Evelyn K. Orman

Comparison of the National Standards for Music Education and Elementary Music Specialists' Use of Class Time

The purpose of this study was to examine use of class time in elementary general music classes in relation to the nine voluntary National Standards for Music Education. Elementary music specialists (N = 30) were videotaped teaching students in Grades 1 through 6. Use of class time was analyzed separately for teacher and student according to activity and the focus of the activity. Overall, results indicated that elementary music specialists spent class time on all nine standards; however, less time was devoted to those standards that required creative or artistic decision-making skills from the students. Congruent with previous research, teachers in this study spent the majority of class time (46.36%) engaged in talking. Additional results showed that students spent the majority of class time (57.07%) in passive roles.

MENC 2000 National Biennial In-Service Conference: A Content Analysis

The 413 sessions of the 2000 MENC National Biennial In-Service Conference were classified according to category, which included educational sessions, concerts and sessions that included performances, and general sessions. They were also grouped according to subject areas, including general music, performance, administration, research, technology, industry and exceptionalities. By far the largest proportionate category of sessions was education (65%), followed distantly by sessions including performances (17%). Promotion of industry products dominated, accounting for 29% of all sessions and 40% of the content of educational sessions. Technology sessions represented 25% of all subjects and 71%) of industry sessions. Performance-focused sessions comprised just over 20%). A continuation of trends of high industry representation and increasing technology, along with decreasing performances and performance-oriented sessions, was found. A single session on inclusion resulted in the exceptionalities category forming 0.4% of total conference offerings.

Effect of Virtual Reality Graded Exposure on Heart Rate and Self-Reported Anxiety Levels of Performing Saxophonists:

This study is an examination of the effect of computer-generated virtual reality graded exposure on the physiological and psychological responses of performing musicians. Eight university saxophone majors, five men and three women, participated in twelve 15- to 20-minute weekly practice sessions during which they were immersed in one of four different virtual environments designed to elicit various anxiety levels. Baseline heart rates and subjective measurements were taken prior to immersion and continued throughout the exposure period. In addition, heart rate and subjective measurements were recorded for three live performances given by each subject before beginning the virtual reality exposure and after completion of the sixth and the twelfth exposure sessions. Findings indicated that the virtual environments did elicit a sense of presence and may have provided the means for desensitization. Heart-rate readings and psychological indications of anxiety did not always correspond.

Content Analysis of Four National Music Organizations' Conferences

We examined the content of the 2002 and 2004 National Biennial In-Service Conferences of MENC: The National Association for Music Education; the 2002 and 2004 Midwest Clinic: An International Band and Orchestra Conferences; the 2002 and 2004 Orff-Schulwerk Conferences; and the 2003 and 2005 American Choral Directors Association Conventions. Each of the 2,302 sessions was examined and classified according to category, subject area, and focus. The largest proportion of categories of sessions at the MENC (74.2%), Midwest (4 7.5%) and Orff-Schulwerk (80.3%) conferences was education, while performance (56.9%) was the largest proportion at ACDA. The predominant subject areas within education were performance for ACDA (53.3%) and Midwest (42.8%), general music (47.1 %) for Orff-Schulwerk, and industry (42.3%) for MENC. The proportion of industry to non-industry sessions at MENC was more than double any of the other conferences examined.

Time Usage by Choral Directors Prior to Sight-Singing Adjudication

In 1838, the Boston public school system approved the inclusion of vocal music in the schools. Vocal music teachers also taught in the Boston Academy, one of the most successful singing schools of the time. In the tradition of the singing schools, public school children were taught reading music at sight and other principles of good singing (Birge, 1966, pp. 35–56). Following this long tradition, many choral music educators consider sight-singing an essential part of their ensemble’s development. They believe that the ability to independently read and perform music enhances lifelong learning in it. The importance of sight-singing instruction is demonstrated by the enormous number of instructional materials devoted to it and the large and growing number of choral music education textbooks affirming its importance. Furthermore, the National Standards for Music Education mandate that all students be able to read and notate music at increasingly difficult proficiency levels (Norris, 2004).

The Effect of Listening to Specific Musical Genre Selections on Measures of Heart Rate Variability

University students (N = 30) individually listened to the Billboard 100 top-ranked musical selection for their most and least liked musical genre. Two minutes of silence preceded each musical listening condition, and heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded throughout. All HRV measures decreased during music listening as compared with silence. Dependent t-tests found significant decreases for beats per minute (p < .01, like; p < .001, dislike) and low frequency (p < .01, like; p < .05, dislike). A significant decrease in low-frequency/high-frequency ratio (p < .05) was found for the dislike–music listening condition. A sign test showed no significant difference in the number of mean readings that increased or decreased for either music listening condition. Findings may support previous research that HRV decreases during mentally engaging tasks but may not support previous research that HRV readings could be a measure of emotional responding.

Characteristics of “Music Education” Videos Posted on YouTube:

This content analysis sought to determine information related to users uploading, general content, and specific characteristics of music education videos on YouTube. A total of 1,761 videos from a keyword search of “music education” were viewed and categorized. Results for relevant videos indicated users posted videos under 698 different usernames, with postings under a single username ranging from 1 to 51. Users’ self-reported country affiliation varied across 58 different countries. The number of countries represented in this sample indicates YouTube users from around the globe are interested in sharing music education content. Results relating to the content of videos categorized as relevant to music education (n = 1,352) revealed the most observed categories were performance (36%), followed by teaching (28%), public relations (27%), and industry (10%). Teaching videos were mostly tutorials (65%). Participants across all video categories were predominantly adults, university age, or fit multiple age categories.

Time Usage of Middle and High School Band Directors in Sight-Reading Adjudication

Evelyn K. Orman is associate professor of music education at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. E-mail: eorman1@lsu.edu Cornelia Yarbrough is Derryl and Helen Haymon Professor of Music Education at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. E-mail: cyarbro@lsu.edu Sheri Neill is associate professor of music education at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth. E-mail: s.neill@tcu.edu Jennifer A. Whitaker is a doctoral candidate in music education at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. E-mail: jwhita1@lsu.edu

Feasibility of Using an Augmented Immersive Virtual Reality Learning Environment to Enhance Music Conducting Skills.

Acquiring nonverbal skills necessary to appropriately communicate and educate members of performing ensembles is essential for wind band conductors. Virtual reality learning environments (VRLEs) provide a unique setting for developing these proficiencies. For this feasibility study, we used an augmented immersive VRLE to enhance eye contact, torso movement, and gestures of novice wind band conductors. Ten undergraduates randomly assigned to no VRLE (n = 3), VRLE with head tracking (n = 4), or VRLE without (n = 3) head tracking received eight treatment sessions over a 4-week period. While participants conducted a live ensemble, their eye contact, torso movements, and gestures were measured. A comparison of pretest and posttest scores showed that students using the augmented immersive VRLE with head tracking demonstrated greater conducting skill improvement than those not using virtual reality.