Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Music memorizing; Piano--Instruction and study; Academic theses;
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if one change within a context would affect the memorization of a piano composition. Thirty-two subjects were randomly selected from a Midwestern community college piano department (N = 67). Subjects were 18-, 19-, 20- and 21-year-old adult piano students who were asked to memorize a 16 measure original piano composition written by the investigator. The initial memorization occurred in one piano studio upon a Steinway and Sons grand piano (Sub-context A) or upon a Kawai studio piano (Sub-context B). After the retention interval, subjects were asked to perform the memorized piano selection. To assist acclimation to the new sub-context, subjects were asked to render sight-reading exercises in their original sub-context (Condition AA, n = 8; Condition BB, n = 8) or in a different sub-context (Condition AB, n = 8; Condition BA, n = 8). Each taped performance was rated by three judges for pitch and rhythmic accuracy. A two-way ANOVA was computed to determine whether memorization scores (pitch and rhythmic accuracy) were significantly different between subjects who performed in the same sub-context in which they learned and subjects who performed in a sub-context different from the learning sub-context. The researcher concluded that there was a significant interaction (p .05) in memorization scores based on sub-context change. Subjects who performed in the same sub-context in which the music was initially memorized (AA and BB) performed more accurately than those who learned in a sub-context different from the performance sub-context (AB and BA).
Year of Submission
2003
Degree Name
Master of Music
Department
School of Music
First Advisor
Jennifer Mishra
Second Advisor
Julia Trahan
Third Advisor
Robin Guy
Date Original
2003
Object Description
1 PDF file (83 leaves)
Copyright
©2003 William Wayne Backlin
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Backlin, William Wayne, "Memorization of Piano Music: Instrumental Sub-Context Alteration within the Same Room among Community College Students" (2003). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 1980.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/1980
Comments
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