View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by K-State Research Exchange An exploration of a beginning undergraduate music student conducting with expressivity by Alexander Minh Wimmer B.M., University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2007 M.M., Kansas State University, 2014 AN ABSTRACT OF A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Curriculum and Instruction College of Education KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2017 Abstract One of the most important roles of a conductor is to prepare an ensemble to perform, not only accurately but expressively, utilizing physical gestures and facial expressions. For many music students, the development of physical gestures that elicit expressive performance are typically introduced in a beginning undergraduate conducting course. This is important in establishing a framework for understanding the technical aspects of conducting, considering that many beginning student conductors lack a basic comprehension of conducting fundamentals. However, the interpretative and expressive principles of conducting are equally important as basic technique and are often more difficult to teach to undergraduate students. There is an overwhelming amount of gestural skill that should be experienced and explored by a beginning undergraduate conductor. Despite a students’ best efforts in the classroom and in the practice room, expressive conducting skills that represent internal musical intentions remain a primary challenge with novice conducting students. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of a beginning undergraduate conductor as they learned to conduct and develop their considerations and skills of conducting to elicit expression. Through case study, exploring the experiences of an undergraduate music student enrolled in a beginning conducting course from a Midwestern university exposed valuable information that could become helpful when designing instruction. The findings addressed the research questions of the study and revealed additional aspects of the learning experience from the perspective of the participant. Through reflection, navigation of self, guided video elicitation, discussion of expressive conducting, and acknowledgement of prior musical expectations and intent, the participant discovered the differences between their perceived expressive gestures and the realization of an audible response from an ensemble. An exploration of a beginning undergraduate music student conducting with expressivity by Alexander Minh Wimmer B.M., University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2007 M.M., Kansas State University, 2014 A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Curriculum and Instruction College of Education KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2017 Approved by: Major Professor Frederick Burrack Copyright © Alexander M. Wimmer 2017. Abstract One of the most important roles of a conductor is to prepare an ensemble to perform, not only accurately but expressively, utilizing physical gestures and facial expressions. For many music students, the development of physical gestures that elicit expressive performance are typically introduced in a beginning undergraduate conducting course. This is important in establishing a framework for understanding the technical aspects of conducting, considering that many beginning student conductors lack a basic comprehension of conducting fundamentals. However, the interpretative and expressive principles of conducting are equally important as basic technique and are often more difficult to teach to undergraduate students. There is an overwhelming amount of gestural skill that should be experienced and explored by a beginning undergraduate conductor. Despite a students’ best efforts in the classroom and in the practice room, expressive conducting skills that represent internal musical intentions remain a primary challenge with novice conducting students. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of a beginning undergraduate conductor as they learned to conduct and develop their considerations and skills of conducting to elicit expression. Through case study, exploring the experiences of an undergraduate music student enrolled in a beginning conducting course from a Midwestern university exposed valuable information that could become helpful when designing instruction. The findings addressed the research questions of the study and revealed additional aspects of the learning experience from the perspective of the participant. Through reflection, navigation of self, guided video elicitation, discussion of expressive conducting, and acknowledgement of prior musical expectations and intent, the participant discovered the differences between their perceived expressive gestures and the realization of an audible response from an ensemble. Table of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. x Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ xi Dedication .................................................................................................................................... xiii Preface.......................................................................................................................................... xiv Chapter 1 - Need for the Study ....................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Rationale ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Research Purpose ........................................................................................................................ 6 Research Questions ..................................................................................................................... 6 Definitions and Terms ................................................................................................................ 7 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................................... 9 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 10 Limits, Possibilities, and Assumptions of the Study ................................................................ 10 Chapter 2 - Review of the Literature ............................................................................................ 13 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 13 Conducting ................................................................................................................................ 13 Conducting with Musical Expressivity ................................................................................. 13 Conducting Skill Development/Curriculum: ........................................................................ 17 Teaching Expressiveness ...................................................................................................... 20 Perception ................................................................................................................................. 22 Music Perception................................................................................................................... 22 Gestalt Perception ................................................................................................................. 25 Perception and Conducting ................................................................................................... 26 Music Influencing Culture ........................................................................................................ 27 Interpretivism ............................................................................................................................ 31 Symbolic Interactionism ....................................................................................................... 32 Chapter Summary ..................................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 3 - Methodology and Procedures .................................................................................... 36 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 36 vi Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 37 Pilot Study................................................................................................................................. 37 Research Design ....................................................................................................................... 38 Participant Selection ............................................................................................................. 38 Research Site ........................................................................................................................