The Church Music Program: The Effect of Moving from Performance-based to Education-based Emphasis in a Church Music Program

This research project sought to answer the primary research question: What occurs when the music program in a church changes its emphasis from performance to education? This qualitative study of a church choir included participant observation of Wednesday evening and Sunday morning rehearsals over a 12 week period, individual interviews, group interviews, written responses, and written and visual assessment of musical skills. The goal was a rich description of the participants and emerging themes resulting from the shift in emphasis. Analysis of data occurred through inductive processing. Data was initially coded and then the codes were categorized into sub-themes, and finally into major themes. Early analysis of the data began with reflection in a researcher journal. Following the completion of the study the journal was entered into a word processor, as were transcriptions of videotaped rehearsals, and written reflections from the participants. After all data had been reviewed repeatedly and entered into the word processor, it was coded, reexamined, and finally categorized into sub-themes and themes. After coding and identification of major themes and sub-themes the finding were challenged by looking for disconfirming evidence. Finally, after the completion of the analysis stage, member checks were conducted. The results of the analysis of data revealed themes that could be associated either with the choir or the director. The key themes primarily associated with the choir were: Response to the change in rehearsal format; Attitude toward learning; Appropriateness of community learning model; and, Member's perceptions of the results of the program. The key themes associated with the director were identified as: Conductor assuming the role of educator; Conductor recognizing the choir as learners; Conductor treating rehearsals as a time for teaching and learning; and, Conductor's perception of the effectiveness of the change in focus. The study concluded that a change in focus from performance to education did not noticeably improve the sound of the choir after twelve-weeks. There were however, indications that improvements were being made by the individual members. Further study of the effects over a longer period of time is recommended.

The Adaptation Effect in Bilingual People who Stutter: An Examination of the Oral-Motor Rehearsal Theory

The present study provided further information about stuttering among bilingual populations and attempted to assess the significance of repeated oral-motor movements during an adaptation task in two bilingual adults. This was accomplished by requesting that bilingual people who stutter to complete an adaptation task of the same written passage in two different languages. Explored was the following research question: In bilingual speakers who stutter, what is the effect of altering the oral-motor movements by changing the language of the passage read during an adaptation task? Two bilingual adults were each requested to complete an adaptation task consisting of 10 readings in two separate conditions. Participants 1 and 2 completed two conditions, each of which contained a separate passage. Condition B consisted of an adaptation procedure in which the participants read five successive readings in English followed by five additional successive readings in Language 1 (L1). Following the completion of the first randomly assigned condition, the participant was given a rest period of 30 minutes before beginning the remaining condition and passage. Condition A consisted of an adaptation procedure in which the participants read five successive readings in L1 followed by five additional successive readings in English. Results across participants, conditions, and languages indicated an atypical adaptation curve over 10 readings characterized by a dramatic increase in stuttering following a change of language. Closer examination of individual participants revealed differences in stuttering and adaptation among languages and conditions. Participants 1 and 2 demonstrated differences in adaptation and stuttering among languages. Participant 1 demonstrated an increase in stuttering following a change in language read in Condition B and a decrease in stuttering following a change in language read in Condition A. It is speculated that language proficiency contributed to the observed differences in stuttering following a change of language. Participant 2 demonstrated an increase in stuttering following a change in language read in Condition A and a minimal increase in stuttering following a change in language read in Condition B. It is speculated that a change in the oral-motor plan contributed to the increase in stuttering in Condition A. Collectively, findings from this exploratory study lend support to an interactive effect between language proficiency and a change in the oral-motor plan contributing to increased stuttering following a change of language during an adaptation task.