Exploring Chinese college chamber music education: a case study of students’ conceptions

The purpose of this study was to examine the learning situation of Chinese students’ studying chamber music in universities. Therefore, students’ perspectives on learning chamber music were the main focus of this study. The study begins with a comprehensive description by educators of current Chinese college chamber music education and then details students’ cognition of and behaviour towards chamber music education. The survey participants (N = 23) were all music performance majors who had taken chamber music courses in one average-ranked Chinese university. Demographic data regarding students’ chamber music background, actual practical problems in classes, students’ expectations of their chamber music education and the relationship between practice and learning chamber music were collected. The results indicated that students all possessed positive and assertive attitudes towards learning chamber music and believed in the necessity and value of establishing chamber music education in Chinese universities.

The relationship between small music ensemble experience and empathy skill: A survey study

A small music ensemble represents a unique form of human social activity, involving a highly complex set of interpersonal communicative skills. To achieve a joint musical goal, ensemble performers actively strive to reach out to the “other,” by sensitively attending to, and aligning their emotions with, those of their co-performers. This suggests that engagement in small music ensembles may be a fruitful domain to cultivate the habit of empathizing. The current study explored the relationship between college music students’ small ensemble experiences and their empathy skills. Undergraduate music performance majors in their senior year ( N = 165) voluntarily completed an online survey that included questions about their background and participation in and attitudes toward small ensembles. They also completed a self-assessment questionnaire that measured their dispositional empathy levels. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that students’ levels of participation in various small ensemble activities significantly predicted their empathy skills, even after controlling for the effect of personal factors. Personality also appeared to play a significant role in predicting music students’ empathy skills.

Influences on Career Choice Among Music Education Audition Candidates

The purpose of this pilot study was to survey prospective undergraduate music education majors to learn what motivated them to aspire to a career in music education. Respondents were candidates auditioning, but not yet accepted, for music teacher preparation programs at four institutions ( N = 228). Findings corroborate prior research that suggests that school music teachers and/or private lesson teachers are highly influential. This study sought to quantify the types of experiences participants had in teaching roles at the time of their college audition, supporting other research suggesting that such experiences may increase interest in a music teaching career. Recommendations include engaging music educators at all PreK—12 levels in actively recruiting and encouraging future teachers, providing private instructors and performance majors with teacher recruitment information, emphasizing earlier identification and preparation of prospective educators, and refining and continuing the work begun in this pilot study.

Peer assessment of tertiary music performance: opportunities for understanding performance assessment and performing through experience and self-reflection

This paper discusses a project in which third-year undergraduate Performance majors were asked to assess their second-year peers. The impetus for launching the project came from some stirrings of discontent amongst a few students. Instead of finding the assessment of their peers a manageable task, most students found the breadth of musical focus, across a diverse range of musical styles on a wide range of instruments, daunting and difficult. Despite this, students and staff believed the task had proved valuable for learning about the assessment process itself and for understanding the performance process.