Graduation Semester and Year

Spring 2024

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Music

Department

Music

First Advisor

Dr. Diane Lange

Second Advisor

Dr. Amy Hatch

Third Advisor

Dr. John Wayman

Abstract

Instrumental education is a field rich in tradition, with a strong foundation of methodology being codified in method books used by band directors around the country. Equally rich is the vibrant research community found within music education, and innovative techniques for teaching band are being presented yearly in both journals and conventions. These new strategies and additions to curriculum supported by recent research could potentially deepen the learning taking place in the instrumental music classroom. Nowhere is this more visible than in the wealth of new research, curricula, and literature that has been published regarding beginner instrumental music instruction in recent years. The purpose of this manuscript is to analyze the traditional approach to beginning band pedagogy and show how currently researched, innovative strategies can be concurrently implemented in the beginning band setting to deepen the learning taking place at this level of music education. Additionally, this manuscript will then show how assessment, Bloom’s Taxonomy and higher-order thinking skills, and differentiation of instruction can bolster these efforts to produce a more well-rounded beginning music education. This work organizes this examination and comparison into five chapters. Chapter one will analyze traditional literature long utilized in beginning band for curriculum, and Chapter two will provide a similar analysis of currently researched and innovative strategies proposed for use in the beginning band classroom in recent years, as well as providing the reader with avenues for co-implementing both of them to produce a more well-rounded curriculum for beginning band students. Chapter three will examine the purpose and effective design of assessment in the beginning band classroom, providing educators with an effective means to implement authentic measurement and evaluation in their classrooms. Chapter four will analyze how Bloom’s Taxonomy and higher-order thinking skills relate to the design and implementation of effective beginning band curriculum, and Chapter five will provide a similar analysis regarding the differentiation of instruction and its relation to curriculum.

Keywords

Beginner Instrumental Education, Teaching Strategies, Creativity, Audiation, Curriculum Design, Assessment, Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Higher-Order Thinking Skills, Differentiation of Instruction.

Disciplines

Art Education | Curriculum and Instruction | Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching | Music Education | Music Pedagogy

License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Comments

I would like to thank Dr. Diane Lange for not only her guidance and mentorship during my two years at the University of Texas at Arlington, but also her patience, understanding, and friendship. My path in the field of music education has forever been positively impacted because of the numerous roles she has served in my life. I am equally thankful for Dr. Amy Hatch and Dr. John Wayman and their assistance with this manuscript, and Dr. Douglas Stotter for his endless support in all of my musical endeavors. Their support has been instrumental in my growth.

In addition, I would also like to thank Dr. Kimberly Loeffert and Dr. Tyler Austin for inspiring me to pursue this degree and compose this body of work. I would never have taken the first steps towards this achievement without their encouragement and support from the very beginning.

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