September 2021 MTNA e-Journal

Pedagogical Trends of Note-Reading in Piano Teachers’ Facebook Groups
By Christiana Shelenberger Roe

Social media connects music educators all over the world. In online communities, such as Facebook groups, mentoring relationships and collective professional growth occur. The purpose of this study was to investigate current pedagogical trends discussed among private piano teachers in Facebook groups. This study sought to identify strategies and resources piano teachers currently use to teach note reading to young children. Resulting trends in teaching strategies showed a preference for the visual learning modality. Many teachers favored the use of method books and activities promoting intervallic reading. Piano teacher Facebook groups also demonstrated the three main characteristics of a “community of practice.” [Read More]

Teaching with New Tech Tools: An Evaluation of Integrating Video Modeling into Piano Lessons for Mid- to Late-Elementary Learners
By Huiyun Liang, NCTM

Video modeling is a new pedagogical method that has been successfully used in sport and physical education to facilitate motor learning. This method allows learners to watch and analyze recorded performances of others or themselves and utilize the information acquired from the videos to imitate, modify and improve target skills. The research study explored feasible ways to integrate portable video modeling technology into piano teaching and examined the effectiveness of such incorporation for developing mid-to-late elementary piano students’ motor skills. The researcher also evaluated if video modeling would benefit students’ other aspects of performance, including pitch/rhythm accuracy, dynamics, balance and artistry. [Read More]

Poster Sessions

Effect of Attentional Focus on Piano Pedaling: Level of Expertise Modulates Performance
By Tracy Lipke-Perry, DMA; Morris Levy, PhD; and Darren Dutto, PhD [View]

North American Undergraduate Pianists’ Perceptions of Women Composers
By Kate Acone, NCTM [View]

Current Research

Semiotic and Narrative Elements in Franz Liszt’s Vallée d’Obermann
By Omar Roy, DMA, NCTM [View]

A Stylistic and Pedagogical Analysis of Select Classical Pieces in Alicia’s Piano Books by Ananda Sukarlan
By Karen Kai Yuan Yong, DMA [View]