Gena R. Greher

Positive outcomes following participation in a music intervention for adolescents and young adults on the autism spectrum

Music interventions are frequently utilized with those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and have shown a range of benefits. However, empirical evaluations are lacking and would be a timely step forward in the field. Here we report the findings of our pilot music program for adolescents and young adults with ASD. Evaluation of the program focused on self-esteem, anxiety, and attitudes toward and relationships with peers as these are pervasive challenges for those with ASD. Pre- and post-outcome measures showed a significant increase in self-esteem, reduced self-reported anxiety, and more positive attitudes toward peers. Weekly measures taken pre- and post-each session also showed a significant reduction in self-reported ratings of anxiety. These findings provide some initial empirical support for the efficacy of music participation in treating some of the core challenges seen in ASD.

Music performamatics: interdisciplinary interaction

This paper describes how a graphical user interface (GUI) programming course offered by the Dept. of Computer Science (CS) was paired with a general teaching methods course offered by the Dept. of Music in an attempt to revitalize undergraduate CS education and to enrich the experiences of both sets of students. The paper provides details on the joint project done in these classes and the evaluation that assessed its effect on the curriculum, students, and professors.

Two Approaches to Interdisciplinary Computing+Music Courses

The developers of a university curriculum designed to bridge the gaps between the two disciplines have found that there are numerous ways to introduce arts majors to computing, and science and engineering majors to the arts.

Music Technology Partnerships: A Context for Music Teacher Preparation.

The intersection of the arts with technology can provide educators with a focus that is more in tune with students’ lived experiences, providing a relevant context for the making of meaning. Yet the technological advances of the last few decades have done little to alter the pedagogical practice of most music teachers. Teaching with technology requires a shift in pedagogical practice from learning about technology to creating with technology. School-university partnerships can provide preservice and inservice teachers with the hands-on, technology-rich experiences and collaborative projects that are necessary to transform music teacher preparation.

School-University Partnerships: Re-Envisioning Music Teacher Education: Foreword

With teacher accountability at the heart of the current wave of educational reform, and the persistent attempts of policymakers to tie compensation and job stability to the results of high-stakes testing, the notion of what it means to be a highly effective teacher is often lost in rhetoric. Policies designed to promote new teacher effectiveness rarely take into consideration the complex dynamics of students, teachers, and the larger school community in shaping outcomes. This situation is compounded for music teachers, whose licensing requirements often require expertise in multiple musical domains, while curricular and scheduling constraints demand that they produce more results, despite more students and less instructional time than their academic counterparts. Preparing new music teachers to face the increased challenges awaiting them as they enter the field requires a rethinking of traditional curricular practice rooted in learning about teaching toward practice that favors a concentrated emphasis on multiple, context-specific, field-based experiences throughout the course of their studies.

Music, Technology and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Effectiveness of the Touch Screen Interface.

ABSTRACT The use of technology in music education is gaining momentum, although very little work has focused on students with disabilities. Our SoundScape programme addressed this gap through implementing a technology-based music programme for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Programme participants met on a weekly basis for 9 weeks and engaged in a range of music-related activities mostly utilising touch screen technology and iPads. We were particularly interested in how those with ASD responded to the iPad interface and its impact on social interactions among participants. We also investigated whether participating in the programme reduced stress and anxiety among participants. Questionnaire data completed by programme participants at the beginning and end of the programme, as well as qualitative analysis of focus groups conducted with parents, provided evaluation of the efficacy of our programme model. Findings from the questionnaires indicated that more than half of the participants reported feeling less stressed and anxious at the end of the programme compared to their responses at the beginning, said they benefited socially from the programme, and had made friends. This was supported in the analysis of the focus group transcriptions which highlighted the advantages of the iPads compared to a more traditional desktop platform, the utility of the iPad technology for promoting social skills, the significance of the university setting, and the participants’ use of music to regulate mood. Future research evaluating the use of technology in music education for students with disabilities seems warranted.

If You Build It . . . : A Distance-Learning Approach for Music Teacher Licensure Test Preparation:

Introduction Our public education system is currently engulfed by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 (2002), which forces American public schools to place greater-than-usual emphasis on standardized testing. This focus on high-stakes testing has implications not just for K–12 students and their teachers, but for teachers-in-training and their professors as well. Whether one believes in the educational benefits of high-stakes testing or not, the fact remains that those of us who are involved in the training of teachers are greatly affected by NCLB. As teacher educators, we need to incorporate our state’s learning standards into the curriculum and focus on effective methodologies based on developmentally appropriate learning theories, as well as advocate alternative assessment strategies. Yet the irony of this is that institutions of higher learning and their professors will be judged by how their students, and ultimately their future students, perform on standardized tests. In her commentary regarding the contradictions inherent in basing accountability on standardized testing, Martha Casas (2003) stated,

Lessons in Analytical Listening From the Reel World

9 O n the surface, it may appear that corporate executives, music educators, and the icons of popular culture share little common ground, but the reality is quite the contrary. At the dawning of the twenty-first century, perhaps it is time to reflect on the skills we as a society value and how we as music educators are in a unique position to develop them. I have come to the field of education after spending the better part of the last twenty years in recording studios, film studios, and editing rooms as a music producer/music director in advertising. During that time, I experienced the irony of being among people in the communication business who very often were unable to communicate effectively with each other. Since listening is a crucial component of the act of communicating, I’ve often thought that everyone could benefit from the kind of training we musicians receive for developing analytical listening skills. Early musical training in performance ensembles provides opportunities for developing one’s individual voice within the context of a group setting, and musicians become well versed in the art of teamwork. Employee empowerment and team building are now considered essential components for successful businesses. It is not too surprising that a prominent business school, Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, used the Orpheus Ensemble, a conductor-less chamber orchestra, as a case study in developing models for corporate restructuring that are less top heavy and allow room for more employee input (New York Times, 10 November 1999). Based on these observations, it would seem that the business world and the general music classroom have more in common than one might think. There are lessons that each can learn from the other. The common ground that they share can lay the foundation for supporting the importance of the general music classroom in a school’s curriculum.