Live music has always been a way to bring communities together for a shared human experience, enriching lives and shaping identities. One of my first concert experiences was watching the Detroit Symphony Orchestra perform the music of Star Wars to scenes from the different movies. I remember feeling an immense sense of wonder and awe at the effect the experience had on me. While research shows that live music activates emotional centers in the brain, these studies often isolate sound from other sensory inputs. Yet in reality, live performance is rarely just auditory – it frequently includes visual elements like lighting, motion or projection.

In May of 2025, I performed a research recital showcase at UNO to better understand the correlations between live music paired with multi-modal stimuli had on audience engagement.

Five solo percussion pieces were paired with five styles of visual art; lighting, dance, live-painting and video. Through the use of self-answered surveys, audience members provided information on their engagement levels through each piece and their responses to each visual engagement. The results of the study found a direct link between multi-visual stimuli and engagement in a live-music setting showing that listeners felt more engaged with the piece with the presence of the different stimuli. I always knew I wanted to build a continuation of this study and further explore engagement in a live-music setting but what if this kind of sensory richness was brought into a smaller, more intimate setting where audience members don’t just observe but actively participate? This project explores that question by combining live percussion performance with collaborative art creation, inviting the audience to co-create an immersive, spontaneous visual and musical experience.

In this project, my aim is to understand how the participants critically engage and emotionally connect to live instrumental performance while creating visual art.

As twenty first century performers, it is increasingly important to work to connect with audience members. These connections help to build emotional moments that resonate with the listener that stay with them long after the performance ends. Incorporating visual elements into live music can deepen this impact, broadening access, inviting different modes of engagement, and reaching people who might not connect through sound alone. This project takes this idea further by inviting the audience into the creative process itself. Through the fusion of live vibraphone performance and collaborative painting, participants will not only witness the art, they will help to shape it. I aim to further explore how this interactive format affects emotionalengagement, observing how audience members respond when they’re invited to create the visual dimension of the experience.

Creativity is a broadly popular component of education. A 2019 Ipsos poll of American adults found that 89% believed everyone has the potential to be creative, 93% felt finding a creative outlet is important for all ages, and 89% perceived creative courses to be just as important for a student’s growth as other courses (Jackson, 2019). However, arguments have been made that schools in the United States are not designed to enable students’ creativity (Robinson, 2006; Sawyer, 2014). Additionally, while music and the arts are frequently perceived to be inherently creative areas of study, music students’ creativity can become subordinated over time to the act of performing others’ music, which typically takes over as the primary focus of music classes for older students (Burnard, 2012). Elpus (2020) found that band and choir remain the only music courses offered at the majority of high schools in the United States. Accordingly, any discussion of creative music making at the secondary level must focus on these traditional large ensembles and the creative opportunities, or lack of opportunities, they offer to music students.

The purpose of this critical essay is to examine the forms that musical creativity may take in school performing ensembles. Drawing from creativity and pedagogy literature, I will begin by describing how scholars have conceptualized creativity. Using these definitions of creativity, I will then explore the extent to which opportunities for creativity are available to students in the traditional school ensembles of band, choir, and orchestra. Finally, I will identify ways in which large ensemble directors may further integrate creativity into their rehearsals in pursuit of an education that provides genuine creative outlets for students of all ages.

This study investigates the experiences of college students majoring in music education and vocal performance as they provide private voice lessons to children participating in a local community choir. Despite the emphasis on ensemble and classroom teaching in music education programs, and performance skills in vocal performance curricula, there is a notable gap in pre-service training for private lesson instruction (Fredrickson, Geringer, & Pope, 2013). This study aims to address this discrepancy by providing insights into the lived experiences of college students as they develop their teaching skills in a real-world context. The purpose of this research is to examine the pedagogical challenges, learning outcomes, and personal growth of undergraduate students as they navigate the complexities of one-on-one vocal instruction with young learners. This study will involve the collection of individual surveys and open-ended interviews with 10 collegiate music education (7) and vocal performance (3) majors and will be coded for themes across participants. While these qualitative themes are not generalizable to a broader population, the experiences of these students may have implications for music education policy, curriculum design, and the preparation of future music educators and performers for the multifaceted demands of their prospective careers..

This paper examines the literature on microaggressions and describes the Revised 28-Item Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale (Forrest-Bank, 2015). Microaggressions may be the most common form of discrimination, establishing and reinforcing a social hierarchy of who, and whose music, belongs and does not (Sue, 2010). Though appearing minor in isolation, microaggressions have been found to have cumulative effects on the psychological, emotional, and educational well-being of those who experience them (Feagin, 1991; Sue, 2010; Utsey et al., 2000; Williams & Mohammad, 2009).

Within general education research, scholars have investigated racial microaggressions as experienced by Black and African-American college students (McCall, 2015), Latinx college students (Ballinas, 2017; Solórzano, 1998; Yosso et al., 2009), and multiracial college students (Harris, 2017), as well as intersectional analyses with gender and sexual orientation (Casanova et al., 2018; Lewis & Neville, 2015; McCabe, 2009; Morales, 2014). Within music education literature, scholars have drawn attention to discrimination and prejudice (Abramo, 2024; Bond & Hagen, 2025; Minette, 2018; Palkki & Caldwell, 2018; Parker, 2024; Powell & Celeste, 2020; Regus, 2025; Regus et al., 2025; Teichman, 2020; Waldron, 2025; Winfree, 2025). Additionally, despite numerous calls for a new paradigm (Hess, 2022; Kajikawa, 2019; Koza, 2010; Sarath, 2024), the dominance of Western Art Music continues to perpetuate longstanding social and structural inequities within schools of music.

Drawing on the theories of cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1986), dominant and non-dominant culture (Carter, 2003), and community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005), I will highlight how the literature may relate to the verbal, nonverbal, and environmental enactments of exclusionary practices and values of undergraduate music education majors within the hierarchical structures of schools of music. By presenting both sociocultural frameworks and quantitative data, this literature review sets the stage for a future adaptation of the Revised 28-Item Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale (Forrest-Bank, 2015).

Improvisation plays a meaningful role in early childhood music education, where learning occurs through spontaneous movement, sound, and interaction. Research shows that early childhood teachers frequently improvise in response to children’s actions, not as a lack of planning, but as a flexible and intentional teaching approach. This literature review synthesizes research on teacher improvisation in early childhood settings, examining how improvisational teaching supports children’s engagement, musical exploration, and creativity.

Grounded in research from music education, early childhood pedagogy, and creativity studies, four themes emerged: (1) improvisation as responsive teaching, (2) improvisation as a creative musical practice, (3) improvisation and children’s engagement, and (4) teacher identity and reflective practice. Implications are offered for practice and future research, including the need for observational and classroom-based studies that examine real-time improvisational moments.

This research presents literature on access and equity to music education in the urban school districts of New York and Chicago. The poster would highlight the documented successes and challenges in these cities when it comes to the following areas in music education: administrative support, efforts to make music programs accessible (specifically for students that come from lower income families), the management of asynchronous music teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, equitability of music programs, non profit music organizations, and the inclusivity of queer students. These conclusions were informed by an interview with a veteran public school educator that has taught in both of these cities as well as the articles, research studies, and data that are cited below. Some of the most influential articles to my research include “Learning by Example: Methods to Increase Access to and Inclusion in Music Education for Economically Underprivileged Populations in New York City” by Michael Herring, “New York City Music Educators’ Perspectives of How the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Access and Equity in Instrumental Music Education by Jose Luis Jr. Diaz, “The challenge of equitable access to arts and museum experiences for low-income New York City school children.” by Lynda Kennedy, “Music fit for us minorities”: Latinas/os’ Use of Hip Hop as Pedagogy and Interpretive Framework to Negotiate and Challenge Racism, Equity & Excellence in Education” by Isaura Pulido, and “A Mixed Methods Portrait of Urban Instrumental Music Teaching. Journal of Research in Music Education” by Kate R. Fitzpatrick. This poster will provide some insight into the implications for music educators looking to teach in urban environments and the real life positives and negatives that may come with that when it comes to access and equity to music education.

Music teacher identity research has most commonly utilized symbolic interactionism and sociocultural/cultural-historical frameworks (Pellegrino, 2019); however, broader education research on teacher identity is moving toward more complex models that directly address identity components’ inseparability. Kaplan and Garner’s (2017) Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI) utilizes complex dynamic systems theory to conceptualize teacher role identity as the continuously emerging and integrating components that reflect who the person is and how they act as a teacher. In this model, teacher role identity is mediated by social interactions framed by sociocultural context, subject domain, culture, and one’s implicit dispositions (Kaplan & Garner, 2018). It has been used in language teaching (Wang et al., 2021), physical education (Liu & Keating, 2022), and social work (Duan et al., 2021), and is emerging in music education research (Dubaz Bükülmez et al., 2022; Lewis, 2024).

A commonly cited issue with teacher identity literature is the lack of consensus regarding a definition of teacher identity (Clarke, 2018). Therefore, Hong et al. (2024) incorporated the DSMRI in their reconceptualization of teacher identity: teachers’ understandings and beliefs about themselves as teachers in relation to other multiple intersecting identities, shaped through ongoing goal-focused, agentic regulating processes that facilitate the interpretation and re-interpretation of personal and professional experiences which are situated within multilayered, social-cultural-historical contexts. (p. 4; emphasis in original)

The purpose of this literature review is to elucidate how researchers can study music teacher identity in light of more recent and complex teacher identity models and definitions. It begins with a brief historical overview of teacher identity research and music teacher identity research before exploring the development and implementation of newer, more complex models of teacher identity, including the DSMRI. Finally, I address recent research on music teacher identity that uses complex models, before concluding with recommendations for future research.

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.

Student mental health and academic success in the performing arts have been frequent topics of discussion in music education journals, social media platforms, and higher education administration literature. These conversations intensified following the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020–2022, during which the performing arts were, at times, viewed as an unstable or even risky career path. Many students pursuing this field reported heightened levels of fear and anxiety about their future success. While discourse in this area often emphasizes student burnout, there is comparatively less focus on the pathways and practices that contribute to student success in the performing arts.

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of students in their second year or beyond of pursuing a music major. The goal was to identify insights, strategies, and perspectives that could be shared with first-year students to support their success in the performing arts.

To guide this investigation, a three-interview phenomenological research design was employed. The following research questions shaped the study: (1) How did the participant come to be a music major? (2) What is it like for the participant to be a music major? (3) What are the details of the participant’s study of music? and (4) What does it mean to the participant to be a music major?

Each interview was recorded and transcribed by the researcher, then reviewed by participants for accuracy. Data was analyzed using open coding, and emerging themes were identified and refined. These themes were then compared with existing literature on student success and organized in alignment with the original research questions.

The purpose of this teacher research study was to elevate the voices of five underrepresented students by drawing meaning from their successes and challenges in a middle school orchestra program. Three themes were identified in the reviewed literature: (1) the need for studies that explore teacher’s experiences with and students’ perceptions of culturally responsive teaching together (Byrd, 2016; Howard, 2001; Hubert, 2014), (2) the need for studies exploring culturally responsive teaching practices in the instrumental music classroom (Shaw, 2016), and (3) whether or not students’ experiences with culturally responsive teaching relate to their desire to remain in orchestra. The study recorded a teacher’s experience implementing Gay’s (2018) culturally responsive teaching framework into the curriculum, as well as five 8th-grade students’ experiences in the orchestra classroom. Data included three focus groups, two individual interviews, and student and researcher journals. Findings are presented in the areas of student voice, representation, and community. 

Three themes emerged from the data. First, hosting focus groups with students gave the teacher an opportunity to learn about students’ cultural background and learning styles which is vital when implementing culturally responsive teaching in the music classroom. Second, students identified that the focus groups helped them to feel welcome and valued in the orchestra classroom. Finally, students stated that they had not been given a similar opportunity in their other classes, emphasizing the need for student voice in related research.

Recommendations include implementing similar focus group studies in instrumental music classrooms to learn from students, elevating the voices of underrepresented students, and using those findings to improve the instrumental music curriculum and experience. Future research is needed to investigate students’ perceptions of culturally responsive teaching and whether a culturally responsive curriculum contributes to a student’s decision to remain in an instrumental music program (Garcia & Chun, 2016; Shaw, 2016).

The adolescent female voice change is a complex process that significantly impacts young singers both physiologically and psychologically. While extensive research has been conducted on the male voice change, the challenges faced by adolescent female singers remain underexplored in music education. For this project, the author examines physiological aspects of the female voice change, including vocal breathiness, range limitations, and the impact of hormonal fluctuations. The author also explored research regarding the psychological effects of the female voice change, including decreased vocal confidence, fear of judgment, and the development of a vocal identity. In addressing these challenges, choral directors’ roles are crucial because effective instructional approaches can enhance both the skill level and self-efficacy of adolescent female singers. Strategies such as vocal assessments, flexible voice classification, targeted vocal exercises, and inclusive repertoire selection can support students through their vocal development. By fostering an environment that acknowledges and supports the female voice change, choral educators can ensure that young female singers maintain confidence and continue their musical growth.

Steinway’s Spirio high resolution player piano combines technology and musicmaking in ways that open new possibilities for piano pedagogy. But as of yet, these have not been extensively researched.¹ The present study focuses on how classical piano students can emulate historical style and performance through the practice of embodiment as made possible by the Spirio. Steinway’s iPad app features historically significant video performances of “Steinway Immortals” which are synched to the piano as it replays performances by these musicians, bringing the past to life on the instrument the students are practicing on. To better understand character as expressed in performance, we experimented with having students learn piano miniatures by playing back as closely as possible all the details of these performances as heard, saw, and felt. Typically we focused on re-playing the historical performance one phrase at a time, giving the student a chance to replicate the phrase in their own playing. Through this methodology of embodied performance, students learned Alfred Cortot’s performance of a Chopin Waltz and Vladimir Horowitz’s performance of Schumann’s “Träumerei,” both of which include many expressive attributes that are not notated in the score, but are vestiges of nineteenth-century performance practice.² Students learned through performed emulations how to express character via asynchrony, tempo rubato, pedaling, and gestures.³ This close examination refined the subtleties of both students’ own interpretations. Via embodiment, students found new ways to conceive of musical meaning, as experimentation with the Spirio brought them to consider multiple vantage points across history. Countering the expectation to play from the score alone in a purely “original” way, this experiment freed students to learn works of the past not only by encountering great composers, but also great interpreters.

Music education researchers have been interested in the retention of students in the music classroom (Corenblum & Marshall, 1998; Klinedinst, 1991; Martignetti, 1965; Morehouse, 1987; Mowery, 1993; Perkins, 1998; Sandene, 1994; Wolfle, 1969). Researchers have identified factors contributing to student retention such as: difficulty of the instrument, not having time to practice, loss of interest, other interests, hated to practice, boring, got tired of it, lacked patience and perseverance, did not have room in schedule, dislike of teacher, socioeconomic level, and attitudes of their peers and parents (Corenblum & Marshall, 1998; Klinedinst, 1991; Martignetti, 1965; Morehouse, 1987; Mowery, 1993; Wolfle, 1969). Theoretical frameworks have also been applied to better understand aspects of retention and attrition (Levine, 2019; Robinson, 2024; Schnerer, 2020; Silvestri, 2024)

The purpose of this literature review was to explore retention research in large ensembles in music education including the application of theoretical frameworks, identify factors contributing to retention in large ensembles, identify practical strategies for music educators to influence retention in their programs, and suggest future research on this topic.

Suggested strategies for music educators that may influence retention include: parent support and involvement, focus on retention levels especially between buildings, awareness and mitigation of class scheduling conflicts, school administrative support, vary classroom routines and materials, multiple music teachers, engaging lessons, appropriate ensemble structure throughout program, instrumentally homogenous classes, review material students have already mastered, teachers provide opportunities for students to feel a sense of belonging, publicize achievements to encourage community interest, supplement ensemble instruction with individual instruction, and maintain positive approach to create a positive self-concept in students (Klinedinst, 1991; Martignetti, 1965; Sandene, 1994; Wolfe, 1969). Empirical sources on retention vary but mostly include dissertations.

Future research may include continued investigation of the reasons students remain in ensembles and the application of theoretical frameworks in music education.

Integrated arts education (IAE) involves music, visual arts, dance, and drama as a dynamic, transformative curricular approach. This approach fosters creative and critical thinking, boosts student engagement, promotes interdisciplinary learning, and encourages teacher collaboration (Authors, 2024; Cslovjecsek & Zulauf, 2018). Both pre-service and in-service teachers often report low IAE teaching efficacy (Ames, 2016; Davis, 2008; Halverson, 2021; Russell & Zembylas, 2007). Oreck (2004) identified elementary teachers’ efficacy in the arts as the strongest predictor of their implementation of IAE practices. 

To measure teaching efficacy, we developed the Integrated Arts Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (IATEBI), adapted from the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B) by Enochs and Riggs (1990), a tool widely used in research across various contexts (e.g. Morris, et. al, 2017; Szabo & Mokhtari, 2004).

Our sample included pre-service teachers starting their undergraduate studies, pre-service teachers concluding their undergraduate studies, and early career K-5 elementary classroom teachers in their first five years of teaching. Participants (n = 120) were current students or graduates of an elementary education program at a large university in the United States and all participants completed sequential undergraduate IAE courses designed to build content and teaching efficacy in visual arts, music, dance, drama, and arts integration, providing both practical skills and pedagogical confidence. We compared the IAE teaching efficacy of these groups, aligned with recommendations from the NAfME “Blueprint for the Music Teaching Profession” (Confredo et al., 2023). 

Our findings indicate that overall, pre-service and in-service elementary teachers report moderately strong integrated arts teaching efficacy and suggested that undergraduate training exposure is associated with higher self-reported IAE efficacy. Early-career teachers tended to score slightly higher than the other groups on most items associated with perceptions of teaching being related to student outcomes. These findings inform curricular design in teacher education programs, guide effective professional development, and support the broader implementation of arts integration as an evidence-based curricular approach.

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.