Date
5-2022
Department
School of Music
Degree
Doctor of Music Education (DME)
Chair
Jerry Newman
Keywords
Suzuki, Bornoff, Beginning, Orchestra, Curriculum, Strings
Disciplines
Music
Recommended Citation
Holy, Monica Jane, "Adapting a Suzuki and Bornoff Method Curriculum in a Beginning Public School Strings Class with a Class of Mixed String Instruments" (2022). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 3588.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/3588
Abstract
Perspectives on the combination of the Suzuki Method and the Bornoff Method, and the struggles a string teacher has starting a beginning orchestra program, have emerged as themes through exploration of a small body of existing literature. This study aims to support struggling or first-year string teachers starting a beginning orchestra program in a public-school setting by combining the Suzuki and Bornoff method. Despite a plethora of research that has been written over the Suzuki method and the Bornoff method separately, there is a lack of research on combining the two approaches, particularly within a beginning string class setting. The examination of how the two methods could complement each other is essential because one method supports the other in different technical areas. Also, both methods create a strong curriculum in a public-school orchestra setting. This qualitative research study identifies the strong points of both methods and how each can supplement the other. Views on the combination of the Suzuki Method and the Bornoff Method, as well as the struggles a string teacher has starting a beginning orchestra program, have emerged as themes through exploration of a small body of existing literature. Further, this study and the artifact of two methods could encourage further research by teachers or researchers outside the music field who want to research best practices within a classroom. Such researchers could examine the benefits of memorization and repetitions within a classroom curriculum and teach with what the results should be by the end of the school year. These three concepts are among many strong points of the two teaching methods. The study revealed that the step-by-step process supplied through the Suzuki method establishes a strong foundation for young beginning musicians. Analyzing each step and how it affects beginning musicians creates confidence for a first-year teacher or a novice teacher.
