to inform the research questions. Implications for secondary music education and community ensembles are included.

Committee: Lisa Gruenhagen Ph.D. (Advisor); Bruce Moss Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Music Education

Doctor of Musical Arts, The Ohio State University, 2014, Music

During the last two decades, the Finnish contemporary music scene has become a place of endless possibilities for modern clarinetists. Three pieces written during this time of artistic abundance were composed for and brought to life by internationally acclaimed clarinetist Kari Kriikku: Jukka Tiensuu's Puro (1986), Magnus Lindberg's Clarinet Concerto (2001-2002), and Kimo Hakola's Clarinet Concerto (2001). The history and development of contemporary Finnish Western art music has greatly impacted Finland's present-day clarinet music. It includes those composers who contributed to the evolution of historically “classical” music and progressed to the booming contemporary scene that is found in Finland today. A major component of the success in the Finnish contemporary scene is the systems of music education and artists it produces that promote and inspire through their performances of new music. The artists and composers form a symbiotic relationship through this collaboration. Clarinetist Kari Kriikkuu is one of these performers. He is a virtuosic, versatile, and compelling musician with an abundance of performances and recordings in contemporary music. He continues to be a major contributor to the modern music scene with performances that engage and captivate. Known worldwide for attracting a wide range of audiences to the new music scene, Mr. Kriikkuu creates a musical relevance that attracts not only music's elite, but the average listener as well. As a result, he continues to inspire composers of our day to write monumental works for the clarinet. The three pieces included in this document were premiered and are frequently performed by Mr. Kriikku, but have yet to be recognized by the clarinet community in the United States as compared to Scandinavian countries, which include Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. These works include extended techniques that are considered to be standard, as well as techniques far beyond the spectrum of what are conside (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Caroline Hartig (Advisor); Katherine Borst Jones (Committee Member); Daryl Kinney (Committee Member) Subjects: Fine Arts; Music; Music Education; Performing Arts

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2014, Music Education/Comprehensive Music Education

Two elementary general music teachers serving in rural public schools in Ohio were interviewed to investigate the nature and characteristics of elementary general music in rural school districts and elementary general music teachers' perceptions of their level of preparedness to teach in a rural school district. The research questions that guided this study were: (a) What is the nature of rural elementary general music programs? (b) What challenges and advantages are unique to rural music education? In relation to learning? In relation to teaching? (c) What are teachers' perceptions about their level of preparation for teaching in a rural elementary general music program? (d) What district wide professional development opportunities are available for rural elementary general music teachers? In what kinds of professional development experiences do these teachers participate? Each semi-structured interview was audiotaped and transcribed. The interview transcripts were then analyzed for codes, categories, and themes. Three themes emerged from the data: (a) Characteristics of These General Music Programs and Teaching Positions; (b) Context: Understanding the Place Where One Teaches; and (c) Community. Because this study investigated the perceptions of two rural elementary general music teachers, expanding the number of contexts and participants may provide a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of these music programs, of teachers' roles and identity, and could more extensively examine challenges and advantages related to the rural setting. Other studies could include: a comparative study of rural, urban, and/or suburban elementary general music programs to examine the similarities and differences between programs; or an ethnographic case study of elementary general music students, located in rural settings, to investigate their lived experiences as growing musicians.

Committee: Lisa Gruenhagen (Advisor); Vincent Kantorski (Committee Member) Subjects: Music Education