Journal of Research in Music Education

This study examined the three primary journals for research in music education and therapy: The Journal of Research in Music Education (JRME), the Council for Research in Music Education Bulletin (CRME), and the Journal of Music Therapy (JMT). The purpose of the investigation was to identify the most prolific scholars in music research as determined by number of articles published; to identify the most productive institutions of this type of music research as determined by author affiliations; and to identify music scholars of research eminence as determined by citation rates in these three journals. All data were quantified twice by two independent researchers for purposes of reliability. Tabulations resulted in rank ordering of individuals and author affiliations as in categories above.

To address the problem of individual differences in musical-aural skills, this study examined the predictor variables of field dependence/field independence, reflection/impulsivity, and language-optional/language-bound perception. A random sample of 75 college freshman music majors served as subjects in the study. Variables were operationalized through tests of Group Embedded Figures, Matching Familiar Figures, Temporal Order Discrimination, Fusion, and Aural Skills. Data were analyzed through multiple regression and analysis of variance procedures. The major findings of the study indicated that (1) measures of Temporal Order Discrimination, Group Embedded Figures, Fusion, and Matching Familiar Figures are statistically significant predictors of achievement in aural skills; (2) the relationship of reflection/impulsivity to achievement in aural skills appears to be negligible; and (3) the variance attributable to language-bound/language-optional and field dependence/field independence indicates the possible practical significance of these variables for aural skills instruction.

This study investigated the effects of rhythm pattern, texture, beat location of tempo change, and direction of tempo change on the amount of time needed to perceive the change. Eighty-eight subjects listened to 32 versions of Dvořák's “Humoreske” and were asked to identify the onset of tempo change. Results indicated that significantly more time was needed to perceive tempo increase than tempo decrease, uneven rhythm than even rhythm, and melody alone than melody with accompaniment. Furthermore, significant interaction effects involving beat locations of tempo change suggest that differential rhythmic groupings may be a factor in tempo discrimination.

This study investigated the psychological dimensions underlying auditory processing of monotonic and melodic-rhythmic patterns, and influences of musical experiences on the dimensionality of 38 university music students' rhythmic processing. Apparent alterations in tempo, duration and pitch characteristics, melodic and rhythmic phrase patterning, and monotony were shown to be organizers of rhythmic processing. Both major performing instrument and classification of major performing instrument significantly affected the dimensionality of subjects' rhythmic processing. Analyses of variance also showed slight effects of generic style music listening preference, music course experience, and hours music listening on rhythmic processing. The importance of each organizer for subjects depended in part on the objective ordering of the rhythmic and tonal information, and in part on past musical experiences.

Pitch and tempo discriminations within a musical context were investigated. Two hundred musicians and two hundred nonmusicians heard ten excerpts of relatively familiar orchestral music. Excerpts were presented in pairs in order to test the ability of subjects to discriminate how an altered excerpt differed in pitch and/or tempo from its unaltered presentation. Pitch levels and tempi of the excerpts independently or in combination increased, decreased, or remained constant compared to unaltered versions. Consistent with previous research, subjects identified correctly the examples of decreased pitch levels significantly more than pitch increase examples. It is surprising, however, that tempo increase examples, rather than tempo decreases, were identified more accurately. Additional study regarding listener discrimination of the elements of music and related preferences appears advisable, since these conceivably influence music instruction as well as the performance of music.