This article presents a study investigating music teaching and learning among members of two senior adult music ensembles. This study employed a qualitative multiple case-study design in which members of a New Horizons band and orchestra located in two different cities were observed and interviewed over a period of several months. Video recordings of embedded observations, verbatim interview transcripts of sixteen participants and personal journal entries of two members served as primary data sources. Analysis of the data revealed members’ preferred attributes of effective conductor-teachers, their motivation to participate in group music making and how members engaged in music making and learning as individuals. Findings of this study suggest implications for research and practice that deal with: (1) understanding effective and appropriate strategies on how to teach senior adult musicians; (2) providing increased opportunities for music learning and participation among senior adults; (3) expanding the current music teacher education curriculum to include teaching adult musicians; and (4) the growth and future of the New Horizons movement.
The purpose of this article is to utilize new conceptions of music literacy to support and encourage popular music experiences in music education. A new definition of music literacy is presented and authentic popular music resources that function as (newly defined) texts to develop music literacy are identified and discussed. Finally, considerations will be given for music educators on how to select and utilize popular music texts to engage students in meaningful music interactions that promote music literacy development.
The purpose of this study was to examine the intergenerational interactions between preservice music teachers and senior adult musicians engaged in music teaching and learning in a New Horizons ensemble within one university’s music teacher preparation program. This intrinsic qualitative case study included written reflections and observational data of 16 current undergraduate music education students and verbatim interview transcripts of 5 current and former students serving as teaching assistants who taught and conducted their university’s New Horizons ensemble. Findings distilled from the data included (a) how younger-aged preservice music teachers responded to generational differences while learning how to interact with senior adult musicians, (b) the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) learned and developed by participants as a result of teaching in a New Horizons ensemble, and (c) the connections made by participants teaching senior adults to their future careers as professional music educators. Future discussion and directions from this study highlight emerging connections of research between adult and community music settings and music teacher education. Implications include (a) how to create best practices so that the missions and objectives of both music teacher education programs and cooperating community adult ensembles support and enhance each other, (b) fostering outcomes that prepare music education majors for experiences in adult music education, and (c) reimagining New Horizons and music teacher education partnerships that result in more national, racial, cultural, and musical diversity and inclusion.
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