BASIC RESEARCH IN MUSIC FOR THE PERFORMER AND STUDIO TEACHER

Welcome to this introduction to graduate-level music research. It is hoped that this course will prove to be a great learning experience for you and that this site will continue to be a good resource for you as you conduct research during your graduate study. 

Below are outlined the purposes and objectives of the course as well as some thoughts on how you need to use this site as you take the course.   As you proceed through the material for the course, please let me know how it can be enhanced or improved to provide the best assistance possible.  My e-mail address is foglej@meredith.edu.

PURPOSES OF COURSE:

• To discover uses of the library for reference and research by the performer and studio music teacher
• To develop efficient research strategies.
• To discover and use principal reference materials in particular areas.
• To learn about the qualities of different editions of music.
• To develop discrimination in using resources.
• To study formats for writing reports, critiques, papers, reviews and projects.
• To begin formulating ideas and gathering bibliography for a lecture-recital and major paper.

This course is designed to provide the student with a basic orientation for graduate-level research in music.  As the course is designed for performers and teachers rather than musicologists an emphasis has been placed on the tools that should be the most useful for its intended students.   English-language resources are emphasized.  As a result of this course, students should be able to:

• Conduct productive research in an academic library.
• Conduct productive online research, both on and off campus.
• Develop papers and presentations involving music research.
• Develop a knowledge base of the most significant tools for music reference and research.
• Develop a proposal for a research project.
• Prepare and give a formal, scholarly presentation on a musical topic.
  

COURSE PREPARATION:

Because this is a web-based course, students can proceed through the course at their own pace and tailor the work to their own schedule.  The only restriction on this overall policy is that students must have certain segments of their work completed by the time the class meets so that discussion of the material by the group can take place.  It is recommended that students work through the course in the order provided.  Regular e-mail correspondence with the instructor is required.

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT WORK:

Students’ work in the course will be assessed by a number of means--

• A journal of activities maintained by the student for the purposes of preparation for class meetings. (10%)
• Completion of assignments. (20%)
• Short papers to develop writing skills. (15%)
• A customized bibliography tailored to the individual student’s areas of study and interests. (20%)
• Class attendance, evidence of preparation for class, and regular e-mail correspondence with the instructor. (10%)
• A presentation on a topic (including a pathfinder and proposal for the presentation). (25%)

ASSIGNMENTS:  Each assignment is designed to allow the student to become familiar with
                               using a particular type of resource.  In some cases, assignments will be
                               individualized and each student will report on her work to the class
                               so that the entire class can benefit.  Work on assignments is to be
                               chronicled in a journal.  Assignments need to be completed prior to
                               the scheduled class meeting.

SHORT PAPERS:  These papers will range from one to three pages (typed) and will include 
                               critique of performances and music; comparative essays; reviews; and topical 
                               essays.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:  The purpose of the bibliography is to allow each student to become familiar
                                with important reference and research materials in her/his particular areas of 
                                music (e.g., piano performance, organ pedagogy,  church music, collaborative
                                piano). Both hard copy and online resources are to be included.  The 
                                bibliography should be organized by topic along the lines of Duckles/Reed 
                                and Brockman, two resources that will be of constant use to you in the course.
                                Some general and comprehensive materials might also be included to round
                                out your bibliography.

PATHFINDER AND PROPOSAL:  All students taking this course will prepare pathfinders on
                                two topics and a proposals for developing a research presentation on a more
                                narrowly defined aspect of one of those topics.  The purposes and contents
                                of the pathfinders and proposals will be discussed during the course of the
                                class. The topics explored for this project might well serve as the basis for
                                future projects such as a lecture-recital or the Graduate Paper.

RESEARCH PRESENTATION:   Students will be required to develop a presentation based
                either solely on research or combining research and performance.  The purpose of this
                paper is for students to develop and understanding of putting together a formal
                research presentation and delivering it in an engaging and meaningful way.  Evaluation
                of this presentation will emphasize attention to scholarly preparation and quality of the
                presentation and good style.  Presentations will make use of Powerpoint.  These
                presentations will be given for faculty, students and interested guests at the beginning
                of the Fall Semester. 
                
                The topic for the presentation must be approved by the instructor during the first part of
                the course. Consultation with the student’s applied instructor is  also recommended.
                Much of the work on specific assignments will be geared toward research on the
                presentation. Individual conferences or e-mail correspondence is invited.
 

ATTENDANCE:   Students are expected to attend all class sessions.  Students who miss more
                              than one class may be dropped from the role.

TEXTS:   Although no textbook is required for this course, the following are recommended for regular consultation.  They can be located in the reference section of the library or in the regular stack area of the main library. Unless otherwise specified, references to library are to the Carlyle Campbell Library (the main library, as opposed to the music library) at Meredith College.

Brockman,  William S. Brockman.  Music:  A Guide to the Reference Literature.  Littleton, Colorado:  Libraries Unlimited, Inc.  1987.

Druesdow, John E.  Library Research Guide to Music.  Ann Arbor, Mich.:  Pierian Press, 1982.

Duckles, Vincent and Ida Reed.  Music Reference and Research Materials: An Annotated Bibliography, 5th ed. rev.  New York:  Schirmer Books, 1997.

Holoman, D. Kern.  Writing about Music:  A Style Sheet from the Editors of 19th-century Music.  Berkeley:  University of California Press, 1988.

Irvine, Demar.  Irvine's Writing about Music, 3rd ed., revised and enlarged by Mark A. Radice. Portland, Oregon:  Amadeus Press, 1999.

McTyre, Ruthann Boles.   Library Resources for Singers, Coaches, and Accompanists.  Westport, CN: Greenwood Press, 1998.

Poultney, David.  Studying Music History:  Learning, Reasoning, and Writing about Music History and Literature, 2nd ed.  Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:  Prentice Hall, 1996.

Strunk,  William, Jr., and E.B. White.  The Elements of Style, 3rd ed.  New York:  Macmillan, 1959.

Turabian, Kate L.  A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th ed. rev. and exp. Chicago:  The University of Chicago Press, 1996.

Wingell, Richard.  Writing about Music:  An Introductory Guide.  2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997.
 

NOTE:  In addition to the above resources, there are useful in print and online guides to using and citing Internet and online resources. Ask one of the reference librarians for these or check the listings through the library homepage.

This overview page was revised on May 18, 2006 (JF).