An analysis of elementary education majors' and music majors' experiences with Comprehensive Musicianship principles in high school general music courses

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of elementary education majors and music majors at a mid-Atlantic university who experienced principles of the Comprehensive Musicianship approach during their high school general music experiences. Principles of the Comprehensive Musicianship approach came from Heavner's (1995) theoretical Comprehensive Musicianship curriculum model, and include concepts, content, activities, instructional literature, and evaluation techniques. Two hundred seventy three elementary education majors and music majors were invited to complete a questionnaire about their high school general music experiences, and 43 usable responses were obtained. Percentages of participants who experienced each of the Comprehensive Musicianship principles were calculated, and results indicated that Comprehensive Musicianship principles were not experienced equally. These findings reveal the need for greater attention to the equality of Comprehensive Musicianship principles in high school general music courses.