Journal of Research in Music Education

This study examined the relative effectiveness of mental practice in improving trombone performance. The experiment involved 30 trombonists from three colleges. They were randomly assigned to one of five experimental practice conditions: (1) all physical practice, (2) all mental practice, (3) a combination of physical and mental practice, (4) mental practice with simulated slide movement, and (5) no practice (control). A short étude served as both a pre- and posttest. A one-way analysis of covariance and subsequent Scheffé's Test found three pairs of groups significantly different from each other: (1) combined practice and no practice, (2) combined practice and mental practice, and (3) physical practice and no practice. The results of the study suggest that the use of mental with physical practice can accrue many benefits for the skilled trombonist.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of programmed materials with adjunct listening examples on the vocal development of children's choruses. A programmed text was designed, tested, and revised in several pilot studies that constituted Phase 1. The text, developed by means of the systems approach model, was effective as measured by pretest-to-posttest gains by all subjects in summative and formative pilot testings. Phase 2 of the study was an experimental design to determine the amount of methods and materials presented in the text that could be implemented by practicing teachers. Forty music teachers and their respective choruses served as subjects and were divided into two groups: a no-contact control and an experimental group. Judges' ratings of the performances were used as the main variable to match groups; other variables included length of rehearsal, grade levels, and size of the chorus. All choruses were tape recorded singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Teachers in the experimental group were given copies of the programmed materials and allotted a 10-week interval to implement materials of their choice during rehearsals. The posttest taping utilized the same song and another of the teacher's choice. Results of data analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in the overall choral sound between groups. Written posttests did indicate a significant gain by teachers in the experimental group of knowledge contained in the text. It was concluded that the lack of significance may have been attributed to an inability to transfer concepts from the text to the rehearsal setting.

The purpose of the investigation was to determine whether attitudes among students engaged in a Process-Oriented Music Curriculum (POMC) differ as a function of gender, grade level, socioeconomic status, and musical aptitude. The research questions the writer sought to answer were: 1. How do music attitudes differ among students engaged in a POMC according to grade level, gender, and socioeconomic status? 2. Are there any relationships between low, average, or high musical aptitude and classroom music attitudes? 3. Is there a relationship between a measure of global attitude toward music class and a measure of attitude toward classroom musical experiences? 4. Are classroom music attitudes of students related to (a) membership in a school performing organization and (b) private study of a musical instrument? Subjects (N = 411) were derived from intact fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade classes from three suburban elementary schools where a curriculum modeled after the Manhattanville Music Curriculum Program had been in use for at least 2 years. The three measures used to collect data were (a) the Music Class Attitude Index, (b) the Musical Attitude Inventory, and (c) Melody and Rhythm subtests of the Musical Aptitude Profile. Data resulting from the two attitude instruments were analyzed by two repetitions of a 3 × 3 × 2 analysis of variance for grade level, socioeconomic status, and gender. Pearson product-moment correlations were computed to analyze the relationship between the two attitude instruments and the relationships between each of the attitude instruments and the remaining variables. Among the findings of the study are: 1. Classroom music attitudes vary as a function of grade level, socioeconomic level, and gender. 2. Classroom music attitudes and musical aptitude are essentially unrelated to each other. 3. A close correspondence exists between students' global attitudes toward music class and attitudes toward their music class activities. 4. Classroom music attitudes are not strongly influenced by the participation of students in performing groups or private instrumental study.

This study consisted of a mailed survey of 421 high school band programs. The band director and principal in each school received a separate questionnaire with similar items rating the value of six aspects of marching band contests. Sixty-two percent of the bands participated in marching band contests. Differences were found in the annual number of contests entered according to geographic area. The West was highest in contests entered annually (M = 2.75 contests per band) and the Midwest was lowest (M = 1.00 contest per band). Principals rated the contests highest in improving public relations for the school. Band directors rated the contests highest in terms of personal benefits to students and lowest in terms of improving students' musical skills and knowledge. Principals and band directors differed significantly in their attitudes toward marching band contests, with principals' ratings being generally higher than those of band directors.

Published histories of music education do not often recognize early instances of music for handicapped students. Music for the hearing impaired is more obscure than for most handicapping conditions because it is often regarded as impractical. This study recognizes the early efforts of William Wolcott Turner and David Ely Bartlett on behalf of music education for the deaf In an 1848 article in the American Annals for the Deaf and Dumb, these two pioneers showed that a hearing-impaired student could learn music and that sound reasons existed to support such an endeavor. The research confirmed both the authenticity and credibility of Turner and Bartlett's work, with biographical information on the two authors and a critical analysis of the contents of their article in light of subsequent research on music for the hearing impaired.