Rivka Elkoshi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Rivka Elkoshi

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring a Music-based Intervention Entitled "Portrait Song" in School Music Therapy

Voices, Oct 22, 2021

Songwriting has gained footing as one of the main approaches in music therapy. Many of the public... more Songwriting has gained footing as one of the main approaches in music therapy. Many of the publications focus on various techniques whereby children and adults are assisted, individually or in groups, to create songs collaboratively. This study explored a non-collaborative song-based intervention entitled "Portrait Song"; namely, an original song composed by the therapist for and about specific recipients as a therapeutic tool. The "Portrait Song" intervention was initiated and implemented by Ms. Stella Lerner, an Israeli music therapist and composer. Two specific aims were set for the study: (1) to explore the nature of the "Portrait Song" practice as a means for school music therapy; and (2) to examine the effect of the "Portrait Song" intervention on students' outcomes. The author/researcher acted as an outside observer, evaluating the "Portrait Song" intervention and the students' experiences in two schools in Israel, which provide music therapy programs for children possessing a broad range of disorders. Data included field notes compiled during class observations, extensive interviews with the therapist, and examination of musical scores and written material. The study showed that the "Portrait Songs" intervention guided participants to higher levels of social adjustment, refined physical skills, and assisted with areas of self-identity and self-efficacy. Lerner's innovative "Portrait Song" intervention can give music therapists some perspectives about the possibility and benefits of composing complete therapeutic songs (lyrics and music) for and about specific clients in school settings.

Research paper thumbnail of A study of rhythmic emergent literacy within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel

International Journal of Music Education, Jan 30, 2023

Within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel, this mixed-methods study examined the effects... more Within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel, this mixed-methods study examined the effects of age on emerging rhythmic literacy in children. Participants ( N = 132) were kindergarteners ( n = 45) and first-graders ( n = 87) aged 4 to 7.8 years. The participants performed a rhythm entitled “Rhythm-A” through the body and instrumental percussion and then were required to create a self-invented notation of the rhythm. A one-session literacy intervention program, based on teaching standard rhythm notation, followed with randomly selected first-graders ( n = 44). Its purpose was to investigate the effect of standard notation instruction on children’s ability to notate Rhythm-A. Results indicated (1) a significant age effect on children’s emergent rhythmic literacy and (2) a significant effect of a one-session literacy intervention program on participants’ post-intervention notations. The study has relevance to research on Orff-based music education and music literacy.

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring a Music-based Intervention Entitled "Portrait Song" in School Music Therapy

Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 2021

Songwriting has gained footing as one of the main approaches in music therapy. Many of the public... more Songwriting has gained footing as one of the main approaches in music therapy. Many of the publications focus on various techniques whereby children and adults are assisted, individually or in groups, to create songs collaboratively. This study explored a non-collaborative song-based intervention entitled "Portrait Song"; namely, an original song composed by the therapist for and about specific recipients as a therapeutic tool. The "Portrait Song" intervention was initiated and implemented by Ms. Stella Lerner, an Israeli music therapist and composer. Two specific aims were set for the study: (1) to explore the nature of the "Portrait Song" practice as a means for school music therapy; and (2) to examine the effect of the "Portrait Song" intervention on students' outcomes. The author/researcher acted as an outside observer, evaluating the "Portrait Song" intervention and the students' experiences in two schools in Israel, whi...

Research paper thumbnail of A study of rhythmic emergent literacy within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel

International Journal of Music Education

Within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel, this mixed-methods study examined the effects... more Within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel, this mixed-methods study examined the effects of age on emerging rhythmic literacy in children. Participants ( N = 132) were kindergarteners ( n = 45) and first-graders ( n = 87) aged 4 to 7.8 years. The participants performed a rhythm entitled “Rhythm-A” through the body and instrumental percussion and then were required to create a self-invented notation of the rhythm. A one-session literacy intervention program, based on teaching standard rhythm notation, followed with randomly selected first-graders ( n = 44). Its purpose was to investigate the effect of standard notation instruction on children’s ability to notate Rhythm-A. Results indicated (1) a significant age effect on children’s emergent rhythmic literacy and (2) a significant effect of a one-session literacy intervention program on participants’ post-intervention notations. The study has relevance to research on Orff-based music education and music literacy.

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of in-school stave notation learning on student's symbolising behaviour and musical perception

Music Education Research, 2007

Research paper thumbnail of An Investigation into Children's Responses through Drawing, to Short Musical Fragments and Complete Compositions

Music Education Research, 2002

This paper is taken from a doctoral research project, which investigated children's graphic notat... more This paper is taken from a doctoral research project, which investigated children's graphic notations as a representation of their musical perception. One of the main goals of this study was to test empirically the widespread hypothesis that there is a connection between fragmental and contextual perception of music. Graphic notations of 112 Israeli children (aged 7-8.5) in response to musical stimuli that included short musical phrases and complex classical repertoire were examined. Thirteen tasks were conducted during 48 meetings: seven 'fragment tasks' and six 'composition tasks'. A connection based on operational compatibility existed between the fragments and the selected musical compositions; 1271 graphic notations were collected and analysed. To analyse the children's notations, a method based on principles common in the eld of graphology was developed and implemented. Data analysis was based on a comparison between the notations invented by each child for a musical fragment and for a compatible composition. No statistical correlation was found between children's response to fragments and their reaction to compositions. It may be concluded that we cannot infer from the conceptual perception of the fragment to the conceptual perception of the musical composition or vice versa.

Research paper thumbnail of Visualize music and ‘Sonify’ pictures: studying children’s and adults’ pitch-height invented notations

Music Education Research, 2019

The purpose of this study is the exploration of pitch-height mapping via invented notations rende... more The purpose of this study is the exploration of pitch-height mapping via invented notations rendered by schoolchildren and adults with and without formal musical training, while they listen to a classical composition, characterised by pitch-height polarity. Subjects (N = 108) include first-graders, fourth-graders, undergraduate and graduate college music students, and PhD university non-musicians. During a 45minutes session, each group listened to a piano work entitled 'Drum and Pipe' by Andre Hajdu, a contemporary Israeli composer. The piece consists of a vivid tune in the highest range and a steady accompaniment in the lowest register. Through self-invented notations, subjects were asked to visualise the music, which was performed live by the author, and to render information about their notations. During a second session subjects were asked to 'sonify' (decode) their notations on the piano. Data was analysed in terms of morphological, structural and conceptual indicators. Results reveal the effect of age and musical expertise on the ability to render pitch-height mapping. Yet a profusion of idiosyncratic pitch-height metaphors were conveyed by young and mature listeners alike, bothwith and without formal musical training. A cyclical encoding/decoding scheme is proposed for music education and the exploration of invented notation.

Research paper thumbnail of Is music" colorful"? A study of the effects of age and musical literacy on children's notational color expressions

International Journal of Education & the Arts, 2004

This eight-year study represents a pioneering effort to investigate color expression in children&... more This eight-year study represents a pioneering effort to investigate color expression in children's graphic notations at two stages of development:“Pre-literate”(age: 7.0-8.5), before students received school music instruction, and “Post-literate”(age: 14.0-15.5), ...

Research paper thumbnail of Children's invented notations and verbal responses to a piano work by Claude Debussy

Music Education Research, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Train noise as music: an exploration of audio-graphic interpretations elicited by music students and non-musicians

Music Education Research, 2021

ABSTRACT This study deals with the meaning that musicians and non-musicians attach to two contemp... more ABSTRACT This study deals with the meaning that musicians and non-musicians attach to two contemporary railway noise compositions as conveyed through verbal and audio-graphic responses. The purpose of this mixed-method study was twofold: (1) to examine similarities and differences between musicians and non-musicians in their responses to contemporary train-noise music; (2) to explore the effect of two train-noise compositional techniques – orchestral and electro-acoustic – on listeners’ verbal and audio-graphic responses. 14 participants (7 music students and 7 non-musicians) took part in the study. Two sessions were held with each participant. Two musical pieces were presented; one in each session in a randomised order: Villa-Lobos's orchestral The Little Train of the Caipira (1930); and Reich's electro-acoustic Europe during the War (1988). Four categories emerged: associations (train associations or idiosyncratic imagery), musical features (e.g. tempo, pitch, instrumentation), affect (emotions, assessment, like/dislike), and audio-graphic types (e.g. figurative drawings and musical maps). Qualitative analyses indicated both similarities and differences between musicians and non-musicians by the four categories. The statistical analyses showed a marginal significance between musicians and non-musicians in the second category (musical features). The study highlights the benefits of including environmental noise music in music education programmes for listeners with and without formal musical backgrounds.

Research paper thumbnail of Perception of the ternary arch-form in Western concert music: evidence from college music education

Music Education Research, 2020

This study focuses on listeners' form perception as they encounter Western concert music. The gen... more This study focuses on listeners' form perception as they encounter Western concert music. The general aim was to investigate college music students' form perception as they listen to five long-range concert works of different styles, all analyzed by the author as having an overall ternary ABA' archform. Five groups of college music students (N=126) listened respectively to five ternary arch-form compositions by Chopin, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Bartók and Schönberg. Each group was required to identify the musical form of one test-piece and convey responses both through written notes and self-invented notations. Significant differences were found between the five test-pieces in the percentage of participants who confirmed the ternary form analysis and participants who interpreted the form as binary. Also, significant differences were found in (i) five cue-parameters contributing to form detection: tempo, timbre, pitch, articulation and mood; (ii) in emotional and metaphoric responses evoked by the music; and (iii) in the use of colour in visual representations of musical form. A significant association between auditory/ternary perception and graphic/ternary designs was found in works by Chopin, Mussorgsky and Bartók. Results bear implications for the teaching and learning of structural listening in Western concert music.

Research paper thumbnail of When sounds, colors, and shapes meet: Investigating children’s audiovisual art in response to classical music

International Journal of Music Education, 2019

This study was designed to investigate children’s audiovisual art, following intuitive listening ... more This study was designed to investigate children’s audiovisual art, following intuitive listening to complete classical works from different historical periods. The study aimed to examine the effect of different musical stimuli on children’s audiovisual output. Two related questions were asked: (1) How do children visually and verbally represent music from different historical periods? (2) What musical and extra-musical elements are represented? Participants were 181 second graders (age 7.0–8.5). Three compositions were presented: a 12th-century anonymous choral from the liturgical drama “ Danielis Ludus,” Chopin’s prelude op. 28 no. 10, and Bartók’s “ Melody in the Mist” Vol. 4 no. 107, from “ Mikrokosmos.” Each composition is based on distinct musical parameters: vocal timbre, melodic contour, and texture alternations, respectively. Data consisted of 495 audio-graphic productions and related accounts. Analysis progressed in three stages abbreviated MSC: Morphological dimensions, fo...

Research paper thumbnail of Tone painting and painting tones: A follow-up study of listeners’ audiovisual responses to Beethoven’s Thunder Storm

International Journal of Music Education, 2019

This follow-up pilot study investigates the effect of a six-month analysis course, during which c... more This follow-up pilot study investigates the effect of a six-month analysis course, during which college music majors learned to see the meaning of music as being essentially intra-musical. The study aims to explore relationships between intra- and extra-musical perceptions among subjects ( N = 33) while listening to Beethoven’s Thunder Storm ( Pastoral Symphony, 4th movement). During pre- and post-intervention sessions, listeners represented the music via self-invented audiovisual products (AVPs) and related notes. Four systems of conceptualization emerged: Random responses (category-R), reflecting no reference to the music; Associative contents (category-A), suggesting extra-musical interpretations; Compound responses (category-C), combining extra- and intra-musical contents; Intra-musical contents (category-I), referring to purely musical properties. A scale of 4-6-8-10 grades for the respective categories R-A-C-I was established, with the highest score for category-I which reflec...

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring a Music-based Intervention Entitled "Portrait Song" in School Music Therapy

Voices, Oct 22, 2021

Songwriting has gained footing as one of the main approaches in music therapy. Many of the public... more Songwriting has gained footing as one of the main approaches in music therapy. Many of the publications focus on various techniques whereby children and adults are assisted, individually or in groups, to create songs collaboratively. This study explored a non-collaborative song-based intervention entitled "Portrait Song"; namely, an original song composed by the therapist for and about specific recipients as a therapeutic tool. The "Portrait Song" intervention was initiated and implemented by Ms. Stella Lerner, an Israeli music therapist and composer. Two specific aims were set for the study: (1) to explore the nature of the "Portrait Song" practice as a means for school music therapy; and (2) to examine the effect of the "Portrait Song" intervention on students' outcomes. The author/researcher acted as an outside observer, evaluating the "Portrait Song" intervention and the students' experiences in two schools in Israel, which provide music therapy programs for children possessing a broad range of disorders. Data included field notes compiled during class observations, extensive interviews with the therapist, and examination of musical scores and written material. The study showed that the "Portrait Songs" intervention guided participants to higher levels of social adjustment, refined physical skills, and assisted with areas of self-identity and self-efficacy. Lerner's innovative "Portrait Song" intervention can give music therapists some perspectives about the possibility and benefits of composing complete therapeutic songs (lyrics and music) for and about specific clients in school settings.

Research paper thumbnail of A study of rhythmic emergent literacy within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel

International Journal of Music Education, Jan 30, 2023

Within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel, this mixed-methods study examined the effects... more Within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel, this mixed-methods study examined the effects of age on emerging rhythmic literacy in children. Participants ( N = 132) were kindergarteners ( n = 45) and first-graders ( n = 87) aged 4 to 7.8 years. The participants performed a rhythm entitled “Rhythm-A” through the body and instrumental percussion and then were required to create a self-invented notation of the rhythm. A one-session literacy intervention program, based on teaching standard rhythm notation, followed with randomly selected first-graders ( n = 44). Its purpose was to investigate the effect of standard notation instruction on children’s ability to notate Rhythm-A. Results indicated (1) a significant age effect on children’s emergent rhythmic literacy and (2) a significant effect of a one-session literacy intervention program on participants’ post-intervention notations. The study has relevance to research on Orff-based music education and music literacy.

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring a Music-based Intervention Entitled "Portrait Song" in School Music Therapy

Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 2021

Songwriting has gained footing as one of the main approaches in music therapy. Many of the public... more Songwriting has gained footing as one of the main approaches in music therapy. Many of the publications focus on various techniques whereby children and adults are assisted, individually or in groups, to create songs collaboratively. This study explored a non-collaborative song-based intervention entitled "Portrait Song"; namely, an original song composed by the therapist for and about specific recipients as a therapeutic tool. The "Portrait Song" intervention was initiated and implemented by Ms. Stella Lerner, an Israeli music therapist and composer. Two specific aims were set for the study: (1) to explore the nature of the "Portrait Song" practice as a means for school music therapy; and (2) to examine the effect of the "Portrait Song" intervention on students' outcomes. The author/researcher acted as an outside observer, evaluating the "Portrait Song" intervention and the students' experiences in two schools in Israel, whi...

Research paper thumbnail of A study of rhythmic emergent literacy within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel

International Journal of Music Education

Within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel, this mixed-methods study examined the effects... more Within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel, this mixed-methods study examined the effects of age on emerging rhythmic literacy in children. Participants ( N = 132) were kindergarteners ( n = 45) and first-graders ( n = 87) aged 4 to 7.8 years. The participants performed a rhythm entitled “Rhythm-A” through the body and instrumental percussion and then were required to create a self-invented notation of the rhythm. A one-session literacy intervention program, based on teaching standard rhythm notation, followed with randomly selected first-graders ( n = 44). Its purpose was to investigate the effect of standard notation instruction on children’s ability to notate Rhythm-A. Results indicated (1) a significant age effect on children’s emergent rhythmic literacy and (2) a significant effect of a one-session literacy intervention program on participants’ post-intervention notations. The study has relevance to research on Orff-based music education and music literacy.

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of in-school stave notation learning on student's symbolising behaviour and musical perception

Music Education Research, 2007

Research paper thumbnail of An Investigation into Children's Responses through Drawing, to Short Musical Fragments and Complete Compositions

Music Education Research, 2002

This paper is taken from a doctoral research project, which investigated children's graphic notat... more This paper is taken from a doctoral research project, which investigated children's graphic notations as a representation of their musical perception. One of the main goals of this study was to test empirically the widespread hypothesis that there is a connection between fragmental and contextual perception of music. Graphic notations of 112 Israeli children (aged 7-8.5) in response to musical stimuli that included short musical phrases and complex classical repertoire were examined. Thirteen tasks were conducted during 48 meetings: seven 'fragment tasks' and six 'composition tasks'. A connection based on operational compatibility existed between the fragments and the selected musical compositions; 1271 graphic notations were collected and analysed. To analyse the children's notations, a method based on principles common in the eld of graphology was developed and implemented. Data analysis was based on a comparison between the notations invented by each child for a musical fragment and for a compatible composition. No statistical correlation was found between children's response to fragments and their reaction to compositions. It may be concluded that we cannot infer from the conceptual perception of the fragment to the conceptual perception of the musical composition or vice versa.

Research paper thumbnail of Visualize music and ‘Sonify’ pictures: studying children’s and adults’ pitch-height invented notations

Music Education Research, 2019

The purpose of this study is the exploration of pitch-height mapping via invented notations rende... more The purpose of this study is the exploration of pitch-height mapping via invented notations rendered by schoolchildren and adults with and without formal musical training, while they listen to a classical composition, characterised by pitch-height polarity. Subjects (N = 108) include first-graders, fourth-graders, undergraduate and graduate college music students, and PhD university non-musicians. During a 45minutes session, each group listened to a piano work entitled 'Drum and Pipe' by Andre Hajdu, a contemporary Israeli composer. The piece consists of a vivid tune in the highest range and a steady accompaniment in the lowest register. Through self-invented notations, subjects were asked to visualise the music, which was performed live by the author, and to render information about their notations. During a second session subjects were asked to 'sonify' (decode) their notations on the piano. Data was analysed in terms of morphological, structural and conceptual indicators. Results reveal the effect of age and musical expertise on the ability to render pitch-height mapping. Yet a profusion of idiosyncratic pitch-height metaphors were conveyed by young and mature listeners alike, bothwith and without formal musical training. A cyclical encoding/decoding scheme is proposed for music education and the exploration of invented notation.

Research paper thumbnail of Is music" colorful"? A study of the effects of age and musical literacy on children's notational color expressions

International Journal of Education & the Arts, 2004

This eight-year study represents a pioneering effort to investigate color expression in children&... more This eight-year study represents a pioneering effort to investigate color expression in children's graphic notations at two stages of development:“Pre-literate”(age: 7.0-8.5), before students received school music instruction, and “Post-literate”(age: 14.0-15.5), ...

Research paper thumbnail of Children's invented notations and verbal responses to a piano work by Claude Debussy

Music Education Research, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Train noise as music: an exploration of audio-graphic interpretations elicited by music students and non-musicians

Music Education Research, 2021

ABSTRACT This study deals with the meaning that musicians and non-musicians attach to two contemp... more ABSTRACT This study deals with the meaning that musicians and non-musicians attach to two contemporary railway noise compositions as conveyed through verbal and audio-graphic responses. The purpose of this mixed-method study was twofold: (1) to examine similarities and differences between musicians and non-musicians in their responses to contemporary train-noise music; (2) to explore the effect of two train-noise compositional techniques – orchestral and electro-acoustic – on listeners’ verbal and audio-graphic responses. 14 participants (7 music students and 7 non-musicians) took part in the study. Two sessions were held with each participant. Two musical pieces were presented; one in each session in a randomised order: Villa-Lobos's orchestral The Little Train of the Caipira (1930); and Reich's electro-acoustic Europe during the War (1988). Four categories emerged: associations (train associations or idiosyncratic imagery), musical features (e.g. tempo, pitch, instrumentation), affect (emotions, assessment, like/dislike), and audio-graphic types (e.g. figurative drawings and musical maps). Qualitative analyses indicated both similarities and differences between musicians and non-musicians by the four categories. The statistical analyses showed a marginal significance between musicians and non-musicians in the second category (musical features). The study highlights the benefits of including environmental noise music in music education programmes for listeners with and without formal musical backgrounds.

Research paper thumbnail of Perception of the ternary arch-form in Western concert music: evidence from college music education

Music Education Research, 2020

This study focuses on listeners' form perception as they encounter Western concert music. The gen... more This study focuses on listeners' form perception as they encounter Western concert music. The general aim was to investigate college music students' form perception as they listen to five long-range concert works of different styles, all analyzed by the author as having an overall ternary ABA' archform. Five groups of college music students (N=126) listened respectively to five ternary arch-form compositions by Chopin, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Bartók and Schönberg. Each group was required to identify the musical form of one test-piece and convey responses both through written notes and self-invented notations. Significant differences were found between the five test-pieces in the percentage of participants who confirmed the ternary form analysis and participants who interpreted the form as binary. Also, significant differences were found in (i) five cue-parameters contributing to form detection: tempo, timbre, pitch, articulation and mood; (ii) in emotional and metaphoric responses evoked by the music; and (iii) in the use of colour in visual representations of musical form. A significant association between auditory/ternary perception and graphic/ternary designs was found in works by Chopin, Mussorgsky and Bartók. Results bear implications for the teaching and learning of structural listening in Western concert music.

Research paper thumbnail of When sounds, colors, and shapes meet: Investigating children’s audiovisual art in response to classical music

International Journal of Music Education, 2019

This study was designed to investigate children’s audiovisual art, following intuitive listening ... more This study was designed to investigate children’s audiovisual art, following intuitive listening to complete classical works from different historical periods. The study aimed to examine the effect of different musical stimuli on children’s audiovisual output. Two related questions were asked: (1) How do children visually and verbally represent music from different historical periods? (2) What musical and extra-musical elements are represented? Participants were 181 second graders (age 7.0–8.5). Three compositions were presented: a 12th-century anonymous choral from the liturgical drama “ Danielis Ludus,” Chopin’s prelude op. 28 no. 10, and Bartók’s “ Melody in the Mist” Vol. 4 no. 107, from “ Mikrokosmos.” Each composition is based on distinct musical parameters: vocal timbre, melodic contour, and texture alternations, respectively. Data consisted of 495 audio-graphic productions and related accounts. Analysis progressed in three stages abbreviated MSC: Morphological dimensions, fo...

Research paper thumbnail of Tone painting and painting tones: A follow-up study of listeners’ audiovisual responses to Beethoven’s Thunder Storm

International Journal of Music Education, 2019

This follow-up pilot study investigates the effect of a six-month analysis course, during which c... more This follow-up pilot study investigates the effect of a six-month analysis course, during which college music majors learned to see the meaning of music as being essentially intra-musical. The study aims to explore relationships between intra- and extra-musical perceptions among subjects ( N = 33) while listening to Beethoven’s Thunder Storm ( Pastoral Symphony, 4th movement). During pre- and post-intervention sessions, listeners represented the music via self-invented audiovisual products (AVPs) and related notes. Four systems of conceptualization emerged: Random responses (category-R), reflecting no reference to the music; Associative contents (category-A), suggesting extra-musical interpretations; Compound responses (category-C), combining extra- and intra-musical contents; Intra-musical contents (category-I), referring to purely musical properties. A scale of 4-6-8-10 grades for the respective categories R-A-C-I was established, with the highest score for category-I which reflec...