Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2007, Music Education/Comprehensive Music Education

The purpose of this study was to determine elementary, middle, and junior high school orchestra directors' presentation sequence of technical skills to beginning and intermediate string students. Surveys were distributed to 209 public school orchestra directors from Illinois (n = 57), Texas (n = 53), California (n = 51), and North Carolina (n = 48). A total of 60 teachers from Illinois, North Carolina, and Texas responded to the survey. Since only three teachers responded from California, data from this state were removed from analysis in order to allow for a more reasonable comparison among the other three states. The survey consisted of four sections: director profile, school profile, skills, and method books. Results of the director profile indicated that 76.7% of respondents were female, 55% have a masters degree, 50.85% play the violin, and 18.6% have taught for more than 25 years. School profile indicated that 51.72% of respondents teach at a middle school, 84.4% teach in a suburban setting, and 50% start their students on a string instrument in the sixth grade. The skills section of the survey asked respondents to supply data pertaining to nine technical skills for the developing string player: (a) placing the bow on the string for the first time, (b) note reading, (c) low second finger, (d) low first finger, (e) students tune their own instruments, (f) vibrato, (g) shifting (violin/viola), (h) shifting (cello), and (i) shifting (bass). Seven of these nine skills are currently introduced by 48.2% of directors in the sixth grade. The method books section of the survey indicated that Essential Elements was used by 86.67% of directors. Implications for music education included encouraging orchestra directors to introduce vibrato before high school. Suggestions for further research included compiling a handbook describing the effective teaching techniques orchestra directors use to teach the nine technical skills to their developing string players.

Committee: Vincent Kantorski (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Music; Music