A Guide to Unpublished Canadian String Orchestra Music Suitable for Student Performers
Shand, Patricia Margaret Martin
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/70826
Description
Title
A Guide to Unpublished Canadian String Orchestra Music Suitable for Student Performers
Author(s)
Shand, Patricia Margaret Martin
Issue Date
1984
Department of Study
Music
Discipline
Music Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Educat.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Education, Music
Abstract
Purpose. To identify unpublished Canadian string orchestra compositions suitable for performance by elementary or secondary school students.
Subproblems. (1) What unpublished Canadian compositions for string orchestra can be identified and located? (2) How many guidelines for assessing the difficulty of these pieces be established? (3) Which of these pieces are within the range of difficulty suitable for elementary or secondary school performances? (4) What are the technical challenges and musical characteristics of each selected composition? (5) Which of these pieces appear to be pedagogically valuable for use at the elementary and/or secondary school level? (6) What are the results of the classroom-testing of the selected pieces?
Procedures. Detailed guidelines, developed in consultation with a panel of string specialists, were used in appraising the level of difficulty of the 155 located compositions. Eighty-four were judged to be too demanding for the average high school orchestra. Seventy-one were assessed as being of a suitable level of difficulty for elementary or secondary school players (19 were rated "Easy," 35 "Medium," and 17 "Difficult"). These 71 scores were analysed using standardized frameworks for appraising technical challenges, musical characteristics, and pedagogical value. Information drawn from the classroom-trial of 60 of these pieces by teachers across Canada was also reported.
Conclusions. (1) A largely untapped source of suitable repertoire exists. (2) Relatively few Canadian composers have written music suitable for students at these levels. (3) There is no single typically Canadian style of composition. (4) Pieces at each level of difficulty exemplified a variety of styles. (5) There was greater stylistic similarity among the various pieces by one composer than among pieces by different composers. (6) The classroom-testing revealed: (i) characteristics which contributed to and detracted from the pedagogical value of the pieces, and (ii) problems which teachers and pupils encountered when learning the pieces.
Recommendations. (1) Teachers should be made aware of the suitable repertoire identified in this study. (2) Publishers should be encouraged to make this music commercially available. (3) Canadian composers should be encouraged to write more music for student string orchestras. (4) More emphasis should be placed on contemporary music in teacher training and in-service programs. (5) Studies should be undertaken to identify and analyse unpublished Canadian music suitable for student bands, orchestras, choirs, and chamber ensembles.
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