Specifics of Professional Training of Teachers for Teaching Music Culture

Professional training is part of the professional development and lifelong learning process of an individual. The teacher in the classroom has very complex tasks and great responsibility in the upbringing and education of future generations in every society, and lifelong professional development is especially important. Therefore, the research aims to determine the level of teachers' self-assessment of professional development for teaching music culture, ie in the field of music theory and pedagogy. A sample of 365 teachers from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina used the Likert-type scale, within which the respondents expressed their assessments of the forms, areas, and reasons for professional development for teaching music culture. The research results indicate that teachers highly prefer various forms of professional development. They express the need for professional development in the fields of playing and creativity, and the most pronounced reasons for professional development are the need to maintain musical competencies that are lost over time. Based on the research findings, the authors give recommendations regarding possible directions and ways of professional development of teachers in the field of music theory and pedagogy, ie. for teaching music culture.

Self-Determination Theory for Motivation in Distance Music Education

Many researchers have discussed the feasibility of teaching and learning practical skills, such as playing a musical instrument, through distance education. One of the central issues considered in music education is that of motivation, leading educators to wonder how students might remain motivated when learning music at a distance. In this article, I use self-determination theory (SDT) as a lens for examining existing literature on distance music education to identify elements of learning environments that may contribute to, or detract from, the fulfillment of students’ psychological needs. I oriented my reading of the literature toward offering insights on the nature of motivation in online music education and providing educators with tools informed by SDT to maintain and nurture motivation when teaching music online.

Considerations With Virtual Secondary Music Students

The global COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning environments, adding significantly to an already-challenging time for adolescents. In many cases, students and teachers have abruptly shifted to online learning platforms that may occur entirely in a home environment. Music often plays a significant role in adolescents’ processes of identity-building and social connection. Music classes might play an important role in coping during these times, even when learning is virtual. Music teachers may question students’ well-being and their own mentorship roles. This article includes concerns about teaching music with adolescents, specifically when adapted to virtual technologies. Considerations are detailed for pedagogical care and possible benefits of at-home learning that might enhance students’ music learning experiences.

Whose History?: The Americas and Music Curricula in the United States

One moment from the much-discussed 2017 curriculum reform in the Music Department at Harvard University has stuck with me and transformed the way I approach teaching music in higher education. In one of the meetings leading up to the revision, graduate students in the department led an activity in which attendees—who included undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty alike—got into small groups and discussed the relative merits of three hypothetical models for the new undergraduate curriculum. Each of the models involved decentering to some extent the existing curriculum's emphasis on the history of Western European music and dominant music theoretical approaches to it. After a short while, we all gathered back together and one person from each group shared a bit about what had transpired. From the circle of desks nearest the door, an undergraduate student rose to speak and expressed enthusiasm for a broadening of curricular coverages. But, they said, their group also had some reservations about jettisoning the overall focus on Western European concert music altogether. “We still need to learn about our history,” they said, while a faculty member nodded behind them.

Pedagogical Potential of Mental Practice in Teaching Brass Instruments at University

At any level of musical education, it is very important to improve one’s musicianship skills, which can only be achieved through consistent training and playing their musical instrument. Physical training is a very important part of the learning process; however, its combination with mental practice has been proved to be much more effective. Although such an approach is important at all levels of musical education, the paper addresses it in the context of higher education. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine the pedagogical potential of mental practice in the process of teaching music in higher education. The research was implemented in two stages. First, a survey was conducted to gather information about the respondents’ habits when learning musical pieces. At this stage, the study involved 68 brass students from different universities around the world between the ages of 19 and 25. The second stage of the research comprised the development of the program of mental practice (PMP) with structured observation as a method and 7 participants from Latvian and Norwegian higher music education institutions. The obtained results allow to conclude that the inclusion of mental practice in the practicing routine significantly improves the overall level of concentration and stability both in the process of training and during performances. Mental practice also provides an opportunity to increase the duration of training as well as enhances the overall effectiveness of practicing and concentration during performances.

Pavel Nersessian: “Teaching Music- Only Through Pleasure”

Выпускник блистательного класса Сергея Доренского, заслуженный артист России, профессор, концертирующий пианист Павел Нерсесьян - еще и востребованный педагог, который более тридцати лет преподает в Московской консерватории и почти десять лет - в Бостонском университете. Елизавета Мирошникова поговорила с Павлом о разнице между российской и американской системами музыкального образования, о том, что Павлу дала Московская консерватория и какие изменения в подходе к воспитанию музыкантов произошли за последние десятилетия.