Search

This descriptive study reports analyses of titles ( N = 636) and authors (N = 1,012) of published research papers presented at the 1st through 27th International Society for Music Education (ISME) Research Commission (RC) seminars from 1968 through 2018. We considered global impact based on manuscript citations, times countries or specific global regions appear in titles, country affiliation of authors, and sole or collaborative authorship. We further examined 7,348 individual words contained in the published paper titles. Data showed a chronological shift from sole to collaboratively authored manuscripts and an increase in the number of words used in titles (ranging from 2 to 31). Citations ( N = 9,713), different countries ( N = 158), and global regions ( N = 40) in titles, and country affiliation of authors ( N = 47) represent a strong global impact. Substantive keywords used in two or more titles align well with the founding principles and purposes of the commission. Perhaps the most salient finding is the manner in which collective data in this study supports and reinforces the extraordinary aspirations and intent of the ISME RC from 1968 to 2018 showing the past, present, and continued necessity of this unique organization of the ISME.

This paper presents a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) about pedagogical innovation and disruption in music education. A rigorous SLR process was applied to the selection of papers related to innovative practices in music education at different educational levels and in a range of contexts. Although there are similar studies on innovation in education, there is no SLR on pedagogical innovation and disruption in music education using this method. The purpose of this study is to present an example of how to do an SLR and to share the findings of the review itself. We also provide a snapshot based on a tight SLR process of some instances of innovation in music education that, in some way, are drawing the paths to be followed in future investigations. According to the categories of innovation that we have established to analyze our corpus of papers, disruption is produced by modifying four fundamental factors in the act of learning (purpose and context learning, teacher/student relationship, and learner role). These factors can contribute to developing a more flexible and open curricula incorporating a holistic, collaborative, and interdisciplinary vision of learning. We consider that the value of this study lies in reflecting a systematic methodological process for the analysis of the scientific literature as well as the findings.

A standalone literature review was conducted to ascertain the extent and status of research on the practical inclusion of Chinese music in Western educational contexts. The study identified a body of journal articles and postgraduate theses on the topic. The papers were analysed to discern what might constitute best practice classroom approaches to teaching and learning Chinese music. Based on the review’s criteria for inclusion – papers were in English, praxis-oriented, peer-reviewed and published over the past three decades – the study found that the number of publications was limited (19) and that in terms of established pedagogical approaches they engaged, some gaps existed, certain pedagogies were minimally represented and some were perhaps too recent to have been trialled. Even so, the study concluded that while best practice is an elusive notion, Chinese music forms and styles appear to be compatible with a range of educational settings and Western-oriented music teaching and learning approaches.

Collaborative composition is an established method within music education, but it is a relatively rare phenomenon between composers of large-scale musical works. This research explores collaborative composition in a professional context and highlights the potential and value of its inclusion in specialist composition training at a tertiary level. The paper explores approaches, processes and outcomes arising from collaborative composition through reflection on a large-ensemble collaborative work, Interpolations, composed by participant-researchers’ Johannes Luebbers and Paul Williamson. The participant-researchers’ background as jazz improvisers emerged as a point of significance and was observed to fundamentally impact the collaborative process. Listening and signifying are identified by Monson as integral to the interactive exchanges between jazz improvisers, which extended into the collaborative composition process. This was given the term ‘Jazz Improvisers Collaborative Cycle’ (JICC), reflecting the tacit skills jazz improvisers bring to a collaborative relationship. The composers were struck by the refreshing and inspiring nature of working collaboratively, the unexpected and complementary ideas and materials, and the value of a constant sounding board that enabled them to formulate, develop and refine ideas. This project suggests collaborative composition as an alternative model that would be valuable for further exploration within education and professional communities.

This practitioner research, conducted by a secondary school music teacher, deals with two complementary questions: the conceptual question how one could define the ‘artistry’ of a music teacher in the context of his teaching practice, and the empirical question in how far the music teacher’s actions can determine the quality of the musical interactions with his students. The paper elaborately describes the institutional context for this (doctoral) practitioner research study, and integrates two premises, one regarding the negative image of the school subject music, and another about the vagueness and the ongoing discussions about the required competences of a ‘good’ music teacher. The first question is dealt with in a theoretical way, resulting in a working definition for a music teacher’s ‘artistry’: ‘a music teacher’s “artistry” lies within the extent to which he can apply his musical competences in “immediate” teaching situations’. The second question is studied empirically using a set of qualitative data sources, derived from the practitioner researcher’s teaching practice, that were analysed by means of a self-developed ‘three-dimensional matrix of the music teacher’s real-time teaching actions’. This results in a set of 10 categories in which the music teacher clearly demonstrates ‘unprepared non-routinised musical actions’.

How can music educators explore the intersections of spirituality, relationships, and music education? The purpose of this paper is to examine how the Pixar film, Soul, models the transformation that can occur when a music teacher embraces spirituality and the preciousness of everyday life both in and out of the classroom through experiences in spatiality, corporeality, temporality, and relationality. To explore the film’s implications, I use a conceptual model of spirituality from van der Merwe and Habron and a theoretical framework from Boyce-Tillman which explores ideas of eudaimonia, spirituality, and music education. The film’s protagonist, Joe Gardner, who evolves past his own ego and comes to share the joy of everyday experiences with a fearful student, may serve as a model for music educators who are seeking to find meaning in the daily life of music teaching and learning. Because discussing films seems so natural to our social experience, pondering how characters evolve and come to understand their purpose may help music teachers develop a deeper understanding of their own identity and interconnected relationships with students.

This study aimed to systematically review the literature focusing on music integration approaches adopted in preschool to secondary education in Turkey. The relevant studies were identified through a systematic search on five databases (The National Thesis Center, TÜBİTAK ULAKBİM TR Index, ERIC, Scopus, and Web of Science). The paper analyzed the publications that were written in Turkish and English between 2010 and 2022 and that are available on the databases of empirical theses and peer-reviewed scientific journals, addressing music integration approaches adopted in preschool to secondary schools by using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. By operationalizing these criteria, 35 studies were included in the review. The studies included were found to tend to use quantitative methods. Music has mainly been integrated into math, science, and language arts curricula. This study revealed that most of the analyzed studies used a subservient integration style, an arts integration style, and offered limited insight into the depth and scope of subject areas covered and the sequencing of skills. Furthermore, this study proposed to consider educational, cognitive, artistic, and affective outcomes together by maintaining the integrity of each of the disciplines in music integration studies in the general schooling context.

Teachers’ confidence in navigating the complexities of ‘being a teacher’ influence their behaviour, how they are perceived, how they make sense of their environment and circumstances and their successes. A web-based survey was developed and distributed to music teachers via an online community of practice. This paper reports on the respondents’ self-reported confidence through the use of an Importance-Confidence Analysis. The responses of early career music teachers and experienced teachers are also compared to understand confidence over the career. Results show that both early career and later career teachers placed greater importance on pedagogical knowledge and skills relative to professional knowledge and skills and music knowledge and skills. Later career teachers reported greater confidence with respect to pedagogical knowledge and professional knowledge compared with teachers who were early in their career, whereas music knowledge and skills were viewed quite similarly by teachers across the career. The analysis highlights the need for ongoing support for experienced teachers alongside early career teachers. Recommendations are made for ongoing support of teachers throughout their careers.

This paper discusses the development of music lessons for adults in a non-professional choir. Based on the Kodály Concept, the lessons took place from April 2019 until March 2020. The singers and conductor engaged in shared research practices, tracking teaching and learning experiences through journaling and sharing our writings. Through this sharing, we have discussed the activities that are most enjoyable, difficulties we have encountered, and how we might overcome these difficulties. The data has important implications for my own practice as a music teacher and conductor, in addition to resonating with topics such as critical geragogy and life-long learning in non-academic contexts. Furthermore, shared research practices give adult learners an opportunity to actively engage in teaching and learning processes, with implications for future projects that include adult music education in non-academic contexts. in publication

There has been a steady increase in popular music programs at Higher Music Education Institutions (HMEIs) across Europe. However, what students actually are supposed to learn at popular music bachelor/master programs has remained largely understudied. Based on 12 in-depth interviews with leaders in higher popular music education, this paper addresses: (1) how popular music is defined and possibly canonized, (2) what the position of popular music programs is, and (3) how the content of popular music programs is constructed—at HMEIs. First, participants struggle to provide a clear definition of popular music. Therefore, they differ in how they name their program – as popular music, pop music or something else. Because there is little consensus over a canon of popular music, our interviewees work from a mini-canon of British/American popular music, add local music to the curriculum, use jazz as a basis and/or work without a canon. Second, despite their growing popularity, popular music programs still struggle to position themselves, particularly at HMEIs with strong classical music departments. Third, program leaders navigate between different approaches of content construction within the constraints of their institution: (a) craft-centered (top-down, teacher-driven, skill-oriented), (b) arts-centered (bottom-up, student-driven, creativity-oriented), and (c) market-centered (side-to-side, industry-driven, commercially-oriented).