© Copyright by Sophie Elizabeth Parker, 2014. All Rights Reserved
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
© Copyright by Sophie Elizabeth Parker, 2014. All Rights Reserved A SURVEY OF VIOLA TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF VIOLA PEDAGOGY _______________ A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Music University of Houston _______________ In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts _______________ By Sophie Elizabeth Parker May, 2014 A SURVEY OF VIOLA TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF VIOLA PEDAGOGY _________________________ Sophie Elizabeth Parker APPROVED: _________________________ Dr. Julie Derges Kastner, Assistant Professor of Music Education Committee Chair _________________________ Erin M. Hansen, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Education _________________________ Dr. John Snyder, Professor of Music Theory _________________________ Franz Anton Krager, Professor of Conducting and Director of Orchestras _________________________ John W. Roberts, Ph.D. Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Department of English ii A SURVEY OF VIOLA TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF VIOLA PEDAGOGY _______________ An Abstract of a Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Music University of Houston _______________ In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts _______________ By Sophie Elizabeth Parker May, 2014 ABSTRACT The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore college/conservatory- level viola teachers’ perceptions of viola playing and pedagogy. Participants received a link to a researcher-designed survey instrument called the Viola Pedagogy Survey (VPS). VPS questions were designed to help define current practices in viola pedagogy and to assess participants’ perceptions with regard to viola pedagogy. VPS topics included: (a) differences between violin and viola technique; (b) whether or not they encourage students to switch violin to viola and, if so, at what age; (c) methods employed to help former violinists obtain a more violistic sound; (d) teaching style and initial instrument, (e) recommended viola repertoire and etudes; (f) recommended remediation strategies, (g) influential mentors; (h) division of lesson time; (i) goals for students; and (j) important violists of the 20th century. Following a pilot study, 60 surveys were sent out for the main study, and 19 respondents replied, for a return rate of 32%. Participants in the main study (N = 19) were current members of the American Viola Society who self- identified as university or conservatory level viola teachers. The main categories of discussion were organized by corresponding Research Question topics, and included: (a) reasons for choosing or switching to the viola, (b) viola technique, (c) viola pedagogy and methods of implementing remediation, (d) viola repertoire and etudes, and (e) viola mentors. Participants gave five types of responses as to why they chose or switched to the viola, including chamber music, suggestion of teachers or peers, sound qualities, physical aspects, and playing opportunities. Participants described several areas of pedagogical technique unique to viola including right hand, left hand, and sound quality/tone production. Participants also cited many iv different mentors and influential pedagogues, but only three were mentioned more than once as most important of the 20th century: Karen Tuttle, Heidi Castleman, and Robert Vernon. The participants’ quotes in this study indicate that many violists do see the viola as more difficult, less perfect than the violin. Their quotes also indicate that a violist needs special skills to play the viola, and/or that certain individuals may be better suited to its rigor, given certain physical attributes. Suggestions for future research include surveying a larger population of violists to compare attitudes towards viola pedagogy, then and now, and to observe for the emergence of new important teachers in 21st century viola pedagogy. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Julie Derges Kastner, for the time and effort it took to help shape and edit this work. I would also like to thank my mentor and former teacher of viola at the Moores School of Music, Rita Porfiris, for her wonderful playing and inspirational teaching, and her guidance in forming this topic. I would also like to thank Professor Erin Hansen, Dr. John Snyder and Professor Franz Krager for their participation on my doctoral committee. Thanks also to my other former viola teachers, without whom I would not have arrived at this point, including Stephanie Baer, Karen Ritscher, Harry Shub, Tasso Adamopoulos, Auguste Melley, William Starr, Ozwald Lehnert, Katherine Mason Stanley, Adria Benjamin, and Sue Colgan-Borror. A special thanks to my family: my parents, Susan and Alan Parker, my sons Luca and Nicolò Vrana, and my husband, Andrew Vrana. Finally, I would like to thank all the viola teachers who took the time to complete the survey administered for this study and share their insights and expertise about the viola. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Approval ii Abstract iv Acknowledgements vi Table of Contents vii List of Tables x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Researcher Lens 1 Introduction 1 Pedagogy Definitions 3 The Emergence of the Viola: The Instrument, the Technique, the Violist 7 The Instrument 7 The Technique: Pedagogy, Pedagogical Treatises, Etudes and Solo Repertoire 11 The Violist: Four Important Violists of the 20th Century 17 Summary 25 Need For This Study 28 Purpose Statement 29 Research Questions 29 CHAPTER 2: SURVEY OF LITERATURE 30 Viola Pedagogy Articles 30 String Studio Pedagogy Studies 33 Instrument Choice Articles 35 Master Teachers of Viola 38 Lincer’s Teaching Methods 39 The Coordination Method 40 Voices of Master Teachers 42 Additional Tuttle Articles and Studies 44 Other Master Teachers of the Viola 45 Viola Etudes and Repertoire 46 Summary 56 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 59 vii Design 59 Data Collection 60 Part I. Viola Background 60 Part II. Viola Pedagogy 61 Procedures 62 Conducting the Pilot Study 62 Soliciting Participants for the Main Study 63 Conducting the Main Study 65 Data Analysis 66 Trustworthiness 67 Limitations of Study 68 CHAPTER 4: PARTICIPANTS 70 Participant Backgrounds 72 Beginning and Switching to Viola 72 Participant Self-Perceptions 73 Teaching Experience 74 Location of Training 74 Summary 75 CHAPTER 5: RESULTS 77 Research Question 1: Switching to the Viola 77 Reasons for Choosing or Switching to Viola 77 First Instrument’s Influence on Current Teaching Style 79 When to Encourage Violin Students to Switch to Viola 83 Research Question 2: Viola Technique 86 Right Hand 86 Sound Quality/Tone Production 89 Left Hand 91 Physical Aspects of Playing the Viola 94 Counter Arguments 97 Research Question 3: Viola Pedagogy and Methods of Implementing Remediation 97 Tension 106 Goals for Students 111 Section Summary 112 Research Question 4: Viola Repertoire and Etudes 113 Viola Repertoire 113 Viola Etudes 122 Expert Viola Teachers’ Time Allotment for Exercises, Solo, and Other Repertoire 125 Research Question 5: Viola Mentors 126 viii Viola Mentors 126 Most Important Viola Teachers of the 20th Century 128 Emergent Findings 133 Personality 133 How the Viola is Different 136 CHAPTER 6: DISCUSSION 139 Introduction 139 Summary 140 Conclusions 149 Implications 154 Suggestions for Future Research 156 Appendix A: Timeline of Important Pedagogues 159 Appendix B: Viola Pedagogy Survey (VPS) 160 Appendix C: VPS Cover Letter 163 Appendix D: VPS List of Viola Repertoire 164 Appendix E: Prominent 20th Century Viola Mentors/Teachers Cited by Experts 165 Appendix F: Geographical Affiliations of Mentors of Participants 169 References 170 Discography 176 ix LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1 Background Information of Participants Completing the Viola Pedagogy Survey 71 Table 2 Cited Reasons for Choosing or Switching to the Viola 78 Table 3 Cited Reasons to Encourage Students to Switch to Viola 84 Table 4 Areas of Technical Differences Between Violin and Viola 87 Table 5 Methods to Achieve a More Violistic Sound for Former Violin Students 99 Table 6 Cited Areas of Remediation for Viola 101 Table 7 Expert Viola Teachers’ Viola Repertoire Responses to VPS List 117 Table 8 Viola Repertoire Suggested by Expert Viola Teachers to Add to the VPS List 119 Table 9 Etude Books Suggested by Expert Viola Teachers 123 Table 10 Prominent 20th Century Viola Mentors/Teachers Cited by Experts 128 Table 11 Most Important Viola Teachers of the 20th Century Nominated by Experts 130 x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Researcher Lens As a student, I began to play the viola as part of an orchestra program for all sixth graders in the school. As a supplement to our in-school group lessons, we were advised to study privately. My first viola teacher was primarily a violinist. After two years of study, she recommended that I study with a “real” viola teacher, meaning someone who had specialized on playing and teaching viola. I was not really aware of differences between the two at the time. As a young student, I had merely observed that most other string players preferred to play the violin, and that most non-musicians knew of the violin but not the viola. I had chosen the viola because I liked its deeper sound, but I was not ready to commit to its large cousin, the cello, because of its size and the relative difficulty of pushing down the thicker strings. I think my teacher knew that an expert in viola could better guide me as a teacher in relation to the correct repertoire and variations in technique required to play the viola well. Although starting on and/or