31st Annual Student Research Conference
Using Popular Music Themes to Develop Technical Proficiency in Beginning Band Students
Sarah E. Wilson♦
Dr. Curran Prendergast, Faculty Mentor
A disconnect has emerged between the popular music interests of young generations and the Western European art music tradition in which educators are trained to teach. Although most school curricula are based in Western traditions, popular music could prove to be an effective motivator for students to improve their technical performance abilities. Students will be more personally engaged with learning material that is relevant to their lives. Familiar music could also enable students to utilize a mental concept of sound to achieve success more quickly. This proposed study seeks to understand if the classroom use of popular music can improve student achievement of technical performance skills through enhanced motivation and audiation. By observing the achievement rates of students after familiar music is used to teach a technical concept, this action research will investigate the relationships between popular music, aural learning, and motivation.
Keywords: musical technique, popular music, beginning band, middle school, motivation
Topic(s):Music
Education
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 215-3
Location: OP 2210
Time: 1:30