{"title":"Culturally Responsive Programming in the Orchestra Classroom: A Survey of Ensemble Teachers","authors":"Susan A. Davis, Kara Eaton Dean","doi":"10.1177/19484992231195010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19484992231195010","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence orchestra teachers when selecting repertoire for performance ensembles and to better understand the extent of culturally relevant and responsive programming in elementary and secondary orchestra classrooms across the United States. In March of 2020, the authors undertook a survey regarding concert programming practices of school orchestra teachers who were active members of the American String Teachers Association. Results indicated that the level of difficulty was the most important consideration while availability for easy download was the least important one. Sociocultural considerations were generally rated lower than administrative and pedagogical considerations. Repertoire from the Western European canon was programmed most frequently, followed by folk and fiddle music, and pop and rock music. More than 80% of participants indicated they had never programmed a piece to teach about matters related to gender, sexual identity, or the Black Lives Matter movement, whereas 76.5% had programmed a piece to teach about multicultural awareness. Implications for orchestra teachers, music educator preparation programs, and future research are explored.","PeriodicalId":36814,"journal":{"name":"String Research Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48845322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"String Teachers’ Perspectives of Nontraditional Music Courses and Ensembles in Public Schools","authors":"Anna Savage, Adam G. Harry","doi":"10.1177/19484992231195011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19484992231195011","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine school string teachers’ beliefs about and practices of teaching nontraditional music courses. We surveyed middle and high school string teachers ( N = 42) about what nontraditional music courses and ensembles (NMCEs) they currently offer and would like to offer to their students. In addition, we examined the educational rationales that string teachers have for offering NMCEs. Our findings indicated that the most frequently offered NMCEs were guitar class, pit orchestra, and music technology. Participants expressed strongest interest in adding fiddle club, popular music, and mariachi ensemble. The participants explained that NMCEs provide opportunities to teach content that closely may more reflect students’ cultures and possibly attract a wider range of students. The participants used NMCEs to cultivate musical skills that are often overlooked in large-group setting, including improvisation, playing by ear, and collaborative arranging and composition.","PeriodicalId":36814,"journal":{"name":"String Research Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43787174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rachel Dirks, Tawnya D. Smith, Patricia A. González-Moreno, Allyn Phelps
{"title":"Mental Health and String Education: Identifying Key Concerns Within the American String Teachers Association Community","authors":"Rachel Dirks, Tawnya D. Smith, Patricia A. González-Moreno, Allyn Phelps","doi":"10.1177/19484992231195013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19484992231195013","url":null,"abstract":"At the 2020 American String Teachers Association (ASTA) Conference held in Orlando Florida, an attendee of the Wellness Committee Listening Session recommended that a study be conducted to determine the prevalence and awareness of mental health concerns among students and teachers within the organization. Members agreed that there is more needed to be understood so that ASTA could provide professional development webinars, resources, as well as local, state, and national conference sessions. In response to this request and the clear need for more information, a survey was developed and deployed to the ASTA membership in the fall of 2020. Follow-up interviews with members who volunteered in response to an invitation on the survey were conducted in the spring and early summer of 2021. Teachers reported a high prevalence of student mental health issues prior to and during the pandemic and reported concerning levels of work overload, compassion fatigue/burnout, and mental health issues. Generational differences in mental health perceptions were noted, as were opportunities to provide targeted professional development and community-level services.","PeriodicalId":36814,"journal":{"name":"String Research Journal","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43381291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"ASTA Research Award: Some Thoughts on Mentoring","authors":"J. Geringer","doi":"10.1177/19484992231177345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19484992231177345","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36814,"journal":{"name":"String Research Journal","volume":"13 1","pages":"5 - 13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44807869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
John-Rine A. Zabanal, Annalisa C. Chang, Heather A. Lofdahl
{"title":"A Content Analysis of the American String Teacher (2000–2019)","authors":"John-Rine A. Zabanal, Annalisa C. Chang, Heather A. Lofdahl","doi":"10.1177/19484992221121754","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19484992221121754","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study was to examine featured articles (n = 376) and authors (n = 415) published in the American String Teacher from 2000 through 2019. Articles were coded into 1 of 24 categories using a researcher-designed codebook based on article content. Authors were coded into one of four professional position categories based on information provided in their biographies and by gender based on included pronouns. Article content codes with the highest overall percentages included profession (14.86%), instrument pedagogy (13.83%), and repertoire/instructional materials (11.44%). Within the instrument pedagogy category, articles that primarily focused on violin (23.08%) were the most common, and those focused on the guitar (3.85%) and harp (1.92%) were the least common. Article content codes with the lowest overall percentages included exceptional learners (0.53%), assessment (0.53%), and administration/business (0.80%). Authors were primarily men (n = 53.49%) and held positions in higher education (n = 54.22%). A significant negative trend was found for authors categorized as applied arts, where applied arts authors decreased from 23.81% in 2000 to 21.74% in 2019.","PeriodicalId":36814,"journal":{"name":"String Research Journal","volume":"13 1","pages":"15 - 31"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43744749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Nonstring Music Teachers’ Comfort Teaching String Ensembles","authors":"Jieun Kim","doi":"10.1177/19484992221121757","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19484992221121757","url":null,"abstract":"This study was designed to explore nonstring specialists’ comfort teaching students in string ensembles. Comfort was defined as an individual’s ease when teaching the subject matter. Data were gathered, using a 7-point Likert-type scale related to 15 string topics administered through a researcher-developed study. Participants (N = 180), who were identified through the National Association for Music Education membership list, were contacted via email. Responses were analyzed using descriptive and parametric statistics. Results revealed that band specialists felt significantly more comfortable in string teaching situations than choir and elementary general music specialists. Participants who took a string methods course, as compared with those who did not, felt more comfortable teaching seven specific string topics. Participants who were currently teaching string ensembles felt more comfortable teaching all string topics, except for vibrato technique. Participants who had taught strings in the past were significantly more comfortable teaching string ensembles than those who had never taught strings. The findings of this study could help higher education string methods instructors select instructional activities and course topics that were revealed to provide the most beneficial experiences.","PeriodicalId":36814,"journal":{"name":"String Research Journal","volume":"13 1","pages":"33 - 49"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46679472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Virtual Teaching in the Applied String Studio During the COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"Morganne Aaberg","doi":"10.1177/19484992221121759","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19484992221121759","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this survey study was to describe technologies and lesson formats used in virtual applied studio string lessons precipitated by shelter-in-place measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore teachers’ adaptations, perceptions of effectiveness, and feelings toward virtual lessons. Research questions that guided this study included the following: (a) What technologies and lesson formats did teachers use in virtual applied string lessons? (b) How did teachers adapt their teaching approaches to virtual lessons? (c) Did teachers feel these lessons were effective? and (d) What affective responses did teachers have to these lessons? Data were gathered from members of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA; N = 301) who self-identified as “private studio teachers” in their online profiles. Findings illustrate what equipment and technology participants employed in virtual lessons. They also indicated a relatively high rating of participants’ self-perceived effectiveness when teaching virtual lessons and that studio teachers had mixed affective responses to the experience. Participants indicated difficulties when teaching tone in the virtual format, which was consistent with their open-ended responses that frequently cited poor sound quality online.","PeriodicalId":36814,"journal":{"name":"String Research Journal","volume":"13 1","pages":"51 - 71"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46857752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fernando López-Calatayud, Roberto Macián-González, Jesús Tejada
{"title":"An Analysis-Synthesis of the Pedagogical Literature on Intonation in Initial Learning of Violin and Viola: Pitch Contents, Teaching Approaches, and Auxiliary Resources","authors":"Fernando López-Calatayud, Roberto Macián-González, Jesús Tejada","doi":"10.1177/19484992221121755","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19484992221121755","url":null,"abstract":"This work presents an analysis of the didactic literature for the initial learning of intonation on violin and viola. Analysis has been conducted through a document-analysis design of 86 methods. The chosen analytic categories were: (a) contents (number of pitches and sequence of pitches presentation); (b) pedagogy (teaching approach and use of pizzicato); and (c) auxiliary learning resources (written accompaniments and audio resources). The results of the analysis allowed us to conclude that there is a great disparity in the number of pitches, which is reduced with the passage of time. Different sequences coexist in practically all the materials, and the traditional teaching approach occurs the most frequently in the documents analyzed. A homogeneous teaching approach is adopted in most of the documents, especially with the violin. Pizzicato is scarcely used as a didactic resource. There is a wide inclusion of written (accompaniments) and recorded (minus-one) auxiliary resources in the most modern documents. Based on these results, a methodological proposal for the initial learning of intonation on these instruments is presented.","PeriodicalId":36814,"journal":{"name":"String Research Journal","volume":"13 1","pages":"73 - 91"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44789690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biomechanically Informed Bowing: Revisiting Rolland’s Principles of Violin Playing","authors":"Min Jung Kim, Stephen Thomas Fairbanks","doi":"10.1177/19484992221121756","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19484992221121756","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this article is to revisit the biomechanical concepts of Paul Rolland’s scholarship on bowing to provide a new framework of Rolland’s underlying bowing principles. First, we discuss how whole body movements help facilitate natural bowing, which can generate better tone efficiently from freedom of movement. Second, we attend to the movements of the bow arm, which can be conceptualized as the natural rotation of the arm. Third, we comment upon the concept of balance, concerning bow hold, leverage, and bow pressure while discussing the particulars of finger placement, its function in bowing, and balance and leverage in the bow arm. The concepts of whole body, movement, and balance should be considered in variable conditions considering the relationship between body parts and the whole. Also, the three biomechanical concepts are not independent or self-sufficient but correlated ideas. Not only do these ideas help with the acquisition of technical skills, but they also pave the way for a pleasing and natural tone quality as well as enhanced musical expression.","PeriodicalId":36814,"journal":{"name":"String Research Journal","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41664338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Does the Bow Fit: Using Anthropometry and Grip Strength to Assess Fractional-Size Violin Bows","authors":"Zachary Ebin, MarieFaith Lane","doi":"10.1177/19484992221094814","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19484992221094814","url":null,"abstract":"This study evaluates the dimensions of fractional-size violin bows in relation to the anthropometric and grip-strength measurements of children and adults. In string education, various methods and devices have been put forward to measure children for the correct violin size, but there is a lack of research regarding the proper bow size. Results from this study indicate that fractional-size bows are manufactured with nearly identical dimensions to full-size bows, except for total length. A review of anthropometry research affirms that children’s hands grow at a near constant proportion to their arms. This finding indicates the need for fractional-size bows with dimensions different from the current standard. An analysis of grip-strength research in children at various ages suggests that the weights of fractional-size bows are also not ideal. Experimental bow dimensions are proposed for further study and recommendations are made to decrease the weights of fractional-size violin bows to make them better suited for children.","PeriodicalId":36814,"journal":{"name":"String Research Journal","volume":"12 1","pages":"43 - 60"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43264898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}