Teaching Beginner Trumpet Lessons in a Synchronous Virtual Setting: An Intensive Case Study. by Nancy Taylor, MM, MOT A Dissertation Project In Trumpet Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS Approved Andrew Stetson, D.M.A. Chair of Committee Kevin Whalen, D.M.A. Lisa Garner-Santa, D.M.A. Mark Sheridan, PhD Dean of the Graduate School May, 2021 Copyright 2021, Nancy Taylor 2 Texas Tech University, Nancy Taylor, May 2021 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful for this opportunity to express thanks to those who contributed to my music education and this project. Thank you, Dr. Andrew Stetson, for your help with writing this document and your guidance throughout this process. Thank you for inspiring me to learn new music and for showing me how to be a better teacher. To the Texas Tech University trumpet studio members who welcomed me into their lives and shared experiences, I thank you with all my heart. To my mentor, Lowell Graham, for your continued support, encouragement, advice, and friendship, thank you. To my friend, Becca Zeisler, thank you for sharing your incredible musicianship and collaboration on recitals. To the committee, Andrew Stetson, Dr. Lisa Garner, and Dr. Kevin Whalen thank you for your guidance and support during the writing of this document. To Suzy Graham: If it weren't for your sending me that first video of your granddaughter blowing the trumpet on April 24th, and her first lesson on April 25th, and this entire dissertation project would never have happened. Olivia Peterson, thank you for being the subject of this project. I have learned a great deal from the process of our virtual trumpet lessons and have had great joy in witnessing you learn. I am excited about your future in music. You and your mother, Leah, have been a bright light in my life throughout the pandemic. And finally, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my late husband, Ron Hufstader, for encouraging me to start this degree and my family and friends for supporting me throughout this journey. ii Texas Tech University, Nancy Taylor, May 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii ABSTRACT v LIST OF FIGURES vi I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 3 Efficacy and Feasibility of Virtual Teaching 3 The Student/Teacher Interpersonal Relationship The 6 Sound-Before-Sight Principle 8 Trumpet Pedagogy on Articulation 9 Teacher use of YouTube Videos 10 III. METHODOLOGY 12 Lesson Environment and Technology 13 Lesson Content 14 Lessons 1-5: Embouchure Development 15 Lessons 6-10: Fingers and Articulation 19 Lessons 11-15: Developing Skill 20 Assessment 20 IV.THE WEBSITE 21 Resources: Virtual Teaching Setup, Lighting and Sound 21 Resources: Teacher Tips 24 The Lessons 26 V. CONCLUSION 29 WORKS CITED 31 APPENDICIES 33 A. LESSON PLANS 33 B. TRANSCRIPTS OF DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS 48 iii Texas Tech University, Nancy Taylor, May 2021 C. PHOTO RELEASES 76 D. IRB WAIVER 78 iv Texas Tech University, Nancy Taylor, May 2021 ABSTRACT This document is a case study in teaching a beginner trumpet player within a virtual, synchronous setting based on the author's experience. The study examines the first fifteen lessons between a student Cleveland, Ohio who had no previous experience playing the trumpet, and a teacher in El Paso, Texas. The scope of the project includes this document and a companion website, beginningtrumpet.com, an instructional guide for music educators teaching beginning trumpet players. Content on the website draws on the approaches and pedagogy used during the fifteen-lesson case study. Success was measured by the student's proficiency in playing the instrument, demonstrating understanding of various musical, and a continued display of eagerness to continue trumpet lessons at the conclusion of the case study. Success in teaching was attributed to the pedagogy, sequence of concepts presented, teacher's disposition, frequency of lessons, and understanding of the technology. The primary limitation of teaching virtually was internet latency, which prevented student and teacher from playing together. At the time of this publication, this is the only case study involving teaching a beginner instrumentalist in a virtual, synchronous setting. Additional research on feasibility and successful tactics for teaching applied music virtually is needed. v Texas Tech University, Nancy Taylor, May 2021 LIST OF FIGURES 3.1 Teacher's Setup. ....................................................................................................13 3.2 Student's Setup......................................................................................................14 3.3 Student Resting the Trumpet on her Knee............................................................15 3.4 Student Embouchure on Lesson #5.......................................................................17 3.5 Student Embouchure on Lesson #15.....................................................................17 3.6 Zoom Whiteboard Illustration of Valve Patterns..................................................19 3.7 Illustration of Zoom Whiteboard for Learning a Song................................. ........20 4.1 Blue Snowball and Blue Yeti................................................................................22 4.2 Close to the Computer Camera to Show Valve Positions.....................................23 4.3 Showing Enthusiasm and Making Eye Contact.....................................................25 4.4 Holding Mouthpiece in "Butterfly Wings"............................................................27 vi Texas Tech University, Nancy Taylor, May 2021 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION When the COVID-19 pandemic spread to the United States in March of 2020, cities went into lockdown, and people stayed home. This brought an end to academic gatherings of any size, and schools transferred to online learning. Music teachers of all levels faced a new challenge during this transition. While courses in music history and theory have adapted to online learning, instruction in music performance has traditionally been face-to-face. About a month into this shutdown, I received a video text from a friend. Her nine- year-old granddaughter had just been given a trumpet for her birthday and was making loud, blurting sounds on the instrument. As the child was enthusiastic about playing, I offered to meet her on Zoom the next day to offer some pointers for getting started. That first trumpet lesson was on April 25, 2020 and serves as the genesis of this case study. Presented here are the teaching environment, concepts, and strategies that led to student engagement and overall success. Teaching with enthusiasm and positive feedback was an intentional strategy used by the teacher. Praising the student and recognizing effort over accuracy is a tactic that can rouse intrinsic motivation. Teacher feedback that is evaluative or fear-based can be counterproductive to student learning.2 Throughout the case study, the student was engaged and eager to learn, as evidenced by her attention to the task and smiling expression when scheduling the next day's lesson. Even with 47 years as a trumpet player and 25 of those as a music educator, I had no experience with online, virtual instruction. Distance education has been used extensively in nearly all academic disciplines for several years. Music performance instruction, however, seems to have made a slower, more cautious move to the virtual setting. Though many resources offer how-to videos or pay-as-you-go lessons, few offer any how-to instruction for the teacher. 1 Texas Tech University, Nancy Taylor, May 2021 Many young musicians will use poor posture in holding their instrument as a compensatory strategy for not having the strength to hold the instrument. These poor postures can lead to poor performance and often injury.4 It is for this reason that the student in the case study was not instructed on playing with proper posture until her tenth lesson. As a board-certified Occupational Therapist, this author specializes in injury prevention for musicians. In researching for Teaching Healthy Musicianship: The Music Educator's Guide to Injury Prevention and Wellness (Oxford, 2016), the author evaluated young musicians and the role instrumental ergonomics played in their body mechanics. More on this topic is covered in chapter 2. This project is distinct because it offers training in virtual teaching and outlines fifteen trumpet lessons for the person who wishes to teach beginners online. The resulting website, beginningtrumpet.com, is designed to assist music teachers in starting beginners on trumpet. The author of this study is a former member of the United States Marine Band, The President's Own, has 30+ years of teaching experience, and is in her 11th year of teaching trumpet at The University of Texas at El Paso. The information in this document and on its companion website is not intended to be a pedagogical end-all. It is a singular case study. 2 Texas Tech University, Nancy Taylor, May 2021 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE The scope of this project involves a case study and an instructional website for music educators. The case study encompasses a fifteen-lesson sequence of teaching a beginner trumpet player virtually. The website, Beginningtrumpet.com is modeled after the case study and draws on the approaches and pedagogy used in the case study. There is, to date, no literature that applies directly to the methodology used. Likewise, there is no instructional