Irish Fiddle and Western Classical Violin: Listener Perceptions and Acoustical Differences

This report is a summary of two studies. In the first, we compared examples of Irish fiddle performances with Western classical violin performances. Acoustical analyses showed that both classical examples produced average spectral centroids higher in frequency, higher harmonic to noise ratios, more use of vibrato, more disjunct intervals, and less ornamentation. Expert listeners described the classical examples as resonant, ringing, and brighter. Tone in the Irish examples was characterized as varied, gritty, and full-bodied. In the second study, we asked 72 music majors to listen to different recordings and respond in two ways. The first section consisted of extremely brief examples of four different solo violin styles: classical, jazz, old-time fiddle, and Irish. The second section consisted of longer examples of either Irish or classical performances. The listeners were asked to describe salient features of each. They frequently identified the following characteristics of the Irish excerpts: grace notes, double stops, ornamentation, and dance-like. In contrast, classical extracts were described using the terms: vibrato, melody, intervals, and extended technique. Implications for music listening are discussed.

Status of Band and Orchestra Programs in North Carolina

The purpose of this study was to examine K–12 instrumental music education in North Carolina. Specifically, we investigated course offerings, teacher demographics, teaching responsibilities, and music program funding. We administered a survey to the members of the North Carolina Music Educators Association listserv who indicated band or orchestra as their teaching area. Participants identified themselves as teachers of orchestra ( n = 44), band ( n = 173), or a hybrid of both ( n = 17). Of schools that offered instrumental music, 95% offered band and 36% offered orchestra. More than 20% of orchestra teachers were “very likely to retire within 5 years.” The majority of teachers relied on fundraising to provide adequate music education for students. Results of this study were analyzed and compared to national averages reported in the Give a Note Foundation’s 2017 report: The Status of Music Education in United States Public Schools. Implications for orchestra teachers, music programs, music teacher preparation curriculum, and future research are discussed.

Hidden Ground: Exploring an Approach to Educational Music for Strings

This article presents the findings of a study that explored the composition of Canadian educational music. Particularly, the authors focus on the analyses of composers’ scores on creating new string compositions for young musicians within the New Sounds of Learning Project. On a macro level, the composers predominantly composed multiple movements (three to four), using single section (A), binary (AB), ternary, or variation forms (A, A’, A”, A”’, etc.), and they adopted simple meters throughout. At the micro-level, the majority of the compositions also included a technical element that was used to further skill development, that is, lack of meter to focus attention, syncopation to develop rhythmic fluency, interactive rhythms between parts to promote player coordination, modular structure to address varied skill levels, or free rhythm to promote imaginative thinking. The findings will be of interest to those members of the music profession who promote or would like to promote the dissemination of new music for strings within educational settings in Canadian music classrooms.

Balancing String Instruction in an Instrumental Lab Setting: An Intrinsic Evaluative Case Study

There is an expected increase in the need to provide adequate string-specific training for non-string specialists in the future and for preservice music teachers to develop the requisite pedagogical content knowledge to teach a variety of instruments. A multiyear instrumental lab ensemble university course was designed to help preservice music teachers integrate knowledge and skills in various instrument- and ensemble-specific areas. The purpose of this intrinsic evaluative study was to determine the extent to which the new course was successful toward these aims. Data included interviews of students and instructors, observations of lab classes, and reflective journals of teaching faculty and two external observers. Data were coded and then analyzed using the program goal statements found in the course syllabus. Findings indicated that students considered the lab format more authentic to their teacher preparation than their previous coursework, and that performance and pedagogy skills on secondary instruments elevated more rapidly than anticipated. Recommendations include the need for more explicit connection between course readings and lab activities, and improved guidelines for course teaching assistants.

An Analysis of Ratings and Interrater Reliability at the American String Teachers Association’s National Orchestra Festival

The purpose of this study was to examine the assigned ratings, interrater reliability, and possible influences of school level and instrumentation on adjudicators’ evaluations of orchestra performances at a national-level adjudicated music festival. Data consisted of the overall ratings assigned to orchestra performances ( N = 55) at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 American String Teachers Association’s National Orchestra Festival (NOF). Analysis revealed that 83.64% of all participating orchestras earned a I/Superior or II/Excellent overall rating. A logistic regression model revealed that both school level and instrumentation were not significant predictors of earning a I/Superior overall rating. Individual members of each three-judge adjudication panel assigned identical ratings to 61.82% of orchestra performances and possessed a mean internal consistency of .90. Orchestra teachers can use the results of this study to weigh the educational benefits of participating in the NOF.

String Teacher Preparation Programs in the United States

The rise in demand for string teachers is a sign of support for string programs across the United States. Despite an increase in string teacher positions, there is growing concern regarding the lack of qualified string music education graduates to fill the vacancies, sometimes leading administrators to close programs. This study investigated the status of string teacher education programs in the United States. Participants for this study were degree-granting institutions ( N = 636) accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). The NASM directory listings and institution websites were examined to determine what type of degrees were offered, and presence of a full-time string music education faculty member. Results indicated that while most NASM-accredited institutions offer some type of undergraduate degree in music education, very few institutions (16%) were shown to have a full-time string music education specialist. Results also indicated a significant relationship between the size of school and likelihood of having a full-time string music education specialist, χ2 (7, N = 526) = 80.03, p < .001.

Alterations in Violinists’ Practice Behaviors in Response to Differing Technical Demands in the Material

The pedagogical literature strongly suggests that when a musician works on a specific piece of repertoire, one should choose practice strategies tailored to the challenges presented by that material. Such a behavioral choice could represent an instantiation of focused and deliberate practice, a critical aspect of the relationship between experience and the acquisition of expertise. However, most of the literature investigating individual practice has used a single stimulus for all participants, or else has employed surveys or other proxy measures of practicing behavior. In this study, participants of three different experience levels (high school, collegiate, or professional violinists) practiced three excerpts, each featuring a different signature challenge. Results suggest that practice is highly idiosyncratic, that participants do adjust their approaches to the challenges of the material, but that individuals of differing experience levels identify remarkably similar problems within the material.

Near-Peer Mentorship: A Model for Private Music Instruction in an Underserved Community

The case presented in this study focused on the experiences of students enrolled in a Saturday day music program situated in an underserved community. Students in this community represent a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, and we were interested in whether younger students in the program would benefit from receiving lessons from an older student from the same community. This case study was bound by the shared experiences of the participants who engaged in music teaching and learning through this community music program. Data included the following: student surveys, participant interviews, private lesson and orchestra class observations, and teacher assessments. Overall, near-peer mentorship was beneficial. The majority of participants in this study experienced gains in performance skills. Interviews with the mentors revealed several benefits from tutoring a younger student, including self-analysis of instrument performance, positive feelings gained from helping others, and social benefits. The fifth-grade students who were assigned a mentor reported that they learned instrument-specific skills from their mentor and felt more comfortable and confident playing different songs because instruction was individualized.

American String Teachers Association Research Award 2019

This article is based on a speech that Barnes presented at a meeting of the Collegiate Roundtable at the American String Teachers Association 2019 National Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Relationship Between High-Level Violin Performers’ Movement and Evaluators’ Perception of Musicality

The purpose of this study was to examine possible relationships between the extent of high-level violin performers’ movement during performance and evaluators’ perceptions of their musicality. Stimuli were 10 excerpts of solo violin performances from the 2015 Tadeusz Wronski International Violin Competition for Solo Violin, selected to convey high and low amounts of performer movement. Participants were undergraduate music majors ( N = 274) divided into three groups by experimental conditions: visual-only ( n = 109), audio-only ( n = 78), or audio-visual ( n = 87). Analysis demonstrated that performers exhibiting high movement were perceived as more musical than performers exhibiting low movement. The findings suggest that even accomplished musicians are subject to evaluation biases based on stage presence and physical behaviors such as movement.