A Study of Two Approaches to Developing Expressive Performance

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to: (1) study whether expressive performance could be learned; (2) determine which of two instructional methods, entitled Discovery and Expository, would result in greater expressive performance achievement; and (3) determine what effect music experience had upon such achievement. Secondarily, the study also determined what effect the treatments had upon the variables of aural achievement, knowledge of music facts, and vocal skills.

Subjects were college-age nonmusic majors in a music fundamentals program. Three course sections of approximately 30 each allowed comparison of the two noted treatments with a control.

Results indicated that: (1) expressive perfcrmance can be learned; (2) technical skills might also be enhanced when expression is emphasized as a learning; (3) the two treatments had similar effects upon aural achievement, knowledge of music facts, and vocal skills; and (4) subjects with higher amounts of experience benefited from the more straightforward, teacher-oriented approach, whereas subjects with less experience benefited from the student-centered, Discovery teaching strategies.