Article Summaries

I would not mind reading research articles so much if there were more hours in the day, but I suppose that’s the same for all of us. The challenges for me lie in trying to understand what the studies are about when the charts they say exist aren’t actually there to view; and trying to decipher the words that seem to be put there merely to make the authors sound smart. (I am, by no means, saying they are not intelligent—they are—but simply stating they could use vocabulary that the general public understands, even though it’s generally not too hard to use context to figure it out.) The information is definitely useful, but I would find greater value in reading them for purposes of bettering myself when I realize I need some new conducting or teaching techniques. Out of these seven articles, I think I got the most out of the first, which described the effectiveness of modeling and limited speech. I would be interested in reading more of this author’s articles.

Refining Learned Repertoire for Percussion Instruments in an Elementary Setting—D.M. Taylor

Putting effective modeling into action is not only a good way to demonstrate desired performance behaviors, but also a way to be held accountable to our students. By being able to model what we want our students to do, they will have a better understanding of it. This study proved that though modeling was only used 10% of the time, it was one of the more effective strategies. Also, limited use of speech can also prove effective. Keeping it simple by saying what I want the students to do and how to do it is enough in addition to stating which point from which to rehearse.

Empirical Description of the Pace of Music Instruction—R.A. Duke, C.A. Prickett, J.A. Jellison

Research in this study indicates that a faster-paced rehearsal is more effective than one where a teacher spends a lot of time lecturing on what they want to happen as opposed to actually doing it. It seems the best idea is the “less talk, more action” approach. The less I say, the more the students are engaged in performance activities and learning.

The Effect of Observation Focus on Evaluations of Choral Rehearsal Excerpts—C. Yarbrough and P. Henley

The most important thing I got out of this article was the comment on how conductors must not only concentrate on the score they are working with, but also to pay attention to individuals within the ensemble, using eye contact and facial expression for communication. This is something that we have been taught in my studies at VCSU, but we can also spend a lot more time working on it. I, too, am guilty of spending too much time with my eyes on the score instead of the ensemble. I am certain that more experience will improve this, but I can also make a conscious effort to do so whenever I am conducting any sort of group.

The Evaluation of Teaching in Choral Rehearsals—C. Yarbrough and K. Madsen

Again, in this article, the use of eye contact and facial expression is rated as an important factor in maintaining student attentiveness in addition to enthusiasm and fast pacing. Using a fast pace attracts student attention. We are all aware of this, as we frequently perk up when we hear a piece with a faster tempo is going to be rehearsed next.

Relationships among Conducting Quality, Ensemble Performance Quality, and State Festival Ratings—H.E. Price

The results of this study revealed that there is no correlation between conductors and their ensembles’ quality. Thus, my ensemble’s ratings will not depend on specific actions by me in a performance setting, but rather how they respond to how I conduct. Granted, how I conduct them in a rehearsal will have great impact on how they perform, but it was noted that in the instructional setting, the teacher is the one subject to the most observation; therefore, we must instruct ensembles effectively. Talking less and rehearsing more was brought up again in this article, putting the focus more on teaching students what our conducting gestures mean.

Relationships between Perceptions of Conducting Effectiveness and Ensemble Performance—K. VanWeelden

This study did NOT emphasize the use of eye contact in conducting, but still determined that it is important, but posture carries more emphasis in the effectiveness of conducting a performing ensemble. Based on this, I can use better posture and facial expression in my conducting to make my technique more effective for my ensembles.

Performance Achievement and Analysis of Teaching during Choral Rehearsals—A.P. Davis

This study revealed that increased performance achievement occurred at similar points in rehearsals. Again, we also learn that with a decrease in verbal instruction, there was an increase in performance rating.