QUESTIONS

Music Inquiry Questions

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of teaching students to read western notation from the

beginning? If not at the beginning, at what age or level of development should it be introduced at?

2. Should we teach other types of notation (eastern styles, Gregorian chant, lead sheets, tabs, etc.)?

Why or why not?

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages to starting on different instrument groups (brass,

keyboard, percussion, strings, woodwinds, etc.)?

4. Why is it important to teach music from different cultures from around the world?

5. Should we teach modern music that students might hear on the radio or other places in their

everyday lives? Why or why not?

6. How much should we expect students to retain/practice from class to class?

7. How do we address students that don’t seem to want to put forth any effort or cooperate? How

should we attempt to engage them, motivate them, and get them to care?

8. How should we go about teaching music that we ourselves are not familiar or knowledgeable about?

9. Should we incorporate playing our primary instrument in our lessons? Why or why not?

10. How much should the demographic and social context of the community in which we live influence

the music that we teach? Should our curriculum be independent from what’s going on around us, or

should we use music as a tool to elevate understanding about it?

PROPOSAL
What are the pros and cons of teaching students to read music in conjunction with the rote songs they

learn? Furthermore, what other types of ways to read music can we teach them besides traditional

western notation?

How do experts and students view teaching music by rote and teaching through notation; does one or the

other produce better musicians? If not used in conjunction with each other, which one is preferable, and

why is that so?

Rationale

We often talk about learning and teaching music by rote and by ear, especially to students at a
young age. This is logical, especially since this is how music has been taught and passed down for
generations (most notably in the form of folk songs, but other genres certainly apply as well).
Furthermore, this is also how we initially learn languages. Before learning to read and write, we first learn
by hearing and listening without worrying about aspects such as grammar and syntax. Learning music
this way allows one to interact musically with others in the most basic and fundamental ways. Music
education philosophies such as Kodály, Suzuki, and Orff promote these values as well. Informal music
learning also incorporates these methods.

Yet, based on personal experiences, it seems as if even many experienced musicians are lacking
in their ability to read music. While this obviously does not automatically disqualify them from being good
musicians, I would argue that it limits their potential and may in turn inhibit their teaching ability if they
cannot properly convey it to their students. Music theory for musicians states that “for music theory
beginners, avoiding reading music is like going to college without reading: it just doesn't make sense.”

Why is this so? Is this a result of overemphasizing learning by rote and by ear, or are there other
factors at play? Would it be beneficial to start having students read music from an earlier age? Students
are learning to read their primary languages in pre-k and kindergarten, but formal instruction in musical
literacy usually does not start until mid-elementary school. What if we introduced learning musical literacy
(and with that, basic music theory) simultaneously with learning by rote and by ear? Would that be
effective, or would that just cause problems? Would it enhance musical experiences and creativity, or
stifle it?

Research Question
What are the pros and cons of teaching students to read music in conjunction with the rote songs they
learn? Furthermore, what other types of ways to read music can we teach them besides traditional
western notation?

Works Cited

Green, L. (2017). Music, informal learning and the school: A new classroom pedagogy. London:

Routledge.

Music Theory for Musicians. N.d. https://www.music-theory-for-musicians.com/

Sarrazin, N. n.d. Music and the Child. Lumen Learning.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-music-and-the-child

Article 1 (Gromko, 2004)

APA Citation information:

Gromko, J. E. (2004). Predictors of Music Sight-Reading Ability in High School Wind Players.

Journal of Research in Music Education, 52(1), 6–15. https://doi.org/10.2307/3345521

Purpose of the Study:

The purpose of this study was to gauge how well high school band members could accurately audiate

pitches and rhythms, and how other skills they have may affect that. From these conclusions, one may

draw further data about the musicianship of these students, how they learn, and why it is they learn that

way. Furthermore, it may restructure how one may decide to teach music to students in order to help

them best grow as musicians.

Methods and Participants:

The participants were members of four midwestern public high schools: two urban, one suburban, and

one rural. There were a total of 98 students that participated in the study, and every graduation class was

represented. Students first took a test designed to measure their aptitude in sight-reading, the Advanced

Measures of Music Audiation. Then, they took a other tests to measure skills such as spatial orientation

and visual field articulation.

Key Findings:

Students that scored well in spatial orientation tended to sight-read better, while students who scored

well on visual field articulation tended not to score as well. One interpretation could be that those who

fared better at spatial orientation tended to recognize patterns in music better, and those who did better

at field articulation were reading note by note. This suggests that music intelligence is composite, and

draws upon other skills and factors assist it.

Discussion Points:
 ● Teaching students to recognize patterns in music helped immensely

● Those who were strong in reading and writing also tended to do better with sight-reading

● Kinesthetic associations with rhythm also assisted with sight-reading

● Study did not include choir, orchestra, or members of other musical groups

● Study also did not include age groups outside of high school

Your Comments/Questions:

● Is it our job as music teachers to build these other skills for students?

● How would we do so in ways that are still appropriate in the context of teaching music?

● How would we teach students that disabilities that make it harder for them to succeed at this?

● Is sight-reading an important skill to have as a musician? Why or why not?

● What other factors may influence one’s sight-reading ability?

Article 2 (MacKnight, 1975)

APA Citation information:

MacKnight, C. (1975). Music Reading Ability of Beginning Wind Instrumentalists after Melodic

Instruction. Journal of Research in Music Education, 23(1), 23-34. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3345200

Purpose of the Study:

The purpose of this study was to determine a superior method of teaching notation to beginning wind

instrumentalists: through tonal pattern recognition or by pitch and rhythm identification. Additionally,

sought to find out why students learn better in one way, and how to become more effective at teaching in

both methods in the classroom setting. While both are important and can be useful, it is necessary to see

which one is more effective at reaching the most students.

Methods and Participants:

The participants of the study were 90 fourth-grade students that each volunteered to study a wind

instrument for a year. They were separated into experimental and control groups. In the experimental

group, students were taught rhythms and pitches by recognizing patterns. In the control group, students

were taught to identify specific pitches and rhythms.

Key Findings:

The study found that overall, the students in the experimental group that learned through pattern

recognition were better and more confident in their ability to read music without assistance. The control

group that learned by pitch and rhythm identification typically did not perform as well. There did not

appear to be any significant difference between brass and woodwinds in their final abilities after one year

of instruction.

Discussion Points:
 ● The teachers picked for this study were certified as “superior”

● Fourth grade is roughly the age where most students start instrumental music

● The method book used to teach note identification was Breeze Easy

● Many tests used to gauge student ability were standardized

● The study itself noted that there is further research that could be done on this topic

Your Comments/Questions:

● Did any of these students have any music education beforehand?

● What would happen if we applied these to stringed instruments, keyboards, vocalists, etc?

● What other methods are available to teach students?

● How well would these results hold a year down the line?

● If another method book was used, would it have made a significant difference?

Article 3 (Grutzmacher, 1987)

APA Citation information:

Grutzmacher, P. (1987). The Effect of Tonal Pattern Training on the Aural Perception, Reading

Recognition,

and Melodic Sight-Reading Achievement of First-Year Instrumental Music Students. Journal of

Research in Music Education, 35(3), 171-181. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3344959

Purpose of the Study:

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between tonal pattern instruction using

harmonization and vocalization to sight-reading achievement in beginning wind players. By doing so, we

can come to conclusions about how to better instruct our students in becoming confident and

comfortable in reading, interpreting, and performing music. While it emphasizes sight-reading, these

concepts can be extended further to include practicing and rehearsing.

Methods and Participants:

The participants were 48 fifth and sixth grade students in band across three different elementary schools.

They were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. The experimental

group learned through vocalization and harmonization before having the notation presented to them. The

control group had the notation presented to them from the start and were taught through that.

Key Findings:

The experimental group found much more success in terms of improving the melodic sight-reading ability

of the students. Furthermore, the students in the control group that were presented with straight notation

and definitions did not grasp these concepts as well as those in the experimental group. Thus, tonal

teaching saw higher aptitude and achievement.

Discussion Points:

● The study emphasizes that teachers must be prepared to teach both ways

● The method book being utilized was Alfred’s Basic Band Method

● Tonality is mentioned frequently, but never specifically defined

Your Comments/Questions:

● Do any method books currently have a system of teaching tonal methods to students?

● Why is teaching through notation considered the traditional way if it is less effective?

● How melodically, harmonically, and rhythmically complex should the tonal patterns be?

● Would these methods still be appropriate for older students? Say, adults?

● Does teaching students tonally still work with more sophisticated music?
Article 4 (Suarez, 2006)

APA Citation information:

Suarez, E. R. (2006). Proceedings from the International Society for Music Education (ISME) 2006

Seminar of the Commission for Community Music Activity. International Society for Music

Education, 55-68. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Magali_Kleber2/publication/336422915_Creating_

Partnerships_Making_Links_and_Promoting_Change/links/5da076cd92851c6b4bcbca23/Creatin

g-Partnerships-Making-Links-and-Promoting-Change.pdf#page=68

Purpose of the Study:

The purpose of the study was to compare the formal and informal music learning taking place within the

Canary Islands. The formal process incorporates the European conservatory model with classrooms and

private lessons, while the informal process generally happens a lot on the streets during festivals or other

celebrations. These tend to involve children a lot more, but there are also references to adults taking part

in these activities as well.

Methods and Participants:

There was not so much a specific process that was undergone here, but rather an analysis of the culture

and how it implemented music education through the lens of the author. With that being said, she does

indeed cite many sources that confirm her statements, but does not appear to congeal all of them into a

study in the normal sense. It might be said that her method was observing and her participants were all

the residents of the Canary Islands she came across.

Key Findings:

Both formal and informal music learning is alive and well in the Canary Islands. Formal seems to focus

more on reading notation, but it seems as if this is after most students have been exposed to learning by
rote and playing by ear in the informal settings. Unfortunately, financial issues prevent students from

starting or completing a formal music education as they’d hope to.

Discussion Points:

● The author’s first musical memory is of her mother singing her a folk song

● There is a difference in connotation and authority of the teacher in formal vs. informal settings

● She does not seem to be biased towards one or the other, seems to find them both helpful

Your Comments/Questions:

● How might music education differ from island to island?

● Do most people leave the Canary Islands to study music further, or stay?

● What does the rest of the population think about this dichotomy of music education?
Article 5 (Hess, 2009)

APA Citation information:

Hess, J. (2009) The oral tradition in the Sankofa Drum and Dance Ensemble: student perceptions.

Music Education Research, 11 (1), 57-75. Retrieved from

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14613800802699556

Purpose of the Study:

The purpose of this study was to emphasize the need for aural and oral music education, as based on the

experiences of the Sankofa Drum and Dance Ensemble.

Methods and Participants:

The participants of this study are those in the Sankofa Drum and Dance Ensemble. There are an

unspecified number of students in this ensemble ranging from grades 4-8. The data comes from the

author interviewing and observing his students in conjunction with instructing them, then analyzing and

summarizing his findings.

Key Findings:

Students overwhelming reported that learning by rote was more fun and effective than reading. Many

students were in other ensembles that required them to read, but they felt more engaged in the Sankofa

Drum and Dance Ensemble. Some of them implied that reading was an unnecessary step in the music-

making process, and that it was not really needed a lot of the time.

Discussion Points:

● Very important to note that many students involved in Sankofa were in other ensembles

● The author and teacher attempted not to show bias in questioning his students

● They talked a lot about visual cues given in the Sankofa ensemble
Your Comments/Questions:

● Would it be practical to start an ensemble like this in our schools?

● How can we make it so students understand the value of learning music both ways?

● What if the Sankofa ensemble was taught with notation? Would it still function?
Article 6 (Musco, 2010)

APA Citation information:

Musco, A. (2010). Playing by Ear: Is Expert Opinion Supported by Research? Bulletin of the

Council for Research in Music Education, (184), 49-64. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org/stable/27861482

Purpose of the Study:

The purpose of this study is to encourage students to play by ear both in and out of the classroom.

Virtually all music educators agree that playing by ear is an important musical skill, yet few utilize it in the

classroom or foster opportunities for students to do it outside.

Methods and Participants:

There were a multitude of studies referenced in this article that all explored this topic in different ways.

This ranged from elementary to high school, brass to woodwind, playing back scalar patterns, arpeggios,

major and minor tonalities, etc.

Key Findings:

The author does make a distinction between playing by ear and learning by rote. Playing by ear is more

what we’d call melodic/harmonic/rhythmic dictation, and learning by rote is the call and response

method. Both are valid ways of learning, she just wanted to make that clear. She advocates for playing by

ear to be incorporated into band and orchestra classes, as many students may lose interest in rehearsing

and performing from notation for weeks and months on end.

Discussion Points:

● Some may see playing by ear vs. reading as a lowbrow vs. highbrow setting

● Many teachers themselves are unfamiliar to playing by ear

● Improvisation builds further playing by ear, but the opportunities are limited outside of jazz
Your Comments/Questions:

● What are some ways we can implement playing by ear into band and orchestra class?

● Could we do this in public performances also, or would it just be in the classroom?

● What if this did alienate the students who truly enjoy reading sheet music?