MUED 376: Choral Music, Materials & Techniques (M2 & T)

A. 1a. WORKSHEET: Madsen- Research-A Personal Perspective

What are the influences of family or lack of family participation in our music programs? When do children begin to come to know
music, and when do they start to make meaningful connections between music and their separate experiences? What are the changing
social and familial contingencies that make a child want to participate or not participate in our music programs or to change their
participation? When is the best time to start various music activities? When and how do we get every child involved in music and,
much more important, how do we ensure keeping each child with us? How might we best use technology to capture and hold student
interest and to teach students? How do we get them through the difficult years? Is it appropriate for fast fingering and loud notes to
prevail, if but for a short time? What are the relationships between a child's needs at different times? Why do children accept or reject
"our" music as opposed to theirs? How do we equip them so that as adults they have their own personal relationship with music and a
firmly developed desire for lifelong involvement?

“Developing a research perspective starts from our own experience.” C. Madsen

1. Early Childhood Experiences: What were some of your pivotal early childhood music
experiences and what research questions stem from them?

I recall running around the pews of my church’s chapel with my best friend in my early
childhood. At the same time, the church choir would be rehearsing. Choir became a big part of
my life early because of it being routine in my family. Both of my parents attended weekly
rehearsals as singers, and when my mom was called to serve as the congregational choir director,
our whole family would listen to CDs of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for inspiration. I enjoyed
listening to this ensemble so much, I needed to listen to them before going to sleep every night as
a result.
Some research questions that could stem from my personal experience would be:
 How important is routine in the context of music making?
 What kinds of routine are more conductive to lifelong learning?

2. Elementary School Experiences: What research questions do you have that stem from
early elementary school experiences in music?

Research questions that could stem from my elementary school experience would be:
 What is the process from remembering a melody to transferring it to multiple
instruments or mediums?
 What information is needed in order to beginning creating music?
 How does a student’s financial situation shape their musical experiences?

3. Middle School Experiences: What were some of your pivotal middle school
music experiences and what research questions stem from them?

A pivotal musical moment to me from Middle School was auditioning for the school musical in
eighth grade. I had just begun taking private voice lessons and was anxious about my own
personal growth. The music audition was open to everyone auditioning and I got confirmation
from someone I looked up to that I was doing well. That confirmation of my hard work inspired
me to continue working towards more musical improvement.
Some research questions I could pull from this would be:
 In what way does positive reinforcement encourage growth?
 In which ways will mental health affect musical growth?

4. High School Experiences: What research questions do you have that stem from
high school experiences in music?
Some research questions that stem from my high school experience in music include:
 Where can music benefit those with emotional trauma or memory loss?
 How can music form community?

5. Undergraduate Experiences: What research questions do you have that stem from
your undergraduate music experiences?

Some research questions that stem from my undergraduate experience include:

 What are some ways to approach stage fright?
 What are psychological causes for stage fright?

6. Music Job Experiences: What research questions do you have that stem jobs you
may have already had in music?

Some research questions from my previous music jobs include:

 How could an educator’s personal life experiences assist in learning? What are the
setbacks in an educator including their personal experiences in the classroom?
 Does an educator’s self-improvement assist in student’s intellectual and emotional
growth?

7. Pre-teaching Experiences: What research questions do you have that stem from pre-
teaching experiences (camps, practica, etc.) in music?

Some research questions from my pre-teaching experiences include:

 How can a teacher create an inclusive environment in all stages of musical learning?
 What do accommodations look like for each level of musical learning?
 How can an educator present their inherent flaws as a learning experience for their
students?