September 2023 MTNA e-Journal

Analysis of Practice by Novice Musicians in a Piano Class
By Margaret L. Brown and Robert A. Duke

We collected video recordings from 23 undergraduate non-music majors enrolled in group piano classes whom we asked to practice a four-element chord progression and perform it at designated tempo. Participants who successfully completed the performance task demonstrated practice characteristics that were consistent with previous analyses of advanced pianists’ practice (Duke et al., 2009), but most participants were unable to reach the desired performance outcome. The results of this analysis indicate: Although students may accomplish the goals that teachers set for them, their individual practice may be inefficient; teachers and students may benefit from having students record their individual practice and reviewing what they do with their teachers; students may benefit from watching examples of effective practice. [View]

The Most Frequently Redistributed Passages in Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas : A Survey of 12 Editions by Famous Pianists from 1871 to 1931
By Michael Clark, NCTM

Editions of piano music in the late-19th and early-20th centuries typically included more note redistribution than is common today, an indication of the technique’s acceptance within contemporary pianistic practice. A survey of 12 editions of Beethoven’s piano sonatas published between 1871 and 1931 reveals nine passages in which at least 11 of 12 editors recommend altering Beethoven’s original note distribution. This article considers the reasons for redistribution in each passage, which group into four categories: avoiding extreme positions, isolating lines for facility and power, reducing position shifts and dividing the workload more evenly between the hands. [View]

Poster Sessions

Dyslexia and Music Reading: Research and Effective Strategies
By Nadia Rodriguez [View]

The Fantasy of Little C: Students’ Repertoire from Hong Kong: A Melting Pot of the East and West
By Po Sim Head, NCTM [View]

Current Research

Artistic Experiences in Music Performing and Teaching: A Flow Study with Teaching Artists
By Jenny Jieun Park [View]

A Multiple Case Study of Adolescent Piano Students: Examining Motivation Through the Lens of Interest Development
By Carla Salas Ruiz [View]