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ETD Abstract Container

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Cultivating Individual Musicianship and Ensemble Performance Through Notation-Free Learning in Three High School Band Programs

Hartz, Barry C.
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1453-7397
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1435244359

Abstract Details

2015, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Music Education.
Playing by ear is a time-honored and effective means of music learning in many musical genres. Learning without notation has been a principal means of acquiring musical skills for generations of jazz, popular, and folk musicians. The sound to sign approach to music learning has been incorporated into classroom music instruction through the methodologies of Jacques-Dalcroze, Kodaly, Orff, Suzuki, and Gordon. At the same time, instruction in American school bands has remained predominantly reliant on notation at every stage of learning and performing music. There is a distinct lack of research regarding learning without notation in high school concert bands. The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the use of notation-free learning (NFL) in three high school concert band programs to develop the musical skills of individual students and promote excellence in ensemble performance. The research was guided by four questions: (a) What aspects of musical performance do participating conductors address through notation-free learning (NFL)?, (b) How do participating conductors communicate and develop musical vocabulary without standard notation?, (c) What challenges and benefits of learning without notation do participants identify?, and (d) What personal and contextual factors affect the implementation of notation-free approaches? I spent three days at each of three high schools located in Texas, New York, and Ohio, collecting data through observation, individual interviews with conductors, focus group interviews with students, and document collection. Data analysis involved transcribing recorded interviews, generating and applying codes, and identifying emergent themes. Reports on individual cases were completed prior to conducting cross-case analysis. Themes generated by the research questions included aspects of musical performance, communicating and developing musical vocabulary, challenges and benefits of NFL, and factors influencing implementation. I asserted that fundamentals of ensemble performance can be effectively developed without notation in concert bands and that students experienced notation-free learning as more mentally engaging than learning from notation. More research is needed to determine the role of notation-free learning in helping students develop mental models and to develop ways of supporting individual musical skill acquisition in the absence of notation.
Lisa Koops, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Nathan Kruse, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Matthew Garrett, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Kathleen Horvath, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
David Miller, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
358 p.
Music; Music Education
band; music notation; band pedagogy; music literacy; aural skills; ensemble skills; listening skills; music improvisation; intonation; student engagement; mental representations; music education; music learning

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hartz, B. C. (2015). Cultivating Individual Musicianship and Ensemble Performance Through Notation-Free Learning in Three High School Band Programs [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1435244359

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hartz, Barry. Cultivating Individual Musicianship and Ensemble Performance Through Notation-Free Learning in Three High School Band Programs. 2015. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1435244359.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hartz, Barry. "Cultivating Individual Musicianship and Ensemble Performance Through Notation-Free Learning in Three High School Band Programs." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1435244359

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1435244359
586
© 2015, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.