Jill Reese | SUNY Fredonia (original) (raw)
Papers by Jill Reese
This study explored preservice music teachers' perspectives of and beliefs about elementary g... more This study explored preservice music teachers' perspectives of and beliefs about elementary general music (EGM), perceptions of preparation to teach EGM, and career goals. Participants were 99 undergraduate preservice music teachers (41% response rate) from one university in the Northeastern United States. Survey questions focused on memories of experiences with general music during elementary school, beliefs about EGM, perceptions of preparation and confidence to teach EGM, preferred specialization (general or ensemble), reasons for specialization preference, and influences on choice. Findings suggest preservice music teachers preferred ensemble specialization and secondary settings over EGM. Choral/vocal music education majors were more likely to choose general music specialization than instrumental music education majors. Gender emerged as a highly influential factor in relation to specialization choice and seemed to overlap with perceptions of preparation, confidence, and me...
Supplemental material, Supplemental_Material.pdf.docx for The roller coaster ride: Our music teac... more Supplemental material, Supplemental_Material.pdf.docx for The roller coaster ride: Our music teacher educator identity development by Julie Derges Kastner, Jill Reese, Kristen Pellegrino and Heather A. Russell in Research Studies in Music Education
The Oxford Handbook of Assessment Policy and Practice in Music Education, Volume 2
This chapter provides a brief history of how instruction and assessment used by music learning th... more This chapter provides a brief history of how instruction and assessment used by music learning theory (MLT) practitioners evolved from Edwin Gordon’s research on music aptitude. It describes aptitude tests created by Gordon, the purpose of these tests, and the ways in which MLT practitioners use this data to inform instruction and evaluate student growth. It outlines the ways in which MLT practitioners assess students’ achievement within the context of classroom activities in elementary general music settings and provides examples of measurement tools teachers may use to assess the students’ development of musical skills. Finally, it includes suggestions for ways in which teachers can use assessment data to individualize instruction, guide curricular decisions, evaluate students’ musical development, and reflect on the effectiveness of their teaching.
This article describes a program in which faculty, staff, and student musicians at a university d... more This article describes a program in which faculty, staff, and student musicians at a university developed concerts for young children and their caregivers. These concerts were designed to support musical and social interactions between and among the adults and young children and to emphasize active music-making for the children in the audience. This article includes a brief summary of research focused on the music listening of young children and a description of how the process and format used for developing and presenting the concerts. Additionally, the article includes the perspectives of the university musicians who prepared and performed the concerts, as well as the university faculty who helped facilitate the concerts. Finally, the article includes strategies for developing and facilitating such interactive concerts and suggestions for future research in relation to interactive performances for children.
The overall purpose for this proposal, “iPads for Music Making and Teaching,” is to provide the o... more The overall purpose for this proposal, “iPads for Music Making and Teaching,” is to provide the opportunity for undergraduate music education majors to develop their abilities to effectively use technology to scaffold and encourage the music creativity and expression of all learners (regardless of age or ability).
Contributions to Music Education, 2017
International Journal of Community Music
International Journal of Music in Early Childhood
This article describes perspectives of university music students and faculty who prepared and fac... more This article describes perspectives of university music students and faculty who prepared and facilitated a concert series for young children and their caregivers. We include an introduction to literature regarding listening behaviours of young children and live music experiences specifically designed for young children. We describe the children’s concert series created by music students and faculty at a university in the United States and focus on reflections of the music students and university faculty who prepared and facilitated the concert series. Included are descriptions of benefits and challenges experienced by music students and faculty and staff responsible for creating and administering the concerts. We suggest strategies for developing and facilitating such concerts and suggest avenues for future research related to community engagement via children’s concerts. While these concerts were intended to benefit children in the audience, descriptions of specific benefits for t...
Research Studies in Music Education
In transitioning from the K–12 classroom to higher education, teacher educators often experience ... more In transitioning from the K–12 classroom to higher education, teacher educators often experience tensions and challenges, which may be due to a misalignment between their situational and substantial selves. While many researchers have explored identity transitions of teacher educators, more research is needed to understand this experience with music teacher educators. Using self-study, we explored our identities as four music teacher educators, plus one additional participant, in transitioning from being music teachers to early-career music teacher educators. Data included interviews and personal journals, and we developed restoried narratives, non-linear representations, and cartoons during data analysis. These revealed three themes: misalignment, adaptation and acceptance, and roller coaster of growth. Misalignment describes the disconnect we experienced between our substantial and situational selves as a result of three factors: balance, autonomy, and identity. Adaptation and acc...
Journal of Music Teacher Education
The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to investigate the lived experiences of prese... more The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to investigate the lived experiences of preservice music teachers using iPads to engage secondary general music students in creating and performing music during field teaching experiences. Two questions guided this research study: (a) What are these preservice teachers’ perceptions of their experiences using iPads to create music and to teach? (b) How do these experiences influence their perceptions of the technology’s effectiveness as a teaching tool? Data were reflections of nine preservice teachers collected over 5 weeks. The essence of the experience was the preservice teachers’ struggle to resolve tensions that emerged while using technology to create and teach music. Tensions caused some to examine cherished beliefs and practices and influenced their development of TPACK (technological pedagogical and content knowledge). Three themes support the essence: (a) tensions, (b) innovation and adaptation, and (c) influence of experi...
International Journal of Music Education
Peer mentoring and participating in professional development communities (PDCs) have been documen... more Peer mentoring and participating in professional development communities (PDCs) have been documented as supporting individuals through the transition into the teacher educator profession. However, Gallagher, Griffin, Parker, Kitchen, and Figg (2011) suggested future researchers examine the lasting impact of participating in PDCs. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the long-term impact of participating in a PDC of music teacher educators. We, as four participant-researchers and one participant, were five early-career women music teacher educators in tenure-track positions at different institutions, reflecting back on our PDC and collaborative research experiences. We used a social constructivist framework to examine how we made sense of our experiences. Data included individual interviews, paired interviews, reflective journals, and a Facebook group. Findings included: (a) feeling empowered through a sense of community and support; (b) coming to new understandings ...
Journal of Music, Technology and Education, 2016
This phenomenological case study describes the lived experiences of eleven university music major... more This phenomenological case study describes the lived experiences of eleven university music majors participating in an iPad ensemble. The research was guided by the following question: What are their perceptions of their experiences using technology to create and perform music in an iPad ensemble? Participants were six music education majors and five music therapy majors. They met for seven weeks and concluded with a performance that included original compositions, improvisations and cover songs. Data included weekly written reflections and interviews with each participant. The essence of their experience was a sense of freedom from restrictions imposed by previous formal training and a feeling of empowerment developed through collective exploration and creativity in an autonomous environment free from judgement. Four themes support the essence: (1) informal and judgement-free context; (2) exploration, socially constructed knowledge and collaboration; (3) democracy, shared leadershi...
Teaching to Individual Differences in Music Classroom and Ensemble Settings, 2016
Journal of Music Teacher Education, 2015
The purpose of the study was to describe music teachers’ perceptions of the benefits and challeng... more The purpose of the study was to describe music teachers’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges they experienced as virtual mentors of preservice music teachers. Each mentor was assigned a cohort of preservice teachers who were enrolled in an elementary general music methods course. Cohorts observed their mentor’s teaching via Skype. Mentors watched video of their cohort field teaching. After each experience, mentors met their cohorts via Skype for feedback and reflection. Data included mentors’ written reflections and interviews. Virtual experiences were valuable but different from traditional mentoring experiences. Benefits were similar to those identified by traditional mentors. Use of technology alleviated some challenges associated with face-to-face mentoring. Challenges of virtual mentoring related to limits of current technology. Music teacher educators, administrators, and policymakers should consider findings when making decisions about technology-based professional dev...
This study explored preservice music teachers' perspectives of and beliefs about elementary g... more This study explored preservice music teachers' perspectives of and beliefs about elementary general music (EGM), perceptions of preparation to teach EGM, and career goals. Participants were 99 undergraduate preservice music teachers (41% response rate) from one university in the Northeastern United States. Survey questions focused on memories of experiences with general music during elementary school, beliefs about EGM, perceptions of preparation and confidence to teach EGM, preferred specialization (general or ensemble), reasons for specialization preference, and influences on choice. Findings suggest preservice music teachers preferred ensemble specialization and secondary settings over EGM. Choral/vocal music education majors were more likely to choose general music specialization than instrumental music education majors. Gender emerged as a highly influential factor in relation to specialization choice and seemed to overlap with perceptions of preparation, confidence, and me...
Supplemental material, Supplemental_Material.pdf.docx for The roller coaster ride: Our music teac... more Supplemental material, Supplemental_Material.pdf.docx for The roller coaster ride: Our music teacher educator identity development by Julie Derges Kastner, Jill Reese, Kristen Pellegrino and Heather A. Russell in Research Studies in Music Education
The Oxford Handbook of Assessment Policy and Practice in Music Education, Volume 2
This chapter provides a brief history of how instruction and assessment used by music learning th... more This chapter provides a brief history of how instruction and assessment used by music learning theory (MLT) practitioners evolved from Edwin Gordon’s research on music aptitude. It describes aptitude tests created by Gordon, the purpose of these tests, and the ways in which MLT practitioners use this data to inform instruction and evaluate student growth. It outlines the ways in which MLT practitioners assess students’ achievement within the context of classroom activities in elementary general music settings and provides examples of measurement tools teachers may use to assess the students’ development of musical skills. Finally, it includes suggestions for ways in which teachers can use assessment data to individualize instruction, guide curricular decisions, evaluate students’ musical development, and reflect on the effectiveness of their teaching.
This article describes a program in which faculty, staff, and student musicians at a university d... more This article describes a program in which faculty, staff, and student musicians at a university developed concerts for young children and their caregivers. These concerts were designed to support musical and social interactions between and among the adults and young children and to emphasize active music-making for the children in the audience. This article includes a brief summary of research focused on the music listening of young children and a description of how the process and format used for developing and presenting the concerts. Additionally, the article includes the perspectives of the university musicians who prepared and performed the concerts, as well as the university faculty who helped facilitate the concerts. Finally, the article includes strategies for developing and facilitating such interactive concerts and suggestions for future research in relation to interactive performances for children.
The overall purpose for this proposal, “iPads for Music Making and Teaching,” is to provide the o... more The overall purpose for this proposal, “iPads for Music Making and Teaching,” is to provide the opportunity for undergraduate music education majors to develop their abilities to effectively use technology to scaffold and encourage the music creativity and expression of all learners (regardless of age or ability).
Contributions to Music Education, 2017
International Journal of Community Music
International Journal of Music in Early Childhood
This article describes perspectives of university music students and faculty who prepared and fac... more This article describes perspectives of university music students and faculty who prepared and facilitated a concert series for young children and their caregivers. We include an introduction to literature regarding listening behaviours of young children and live music experiences specifically designed for young children. We describe the children’s concert series created by music students and faculty at a university in the United States and focus on reflections of the music students and university faculty who prepared and facilitated the concert series. Included are descriptions of benefits and challenges experienced by music students and faculty and staff responsible for creating and administering the concerts. We suggest strategies for developing and facilitating such concerts and suggest avenues for future research related to community engagement via children’s concerts. While these concerts were intended to benefit children in the audience, descriptions of specific benefits for t...
Research Studies in Music Education
In transitioning from the K–12 classroom to higher education, teacher educators often experience ... more In transitioning from the K–12 classroom to higher education, teacher educators often experience tensions and challenges, which may be due to a misalignment between their situational and substantial selves. While many researchers have explored identity transitions of teacher educators, more research is needed to understand this experience with music teacher educators. Using self-study, we explored our identities as four music teacher educators, plus one additional participant, in transitioning from being music teachers to early-career music teacher educators. Data included interviews and personal journals, and we developed restoried narratives, non-linear representations, and cartoons during data analysis. These revealed three themes: misalignment, adaptation and acceptance, and roller coaster of growth. Misalignment describes the disconnect we experienced between our substantial and situational selves as a result of three factors: balance, autonomy, and identity. Adaptation and acc...
Journal of Music Teacher Education
The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to investigate the lived experiences of prese... more The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to investigate the lived experiences of preservice music teachers using iPads to engage secondary general music students in creating and performing music during field teaching experiences. Two questions guided this research study: (a) What are these preservice teachers’ perceptions of their experiences using iPads to create music and to teach? (b) How do these experiences influence their perceptions of the technology’s effectiveness as a teaching tool? Data were reflections of nine preservice teachers collected over 5 weeks. The essence of the experience was the preservice teachers’ struggle to resolve tensions that emerged while using technology to create and teach music. Tensions caused some to examine cherished beliefs and practices and influenced their development of TPACK (technological pedagogical and content knowledge). Three themes support the essence: (a) tensions, (b) innovation and adaptation, and (c) influence of experi...
International Journal of Music Education
Peer mentoring and participating in professional development communities (PDCs) have been documen... more Peer mentoring and participating in professional development communities (PDCs) have been documented as supporting individuals through the transition into the teacher educator profession. However, Gallagher, Griffin, Parker, Kitchen, and Figg (2011) suggested future researchers examine the lasting impact of participating in PDCs. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the long-term impact of participating in a PDC of music teacher educators. We, as four participant-researchers and one participant, were five early-career women music teacher educators in tenure-track positions at different institutions, reflecting back on our PDC and collaborative research experiences. We used a social constructivist framework to examine how we made sense of our experiences. Data included individual interviews, paired interviews, reflective journals, and a Facebook group. Findings included: (a) feeling empowered through a sense of community and support; (b) coming to new understandings ...
Journal of Music, Technology and Education, 2016
This phenomenological case study describes the lived experiences of eleven university music major... more This phenomenological case study describes the lived experiences of eleven university music majors participating in an iPad ensemble. The research was guided by the following question: What are their perceptions of their experiences using technology to create and perform music in an iPad ensemble? Participants were six music education majors and five music therapy majors. They met for seven weeks and concluded with a performance that included original compositions, improvisations and cover songs. Data included weekly written reflections and interviews with each participant. The essence of their experience was a sense of freedom from restrictions imposed by previous formal training and a feeling of empowerment developed through collective exploration and creativity in an autonomous environment free from judgement. Four themes support the essence: (1) informal and judgement-free context; (2) exploration, socially constructed knowledge and collaboration; (3) democracy, shared leadershi...
Teaching to Individual Differences in Music Classroom and Ensemble Settings, 2016
Journal of Music Teacher Education, 2015
The purpose of the study was to describe music teachers’ perceptions of the benefits and challeng... more The purpose of the study was to describe music teachers’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges they experienced as virtual mentors of preservice music teachers. Each mentor was assigned a cohort of preservice teachers who were enrolled in an elementary general music methods course. Cohorts observed their mentor’s teaching via Skype. Mentors watched video of their cohort field teaching. After each experience, mentors met their cohorts via Skype for feedback and reflection. Data included mentors’ written reflections and interviews. Virtual experiences were valuable but different from traditional mentoring experiences. Benefits were similar to those identified by traditional mentors. Use of technology alleviated some challenges associated with face-to-face mentoring. Challenges of virtual mentoring related to limits of current technology. Music teacher educators, administrators, and policymakers should consider findings when making decisions about technology-based professional dev...