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Brophy, T. S. (2005). A longitudinal study of selected characteristics of children's melodic improvisations. Journal of Research in Music Education, 53 (2), 120-1.
| Author(s): | Brophy, T S |
| Title: | A longitudinal study of selected characteristics of children's melodic improvisations |
| Source Type: | Journal |
| Source Name: | Journal of Research in Music Education |
| Year: | MENC |
| Year: | 2005 |
| Volume: | 53 (2) |
| Pages: | 120-1 |
| Country Code: | USA |
| Language: | English |
| Orff Topic Category: | Creativity/Improvisation |
| Secondary Orff Topic Category: | Learning and development/Diverse learners |
| Research Methodology I: | Quantitative |
| Research Methodology II: | Descriptive |
| Participants: | Students ages 7-9 |
| Purpose: | To study the three-year development of children ages 7-9 in melodic improvisation |
| Independent Variables: | Age |
| Dependent Variables: | Improvisation |
| Data Type: | Interval |
| Analysis: | Repeated Measures MANCOVA |
| Abstract: | The author observed the same group of children for three years, from age 7 through 9. Sixty-two out of 96 children completed all the measurements. These students received regular instructions by Orff-trained teachers. Each of the three years, each child completed the Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation (IMMA) aptitude test, a researcher-designed mallet skills test, and was videotaped while improvising a solo on a prepared alto xylophone for the contrasting parts of a Rondo in ABACADA form, within the context of an Orff ensemble. The alto xylophone was prepared by fitting the bars with drum triggers so that the performance could be translated into notation electronically. |
| Results/Conclusions: | A total of 558 improvisations were recorded and analyzed according to rhythmic and melodic features. IMMA and mallet scores were used as covariate for the repeated-measures MANCOVA analysis. Results indicate that there is significant difference between age 7 and 8 but not between 8 and 9. Changes occurred more along the rhythmic features than melodic ones. |
| Keywords: | melodic improvisation, music development, longitudinal study |