Date
11-13-2024
Department
School of Music
Degree
Doctor of Music Education (DME)
Chair
Thomas Goddard
Keywords
popular music, beginning instrumental education, instrument method books
Disciplines
Educational Methods | Music
Recommended Citation
Kohl, Joshua E., "Integrating Popular Music into Instrumental Method Books for Beginning Students" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6170.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6170
Abstract
Some students in beginning band programs struggle while learning to use their instruments to play unfamiliar music. Modern beginning instrumental method books, aimed at beginners, are based on the Orff Schulwerk Methodology. In this methodology, students learn to play their instrument by using well-known music selected from classical music, folk tunes, and the popular music of the day. However, many of these method books do not contain any current popular music to help teach the beginning band student. This study identifies the current usage of songs within the various instrumental method books and students’ familiarity with the music from these books. This mixed methods study will gather data via student surveys. Students will use a Likert-type scale to show music familiarity in addition to interviews conducted with beginning instrumental teachers in public schools and private lesson instructors. A sample list of popular musical selections that could be used in place of current musical selections currently included in instrumental method books is included. These selections are not meant to form a new method book themselves. Instead, they provide an essential change that could be made to incorporate more popular music into current instrumental method books.
