Abstract: Educational policies in the early 21st century demanded quantifiable school performance and teacher evaluation reform. This led music education associations in some states to rename their large-ensemble festivals as “music performance assessments” to address the calls for change, even before considering the true nature of the events. The purpose of this historical study was to determine the character and nature of the large ensemble festivals of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, which also considered relabeling its festivals as assessments to tie them to teacher evaluation. Guiding questions focused on the contextual influences that shaped the event over time. The evolution of the festival system is examined in detail from its inception in 1938 to the present. Implications for music education practice and policy are discussed.

Silence is a composition tool that is very rarely explored outside of its use in a performance. Yet, Silence is often the most impactful or profound section of a piece. Why is it that silence has the ability to make people feel more profoundly comfortable or uncomfortable even though perceivably the silence is the same. This paper is an attempt to explore the wider scope of silence and why it has a profound effect on human emotions. This has led to an exploration of neurology, psychoacoustics, philosophy, psychology, linguistics, theology, anthropology and musicology to get the best understanding of this nuanced effects of silence. In the first part of this paper, I will attempt to provide a definition of silence and its historical impact. Next, the exploration of silence as a component of language and how to apply the rules of language will begin to inform silences in a musical context. This leads to the structure of silence and how in different contexts may change the overall perception of silence. This context allows us to examine the actual responses to silence. These responses can be measured both as a neurological, measurable, response and an emotional, reportable one. Finally it is the perceptions of these silences in a musical setting that brings together disparate theories. All these components function together to strive to answer the question; why does silence have such a profound musical impact on an observing audience and how can it be used to improve ensemble performance?

Peer and fieldwork teaching experiences are essential components of music teacher preparation programs (Butler, 2001; Kerchner, 1998; Conway, 2002). Many scholars and music teacher educators (MTEs) consider fieldwork to be the most authentic teaching setting for preservice teachers (PSTs) (Butler, 2001; Miksza & Berg, 2013; Powell, 2011), and have recognized numerous benefits of fieldwork (Brataas & Jenset, 2023; Haston & Russell, 2012; Hourigan & Scheib, 2009.) Peer teaching is also beneficial for PST learning (Adams, 2024; Colwell, 1995; Paul, 1998). PSTs have identified the value of quality feedback on peer and fieldwork teaching experiences. Scholars have also recognized the importance of the teaching context (Butler, 2001; Colwell, 1995; Kagan, 1992; Miksa & Berg, 2013; Powell, 2014) and the impact of context on PSTs’ feelings of success (Brataas & Jenset, 2023; Bowers, 1990; Conway, 2002; Elias, 2018; Fant, 1996; Farris, 1991; Johnson, 2015.) Literature about peer teaching and fieldwork was reviewed within the following categories: the effects of peer teaching and fieldwork exercises on teacher behaviors (Colwell, 1995; Paul, 1998), teacher identity (Adams, 2024; Arslan, 2021; Miksza & Berg, 2013; Paul, 1998; Tucker, 2020), and student teaching success (Fant, 1996; Paul, 1998; Richards, 1999), as well as pedagogical skills practiced (Adams, 2024; Arslan, 2021; Bowers, 1990;  Butler, 2001; Colwell, 1995; Conway, 2002; Farris, 1991; Kagan, 1992; Paul, 1998; Powell, 2016) and PSTs perceptions of these experiences (Arslan, 2021; Butler, 2001; Colwell, 1995; Farris, 1991; Freeman & Lee, 2024; Powell, 2014). Additional general education literature reviewed includes the following topics: simulated teaching models (Cheong, 2010; Freeman & Lee, 2024; Levin & Flavian, 2022), the benefits of simulated teaching experiences (Levin & Flavian, 2022; Lindberg & Jönsson, 2023), and PSTs perceptions of simulated teaching experiences (Levin & Flavian, 2022). Suggestions for MTE practice will be included.

The purpose of the study is to expand extracurricular music activity in Macau secondary schools to include musical theatre as an interdisciplinary and integrated art form. An excerpt from the Cantonese musical theatre show Dalia was selected as the instructional material for classroom implementation. The study involved documenting rehearsals, collecting questionnaires, conducting focus group interviews, and maintaining researcher journals to gather comprehensive insights.

The project cooperated with 20 students (grades 7–12) from Sheng Kung Hui Choi Kou School in Macau in May and June 2024. Data shows that musical theatre not only improves students’ performance skills in singing, acting, and dancing but also greatly enhances their personal growth, including their confidence, teamwork, and self-expression.  

Moreover, the cooperation model, artist-centered teaching collaboration, and synchronized teacher-student participation also established a flexible and adaptive framework for developing musical theatre education in schools. This collaborative approach not only enriched the students’ learning across music, drama, and dance but also enhanced the overall quality of the project, fostering a strong team bond among educators, artists, and students.

In conclusion, this musical theatre project Dalia demonstrated the potential of musical theatre as an interdisciplinary art form to enhance both performance skills and personal development among secondary school students in Macau. The collaborative teaching model and adaptive framework provide a sustainable foundation for integrating musical theatre education into school curricula.

“A teacher affects eternity.” (Adams, 1918)

The work of a great teacher bridges the Past, Present, and Future, from the pedagogues

that taught them, to the students who they teach, and to their student’s students. Elizabeth Green (1905-2001) is one such figure in music education, teaching many students who went on to illustrious careers. Green is best known as a string and conducting pedagogue. The many editions of her book, The Modern Conductor (Green, 1992), have been widely used in conducting courses since its original publication. Additionally, there are many string and conducting methods used in school orchestral and conducting settings (Green, 1987, 1990, 2006; Green & Malko, 1975).

While bibliographical accounts of her influence via string and music education have been published (Rawlings, 2022; Smith, 1986), her direct influence to the music education world via mentorship of high profile individuals in the band profession have gone largely undocumented. Some of these students studied formerly at the University of Michigan, while others traveled to her home or workshops for informal, but often just as influential instruction. The meaningful relationships that developed are revealed in the many letters from her students housed in the Bentley Historical Archives at the University of Michigan.

After compiling a list of students in high profile band positions from these archives, I am documenting the influence of Green via oral history interviews of a select number of her students, with the intention of these recordings being housed alongside the papers in the Bentley Library. Green’s influence through mentorship and pedagogy will be highlighted on the poster, as well as interactive QR codes for portions of the interviews and opportunities for feedback.

Attendees will have the opportunity to reflect on how the documentation of pedagogues in their own discipline might be further preserved through oral history of students.

Culturally responsive teaching is an approach to pedagogy in which the experiences, knowledge, and performance of diverse students are considered to improve learning for all. This fosters equity and allows enhanced opportunities for culturally diverse students’ classroom success. The purpose of this study was to review literature about culturally responsive teaching in string pedagogy and music education published in the last decade. Thirty-four sources published in primarily peer reviewed journals, including the American String Teacher, were reviewed. Emerging themes included: developing cultural competence, authentic performances, self-reflection, community engagement, consulting culture bearers, creating a relationship/connection with students, culture as defined with ethnic-racial notions, differing definitions of culture, and student benefit. Most articles, including those published in the American String Teacher, addressed culture within an ethnic or racial framework which underrepresents other diverse populations of students. Notably, the American String Teacher used this framework in addressing the experiences, and lack of recruitment and retention, of diverse student populations. Future research could focus on culturally responsive teaching through cultures as defined by diversity of religion, geographical location, socioeconomic status, and neurodiversity. In addition, by broadening the scope of research into culturally responsive teaching within string music education, string teachers may gain a greater understanding of how to apply culturally responsive teaching within ensembles, and orchestra program demographics may begin to reflect those seen in general school classrooms.

Don’t let a zebra live its life believing it’s a failed horse.

This critical discourse analysis explores how teachers with ADHD discuss their experiences as teachers with ADHD among a community of peers, and seeks to understand how these discourses align within individual, social, and interactional disability frameworks. Implications for music teacher educators are discussed. Guiding questions are: (1) How do teachers with ADHD talk about being teachers with ADHD within a social media group of similarly minded colleagues? (2) How does this discourse fit within individual, social, and interactional disability frameworks?

I manually collected data from a Facebook group of teachers with ADHD, including posts from a 10-day span in mid-October 2023 and from a disability keyword search, without collecting identifiers. I collected text and reactions for posts related to the combination of being a teacher and having ADHD, resulting in 3,579 pieces of text and 9.741 reactions (“like,” “love,” “care,” “haha,” “wow,” “sad,” and “angry”).

Findings were divided into positives, negatives, non-consensus, and consensus. Positive findings include positive aspects of having ADHD as a teacher, positive traits teachers perceived to be connected to their ADHD, perceived importance of neurodivergent adult representation in education, and compassion and empathy. Negative findings centered on the challenges of existing in a world or environment that is not made for brains with executive dysfunction. Items of non-consensus included preference for identity-first or person-first language for people with ADHD, as well as disability identity. Items of consensus included agreement that life is different for neurodivergent brains in neurotypically-designed systems, and the misnomer of ADHD. Some members expressed frustration with the “squirrel” ADHD stereotype; instead of squirrels in a school, perhaps we are zebras in a herd of horses.

Music teaching is a complex profession that involves both refined musical skills and a deep understanding of pedagogical practices. Teacher preparation programs are crucial to bringing highly-qualified educators into the profession, and there is a growing dialogue on how to best create the curriculum for future music educators (McDonald et. al, 2013). Grossman et al. (2009) called for a restructuring of teacher education so that classes center around core practices, or professional teaching skills, to better prepare teachers for the field. Millican and Forrester (2018, 2019) investigated core practices in music teaching and found that professors and music teachers rank sequencing, how a teacher sequences student tasks to achieve music understanding or to develop musical skills, as one of the most important core practices in music teacher preparation. However, more research is needed to illuminate how to best teach sequencing to future music educators.

The purpose of this literature review is to examine the existing studies on sequencing in music education and highlight promising practices to teach sequencing. First, I will examine studies that explore core practices in music education. Next, I will discuss research on scaffolding as it relates to sequencing. Following that, research on lesson planning in music education will be reviewed along with how it can impact teachers’ sequencing. Finally, I will review research on promising practices to teach sequencing in preservice music teacher Programs. Core practices in music teacher education is an emerging topic, and this review will contribute to the ongoing dialogue on how to best prepare future music teachers with these essential pedagogical skills.

Action Research is a form of comparative research first introduced by social psychologist Kurt Lewin that leads to social action within an active cyclical observation (Lewin, 1946). This form of private research emphasizes thought, discussion, and action by ordinary people in collective social research to address “private troubles” (Adelman, 1993, p. 8). This process has been broadly established in the field of education for several decades (Altrichter, 2020). The notion of teaching as research–or Teacher Inquiry–opened the door for practitioners to “document their students’ work through observation and inquiry” (Robbins, 2014, p. 187) thus positioning them as experts within their own classrooms (Cochran-Smith & Donnell, 2006).

Scholars in a variety of education (e.g. physical education, mathematics education) use Teacher Inquiry in their research but lack the transformative cyclical nature Lewin designates for Action Research (Bjørke et al., 2023; Jacobs & Murray, 2010). In music education, research in this area has shown transformative aspects through inquiry but focuses more on pragmatic solutions to classroom problems with no continued cyclical format (Cain, 2008; Conway, 2000; Conway & Borst, 2001; Conway & Jeffers, 2004; Regelski, 1994). Many researchers and teacher education programs have addressed Teacher Inquiry through undergraduate preservice teacher education (Carboni et al., 2007; Kitchen & Stevens, 2008; Price, 2001), graduate preservice and inservice education (Brydon-Miller & Maguire, 2009; Hine, 2013; Hong & Lawrence, 2011; Vaughan & Burnaford, 2016), and continuing professional development for inservice teachers (Meesuk et al., 2020; Regelski, 1994; Souto-Manning, 2012).

Though this type of research has been widely adopted as an approach for conducting applied research in education, it continues to suffer from general misunderstandings from teachers and researchers alike (Mertler, 2021). Thus the purpose of this literature review is to describe Action Research and Teacher Inquiry in different fields of education. Through interaction with the literature, the application for Music Education will be discussed.

Integrated arts education (IAE) can promote authentic interdisciplinary connections, linking the arts with other subjects in meaningful and transformative ways (Barrett, 2023; Bresler, 1995). Administrators play a vital role shaping curricular goals of a school or district. Consequently, administrators’ perspectives on IAE influence the support that classroom teachers and arts specialists receive at the elementary level. Earlier related research (e.g., Battersby & Cave, 2014; Reinke & Moseley, 2012) does not address the extent to which administrators understand or value IAE. Our research questions were: (1) How do arts and non-arts administrators rate the benefits and barriers to implementing IAE in K-5 classrooms? (2) How do administrators’ perspectives on IAE compare? 

We selected a convergent mixed-methods design, utilizing the questionnaire variant model (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018). We collected quantitative and open-ended survey data from school and arts administrators in the US (n=128), then conducted six follow-up interviews. We utilized descriptive statistics to analyze demographics and Likert-type survey responses. We performed Spearman’s rho and Mann Whitney U tests to identify relationships and significant differences between variables. Qualitatively, we used open and deductive coding to analyze the free response and interview data.

All administrators perceived creativity, self-expression, and student engagement as outcomes promoted by arts integration. Principals perceived positive school climate and self-esteem as outcomes of IAE, while arts administrators rated critical thinking and interdisciplinary connections more prominently. Preparation time, teacher proficiency, instructional time, and funding were rated as the biggest barriers to arts integration in K-5 settings. In every instance, administrators’ reports of actual arts integration in their districts were significantly lower than their expressed ideals. While administrators appear to support IAE in theory, they need resources, strategies, and motivation to effectively promote its inclusion in the K-5 curriculum and to support elementary classroom teachers and arts specialists.

Within the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH) Community, many past and present

instrumental music students have faced disadvantages when it comes to receiving music education (Darrow & Gfeller, 1991;Churchill & Bernard, 2020). Scholarship has suggested bias within music professionals (Holmes, 2017), with lack of education on Deaf culture (Lane, 1996) and music perception of D/HH individuals (Pujakusama, 2022) as reasons for this. More information is needed for teachers (Hash, 2003) as D/HH musicians have undergone unique isolating obstacles within the music classroom (Darrow, 1993).

Originating from a literature review of past research in 2023, the intent of this ongoing inquiry is to describe experiences of D/HH musicians with hearing loss and D/deaf identity. Research questions include: (a) How do D/HH people describe their music learning? (b) How is the involvement of the music teacher described by each D/HH participant? (c) What do D/HH people want music educators to know about learning music with hearing loss?

Interview participants were chosen through snowball sampling methods and included 10 D/HH musicians, four D/HH music educators, and four music educators. Data included: (a) One hour verbal interviews with each of 14 participants; (b) four written interviews over a period of two months with participants via Email. Findings are presented in the following categories: (a) supportive teacher influences, (b) challenges from teacher and administrative personnel, (c) personal accommodations, and (d) advice to music educators. Suggestions and teacher impact will be discussed from participant experiences and educator suggestions.

The purpose of this study of literature was to ascertain what research/opinion pieces had been conducted/written about remediating hypo-phonation (breathiness in tone quality) in assigned female at birth (AFAB) adolescent singers and then a determine a design for measuring the effects of any suggested remediations (as identified in review of literature) on the phonatory efficiency of AFAB singers. The search began in mainstream music education journals (Journal of Research in Music

Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Music Educators Journal, Choral Journal, etc.) where all of the work was found to be descriptive research or opinion pieces based on the descriptive research. These studies described what happens during the AFAB voice change process and ways in the which music educators might guide students through the voice change. None of these studies dealt with empirically established protocols for alleviating the quality of hypo- phonation. The second set of studies came from voice teachers, primarily in higher education.

These studies offered common remedies for hypo-phonation (singing on frontal vowels such as e and eh) but none offered data on how or whether the vowels lessened hypo-phonation in AFAB singers. The final set of studies were found primarily in the discipline of speech, language, and hearing research. These latter studies were replete with the ways various tools/instruments and software could not only visualize what is happens in the glottis (the space between the vocal cords) during phonation but also measure the closure of the glottis. Although these studies were not conducted in the context of singing, their methodologies appear to be employable in determining

which of various vowels and consonants might be helpful in relieving hypo-phonation in singing. As a result of this literature review, data will be collected that will for the first time determine the efficacy of various vowel and nasal consonants on ameliorating hypo-phonation in AFAB singers.

Burnout among rural music educators is a growing concern and may contribute to high attrition rates (Padron, 2020; Kuntzelman, 2016; Brossette, 2015). Factors such as lack of resources, long work hours, additional roles (Isbell, 2005; Schieb, 2003) and professional and geographical isolation (Brossette, 2015; Bates, 2011; Isbell, 2005, Collins, 1999) may contribute to overall perceived burnout from rural music educators.

The rural educational environment presents unique challenges for music educators, including a wide range of responsibilities that often exceed those of their counterparts in suburban or urban settings (Isbell, 2005). These challenges include limited resources, small ensemble sizes with incomplete instrumentation, restricted access to private music lessons and live performances, socioeconomic challenges among students, frequent absenteeism due to extracurricular commitments (Kuntzelman, 2016), and heightened community expectations (Hunt, 2009). Such factors can contribute to burnout among rural music educators, manifesting in three key dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the experiences of rural instrumental music educators in relation to burnout. The research was guided by the following questions: (A) What context-specific experiences occur while teaching instrumental music in a rural school district? (B) What are the context-specific experiences of rural instrumental music educators that might contribute to burnout? (C) How do rural instrumental music educators navigate feelings of burnout?

Data was collected via semi-structured interviews with four participants and was coded and analyzed for themes (Stake, 1995). Themes included isolation (professional, geographical, personal), role overload, and music educator identity. Implications of this study include mental health and wellness initiatives for rural music educators including peer support groups, resource allocation and initiatives to ensure educators have access to resources to have the materials they need to succeed, and additional rural-specific research and policy advocacy. Education policymakers should prioritize research on the unique challenges faced by rural music educators.

For decades, music educators have sought to determine the overarching purpose of music education. Should music education primarily serve the physical and emotional development of children or should it solely introduce them to the fundamentals of music-making? In this paper, I will adopt the approach of using music education to serve the whole child rather than only the musical aspect of the child. Below, I will examine the language and communication development benefits that music education provides for autistic gestalt language processors ages 0-5 years old in early childhood education settings. This stance requires consideration of the potential role of the early childhood music teacher and the early childhood general educator in supporting the developmental needs of these children. This paper lies at the intersection of music education, music therapy, and speech language therapy. While music education is the main focus of this paper, concepts and strategies from both speech language therapy and music therapy settings offer insight into this project’s central argument. Many autistic children tend to also be gestalt language processors, and many gestalt language processors are also autistic. This paper offers pedagogical strategies to support students who are both autistic and gestalt language processors. However, many of these strategies may also apply to individuals who only identify with one of these conditions.

Analyzing and reflecting on one’s own teaching is a crucial practice for improving instruction in both general and music education settings (Taylor, 1994). Current technology makes it easy to do this through video recordings. Studies suggest that teachers who watch video of their own teaching are able to identify specific and detailed behaviors they are comfortable with or want to change, which promotes change in teaching behaviors (Cuper et al., 2007; Rosaen et al., 2008). Teachers who watch videos of themselves have also been shown to notice more and deeper aspects of their teaching than what they could recollect on their own, which they felt enhanced their reflective process (Wright, 2008).

Music teachers can use video recording to reflect upon and assess general teaching skills, such as classroom management and verbal instruction, as well as musical teaching skills, such as conducting and modeling. Snyder (2011) advocated for the use of video reflection with preservice music educators, and some research studying such an approach exists (e.g., Powell, 2016; Silvey & Major, 2014). Additionally, a large body of literature examining the use of video reflection by non-music preservice educators exists. The purpose of this literature review is to synthesize the existing research regarding the use of video reflection, either by non-music preservice educators or by music educators of any level of experience. Through this review, I hope to inform music teacher educators of relevant research both within and beyond the field of music education that may assist them in implementing the effective use of video reflection with their students.