Date of Graduation

Spring 2025

Degree

Master of Music

Department

Music

Committee Chair

Daniel Hellman

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of teacher-elicited expression strategies (i.e. emotionally evocative metaphor, technical elements through modeling, body of the conductor, understanding the emotional content) on the emotional expressivity of my middle school choral students. Using a mixed-method approach, data was collected through surveys of students' self-evaluations of the expression strategies, and their overall value of expression before and after learning processes that emphasized emotional expressivity. I found that each teacher-elicited expression strategies impacted student expressivity positively. Concrete strategies (i.e., body of the conductor and technical elements through modeling) were highly effective, particularly in my beginner and intermediate choirs, while abstract strategies (i.e., emotionally evocative metaphor and understanding the emotional content) were beneficial but were influenced by individual interpretations. Through these learning processes, my students’ value of expressivity did not significantly change, but qualitative insight indicated shifts in their perception of performance expression.

Keywords

choir, expression, expression strategies, expressive skills, expression value, middle school, self-evaluation, and student expressivity

Subject Categories

Educational Methods | Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching | Music | Music Education | Music Performance | Secondary Education | Secondary Education and Teaching

Copyright

© Jacob Brown

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