Examining Sixth-Grade Students - Music Agency Through Rhythm Comp

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University of South Carolina

Scholar Commons

Theses and Dissertations

Spring 2022

Examining Sixth-Grade Students’ Music Agency Through Rhythm


Composition
Robert Zagaroli Spearman

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Recommended Citation
Spearman, R. Z.(2022). Examining Sixth-Grade Students’ Music Agency Through Rhythm Composition.
(Master's thesis). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/6838

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Examining Sixth-Grade Students’ Music Agency
Through Rhythm Composition

by

Robert Zagaroli Spearman

Bachelor of Music
University of South Carolina, Columbia, 2017

____________________________________

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of Master of Music Education in

Music Education

School of Music

University of South Carolina

2022

Accepted by:

Wendy H. Valerio, Director of Thesis

Gail V. Barnes, Reader

Amanda Schlegel, Reader

Tracey L. Weldon, Interim Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
© Copyright by Robert Zagaroli Spearman, 2022

All Rights Reserved.

ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I thank Dr. Valerio for her support and assistance throughout this program and the

completion of my thesis. The opportunities to work with her have made this program and

my research more meaningful than I could have imagined. I am truly thankful to have

her as a mentor.

Thank you to Dr. Gail V. Barnes and Dr. Amanda Schlegel for your guidance,

comments, and support throughout this thesis process. I thank my students at Saint

Peter’s Catholic Elementary School for participating in this study. I am so proud of all of

the work they have accomplished. I greatly appreciate my friends and colleagues Austen,

Allison, Katherine, and Julia for assisting me in times of distress. It means the world to

me to have peers to listen to my constant ramblings.

I greatly appreciate my family for their support during my program. Thank you to

my brothers, Joseph and Peter for reading and providing feedback on all of my work (I

promise I’ve become a better writer). I am also thankful for my mom’s unending love and

support. I would not be the man, musician, or teacher I am without you.

I am thankful for the support and love from my partner, Laura, and her family.

Thank you, Laura for enduring a long-distance relationship with me. Our mid semester

trips to Kentucky are some of my fondest memories of the past two years. I can’t wait to

be back up in Michigan to see where life takes us next.

Thank you to all who has assisted me on this journey and in this research study. I

am incredibly grateful for your support.

iii
ABSTRACT

Music agency refers to ones ability to have control over their musical actions and

musical ideas. With the intent of examining music agency, the purpose of this action

research study was to observe and investigate my sixth-grade students’ rhythm

composition processes. The guiding research questions, regarding their music

composition processes, were: (a) What did students think about making choices, and (b)

How do students describe making choices?

I utilized purposive sampling that comprised the 2021-2022 St. Peter’s Catholic

Elementary School sixth-grade students. I led my students through music composition

activities in the role of their teacher during nine 45-minute classes. As a researcher, I

observed, recorded, reflected, and analyzed data collected from our classroom during this

study. My data sources included students’ handwritten reflections, students completed

rhythm compositions, my personal researcher’s journal, video recordings of classes, short

interviews with students, and video recordings of their completed composition. I coded

and analyzed the data to search for themes.

Four themes emerged from the data. Students demonstrated music agency by

choosing how to notate their rhythm compositions. Students described a variety of

feelings after using their music agency. Having music agency allowed students to own

their rhythm compositions. Students described how they utilized their music agency in

their rhythm composition processes using action words. I provide descriptions and

iv
examples of each theme. I discuss implications for my pedagogy, the pedagogy of other

music educators, and recommendations for future researchers.

Keywords: music agency, composition, elementary music, sixth-grade students, rhythm

composition, choices.

v
TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii

ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iv

LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................1

CHAPTER 2: RELATED RESEARCH ..............................................................................6

CHAPTER 3: METHOD ...................................................................................................17

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS .................................................................................................26

CHAPTER 5: OVERVIEW, DISCUSSION, AND IMPLICATIONS .............................43

REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................52

APPENDIX A: IRB APPROVAL LETTER .....................................................................56

APPENDIX B: LETTER OF CONSENT SENT TO PARENTS .....................................57

APPENDIX C: INITIAL LEARNING PLAN FOR STUDY ...........................................60

APPENDIX D: IMPLEMENTED LEARNING PLAN ....................................................62

APPENDIX E: STUDENT REFLECTION SHEET .........................................................73

APPENDIX F: CODE BOOK ...........................................................................................75

vi
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 4.1 Student-I’s Composition...................................................................................27

Figure 4.2 Student-A's Composition ..................................................................................28

Figure 4.3 Student-J’s Composition Page 1 .......................................................................29

Figure 4.4 Student-J’s Composition Page 2 .......................................................................30

Figure 4.5 Student-J’s Composition Page 3 .......................................................................30

Figure 4.6 Student C’s Composition Page 1 ......................................................................31

Figure 4.7 Student-C’s Composition Page 2......................................................................32

Figure 4.8 Student F’s Composition ..................................................................................33

vii
CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Students enjoy engaging in music composition activities that provide them with

the opportunity to express themselves (Auh, 1997; Younker, 2000; Miller, 2006; Blair,

2009; Muhonen, 2016). Through music composition students create and arrange sounds,

give meaning to those sounds, document those sounds, and share their music ideas with

one another (Miller, 2006). As music educators guide students through music

composition experiences, they may provide their students with varying opportunities for

agency, that is, varying opportunities for choice or action during those experiences.

Within those opportunities for choice or action, each student’s awareness of their musical

identity and beliefs in their musical abilities may influence their music composition

experiences. I have witnessed instances of teacher-centered music composition activities

where students have limited agency. The focus of learning in those instances becomes

driven by teacher-created goals or teacher-driven performances that leave little room for

student exploration and student choice. Students may feel that they cannot express their

musical identities when they have limited agency. I have also witnessed instances of

students having nearly unlimited agency during music composition activities. In those

instances, students may feel overwhelmed by the number of decisions that they have to

make while composing music (Mayo, 2018).

Godt (2005) described the role of a composer as someone who “makes decisions

and accepts responsibility for choosing consistently among the available sound” (p.86).

1
The composer makes musical decisions deliberately, not random sounds or chance music.

Younker (2000) found that engaging students in conversations about their music

compositions gave insight regarding their feelings about composing and how they

perceived their abilities as musicians. By investigating my students’ experiences and

insights regarding rhythm composition activities, I learned about their music agency.

Music Agency

Wiggins (2016) defined a student’s music agency as, “their sense that they can

initiate and carry out their own musical ideas and ideas about music” (p. 103). Blair

(2009), Sutela (2020), and Muhonen (2016) researched the concept of student agency.

Blair defined agency as a student’s opportunities to exercise choice in their learning.

Sutela defined agency as the potential for making intentional actions within contexts.

Muhonen defined musical agents as individuals that use music to express themselves and

their identities. Similar themes of control and choice exist among those researchers’

definitions of agency.

Blair’s (2009) fifth-grade students utilized their agency, working together and

sharing ideas, as they created listening maps, i.e., graphic representations of recorded

music. The students utilized their agency by choosing how they depicted the music in

their hand drawn maps without Blair’s guidance. The students felt empowered by sharing

their own understanding of the music in the form of their maps,

It seemed to me that underlying the students’ sense of agency was a feeling of

self-empowerment for enabling their own musical understanding. It was the

development of a ‘musician voice’, a sense of self as a person with personhood

validated by others when expressed musically. (Blair, 2009, p. 183)

2
During Blair’s (2009) study, the students utilized listening skills and graphic

representation skills, but they did not compose any new musical materials or ideas.

By gradually choosing to participate and work with others during the Dalcroze-

based music and movement activities, a student with Asperger’s syndrome (AS)

developed agency (Sutela, 2020). For example, Sutela elaborated that the student

developed musical skills and became more confident in the ability to utilize agency when

voluntarily choosing to participate in a chain dance and becoming the leader of the

activity. The student indicated likes and dislikes among the music and movement

activities, but “was not able to reflect on his agency development during the interviews.”

(p. 79) That inability to reflect may have been due to the student’s difficulties with

communication.

Muhonen (2016) interviewed students regarding their experience in songcrafting1

activities. During the songcrafting activities, the students composed melodies and lyrics

to songs and tunes in collaboration with others and performed them later. The students

utilized their agency by collaborating with others and making decisions during the

songcrafting process. Students who perceived they had less musical talent than others

contributed less to the songcrafting process. The students’ perception of their musical

talent resulted in some utilizing their agency less than other students.

Blair (2009), Sutela (2020), and Muhonen (2016) provided opportunities for

students to work in collaboration with others and express their agency in their learning.

Those researchers did provide insight into how student agency relates to participation and

1
Muhonen (2016) used the one-word term, songcrafting.

3
growth in music skills; however, the students in those studies did not receive multiple

opportunities to express their agency themselves through music composition activities.

Music Composition and Agency

Miller (2006), Mayo (2018), and Younker (2000) reflected on student music

compositions and student music composition strategies. Miller (2006) noted that

implementing music composition activities required careful planning given time

constraints in the classroom. Mayo (2018) found that students’ levels of anxiety during

music composition activities changed depending on teacher provided parameters and

instructions. Younker (2000) observed students utilizing a variety of strategies when

tasked with composing music.

Miller (2006) constructed and implemented music composition activities in an

elementary school music classroom to understand how to best structure music

composition activities. The students in Miller’s study demonstrated agency by making

musical choices that enhanced their music composition’s themes and ideas. Miller’s

students possessed the ability to describe their musical choices when composing and why

they made these choices. Miller promoted a positive music environment for her students

to work in: “All children, regardless of intellectual level, have been able to participate in

group composition activities and to discuss and perform their compositions” (p. 62).

Mayo (2018) measured how teacher-constructed parameters impacted student’s

anxiety during a short music composition task. The researchers divided the students into

two groups, an experimental group that received instructions, parameters, and tools to

assist in music composition, and a control group who received no instructions,

parameters, or tools to assist in music composition. The students in the experimental

4
group utilized their agency by choosing what tools and strategies they learned in class to

assist them with their music compositions. Students in each group exhibited a strong

sense of pride in their music compositions.

Younker (2000) conducted music composition sessions and interviews with

students of various ages to better understand what strategies they use to compose music.

The students exhibited agency by utilizing a variety of strategies to compose music.

Younker found that engaging the students in conversations about their music

compositions gave insight into their music composition strategies. The students were

aware of the choices that they made when composing, with one student identifying as a

composer.

Miller (2006), Mayo (2018), and Younker (2000) provided insight regarding how

students utilize music composition strategies and their agency during music composition

activities. The students in those studies utilized a variety of strategies to complete music

composition tasks in various settings, exhibited a sense of pride in their music

compositions, and enjoyed discussing how they utilized their agency when composing

music.

Purpose and Guiding Research Questions

With the intent of examining music agency, the purpose of this research was to

observe and investigate my sixth-grade students’ rhythm composition processes.

Regarding their music composition processes:

● What did students think about making choices?

● How do students describe making choices?

5
CHAPTER 2

RELATED RESEARCH

Designing Compositional Tasks for Elementary Music Classrooms

Miller (2006)

In this action research project, Miller (2006) devised elementary music

composition projects to facilitate student musical development. Miller explored the

possibility of implementing whole-class music composition projects within 20- to 35-

minute class periods. Miller cited Bruner’s constructivist theory, the idea that previous

learning informs new learning, as a basis for the curriculum used in this study.

Method

Participants and Setting

In this qualitative action research project, the investigator facilitated different

music composition projects across several grade levels. Miller observed their own

students during this study. Participants of this study included students from two schools

in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. Miller taught in a designated music classroom

at one school and traveled between classrooms at the other. Class sizes averaged between

20 and 24 students and included students with special needs.

Data Collection and Analysis

Miller described this study as an ongoing project spanning several years and

believed that the length of their study supported its trustworthiness. The researcher

recorded observations from each class in a research journal, and coded and categorized

6
the data from the research journal by topic. After lessons, Miller discussed the

effectiveness of the lessons with other teachers. Miller video recorded the students during

the music composition projects “for later analysis” (p. 61); however, Miller did not

explain the video recording analysis process. The researcher included member checking

in the form of student submitted self and group critique papers to establish credibility.

Students and classroom teachers provided Miller with written and verbal feedback and

Miller provided examples of lessons used during the study.

Findings and Discussion

Miller determined it possible to implement music composition projects within the

parameters of their school. Miller noted that all the students could participate and be

successful in the music composition projects regardless of their abilities. When

composing, the students utilized different composing strategies such as choosing between

using standard notation and invented notation. The researcher noticed that students

considered “advanced” would push themselves beyond the parameters of a given

composition activity.

Over the course of the study, the students recalled previous information from

classes and utilized that information during music composition projects. The sequence of

the music composition projects created by Miller included small assignments or goals for

students to complete or reach. This allowed students to focus on completing smaller tasks

rather than feeling overwhelmed by the entirety of the music composition projects.

Relevance to Current Study

Miller successfully implemented music composition projects in her elementary

music classrooms by carefully planning the projects. Students in Miller’s study composed

7
music using strategies and skills like invented notation, standard notation, singing, and

playing instruments. During one activity, students utilized their agency by picking what

instruments they will use for their composition. I implemented music composition

activities with the intent of examining my student’s music agency. Miller’s study serves

as a framework for how I constructed what music composition activities my students

completed.

Like Miller, I utilized the following data sources: video recordings of student

composition projects, student handwritten reflections, student artifacts, and a personal

handwritten research journal. I transcribed each video recording for subsequent analysis.

Each student member checked my interpretation of their short individual interviews.

Then, I coded all data, and searched for patterns and themes. A peer elementary music

teacher with qualitative research experience served as an expert analyst and review my

codes, patterns, themes, and findings (Patton, 2015).

Students’ Experiences of Collaborative Creation Through Songcrafting in Primary

School: Supporting creative agency in ‘school music’ programmes

Muhonen (2016)

Muhonen, a Finnish music education researcher, conducted semi-structured

interviews with previous students about their experience with songcrafting during

primary school to understand how teachers can support creative agency. Songcrafting

involves students and teachers collaborating to create, write, and perform songs and

tunes. Students utilized their agency during songcrafting by negotiating with others and

choosing the meaning, form, and sound of their songs and tunes.

8
Method

Participants and Setting

Participants of this study were 41 of Muhonen’s elementary music students

involved in songcrafting activities during the years of 1997-2004. With consent from

each participant and their parents, Muhonen conducted 30-minute (approximately) group

interviews taking place 3-4 years after each participant’s songcrafting experiences to

allow for them to mature, reflect on their experiences, and possibly utilize their

experiences. Participants had a variety of musical backgrounds and experiences. Each

group had participated in different songcrafting activities.

Muhonen utilized artifacts like recordings of student composed songs and notated

compositions to assist in the student’s recollections and reflections. The researcher

constructed the interviews to have a “conversational tone” to account for the “emotional

intensity” of the interview. Muhonen attempted to ask mostly open-ended questions

during each interview. The established teacher-student relationship between the

researcher and the participants allowed for an open and comfortable environment.

Data Collection and Analysis

Muhonen audio recorded and transcribed the group interviews. During analysis,

the researcher focused on “examining the meanings assigned to songcrafting experiences

in the students’ narrations” (p. 269). The researcher’s initial analysis from the interviews

identified several themes “I can/I can’t, my/our/their song, joy, sharing, empowerment,

peripherality” (p. 269). The researcher utilized meaning condensation when analyzing the

participants’ narrations, which allowed for the researcher to draw a theme from the

participants’ viewpoints (Kvale & Brinkman, 2009). Kvale and Brinkman defined

9
meaning condensation as,“an abridgement of the meaning of an interviewee statement

into shorter formulations, usually remaining within the understanding and language of the

interviewee” (p. 325).

Findings and Discussion

Muhonen condensed the interpreted meanings found in the student’s narrations

into three storylines: (a) peripheral participation, (b) experimentation, and (c) deep

participation. Those storylines outline “how the agency theme manifested in the students’

narrations” (p. 271). The researcher provided examples of each storyline in the form of

three individual student vignettes translated from Finnish into English.

Muhonen noted that the participants utilized music agency when connecting,

collaborating, and contributing with others during the songcrafting process. The

participants placed value in being a contributor and collaborator with their peers and

teacher. Participants’ narrations indicated opportunities for multiple options during the

group songcrafting process. The opportunities for collaboration and support from their

peers strengthened the participants’ self-images as musicians.

Some participants indicated they felt like they had little agency in the songcrafting

process. The participant described in the peripheral participation vignette chose to not

actively participate in part because of his perceived musical abilities. Narrations within

experimentation storyline included participants who were surprised by their ability to

contribute to the songcrafting process.

The participant’s whose narrations fell within the deep participation storyline

enthusiastically recalled their time songcrafting. Those participants displayed strong

10
senses of music agency and creative agency. They also had a greater belief in their

abilities and thought songcrafting may have influenced them to continue composing.

The songcrafting process provided an outlet for the participants to express their

creative and music agency. Only three of the participants indicated that they believed

they could not create music. Muhonen noted that a student’s perception of their own

musical abilities may influence their desire to exhibit their music agency. The

participant’s narrations indicated that their teacher’s belief in their music and social

capabilities also influenced their willingness to utilize their music agency.

Relevance to Current Study

Like Muhonen, my participants reflected on their agency after music composition

activities. Unlike Muhonen, my students reflected during the study, at the end of each

class, rather than years after participating in music composition activities. Like Muhonen,

I utilized meaning condensation (Kvale & Brinkman, 2009) when analyzing data sources.

Thought Processes and Strategies of Students Engaged in Music Composition

Younker (2000)

In this qualitative study, Younker observed students during and after music

composition sessions. This study revolved around patterns of thought which Younker

defines as “any regularities of thought processes that may occur while the students

compose music” (p. 25). Younker used the following research questions when designing

this study:

● What patterns of thought and strategies emerge, if any, from an analysis of the

following?

11
o Students’ verbal reports and verbal response collected while composing

via think aloud and unstructured interview techniques,

o Students’ verbal responses to questions about their specific composing

activities given in a semi-structured interview setting following each

composing section, and

o Students’ responses to questions about the composing process in general

given in a semi-structured interview setting at the beginning and end of all

the composing sessions?

● What developmental patterns, if any, emerge across ages as a result of the

analyses in questions one, two, and three?

Method

Participants and Setting

The participants of this study consisted of nine students representing three age

groups equally. The three age groups of this study were ages 8, 11, and 14. Younker

randomly sampled the participants from a list of names of students who had not received

private music instruction. Each of the students participated in seven 1-hour sessions over

the course of the study. During the first two sessions, Younker instructed the students in

their respective age groups on how to use the keyboard and MIDI interface. The third

session consisted of an individual review of the technology with each student followed by

a semi-structured interview. The next three sessions consisted of students composing

using the keyboard, making musical choices, and describing their process for making

choices for 45 minutes. For the last 15 minutes of the sessions, Younker engaged the

students in semi-structured interviews about their music compositions. During the last

12
session, the students shared their compositions with the others in their age group and

explained their music composition process.

Each session had a break between 3-5 days to allow students to reflect about their

composing. Younker implemented very few parameters for the composition activity.

Those parameters included the computer program utilized for composition, the keyboard

program, and the time constraints of the sessions.

Data Collection and Analysis

Younker encouraged students to “think aloud” to gather data on their thoughts and

strategies during the activity. “Thinking aloud” occurs when subjects, “are asked to

perform a task and to verbalize whatever crosses their mind during the task

performance.” (Jääskeläinen, 2010, p. 371) During the interviews, Younker video and

audio recorded students’ thoughts about music composition and composition strategies.

Two other individuals transcribed the audiotapes for the researcher. Younker compared

the transcribed audiotapes to the corresponding videotapes and made any necessary

changes to the transcriptions.

When reading the transcripts of the audiotapes and videotapes, Younker noted

when students would interact with a musical element like rhythm, melody, form, timbre,

or texture. Those elements represent basic components of music. The students’ choices

regarding the elements they manipulated gave rise to new codes related to musical

concepts such as tempo. Younker also noticed a theme of expressive gestures. Younker

utilized the themes to create individual profiles of each student to assist in identifying

patterns across and within age groups.

13
Younker analyzed the students’ responses during the interviews after each session

by highlighting key words in their responses that encompassed their entire responses. The

researcher then compared the students’ responses to one another to discern any patterns

across and within age groups.

Findings and Conclusions

The students’ music composition processes included some form of exploring,

recording, listening, evaluating, and editing, but not in any set order. Perceived ability

and comfort impacted the students time spent on each of these processes, rather than age.

When given the choice between viewing their material in graphic or traditional notation,

most of the students chose traditional notation.

The students interacted with the elements and concepts to a degree that limited

patterns. Younker noted some patterns such as the 8-year-old students composing narrow

melodies in narrow ranges with some exploration into the outer registers. Two of the 11-

year-old students created melodies with similar stepwise motions, but also incorporated

skips and a more controlled use of registers. Most 14-year-old students composed

melodies using stepwise motion, with two students also incorporating skips and leaps into

their melodies. Over half of the students incorporated known material into their

compositions.

Younker identified several patterns from the students’ verbal responses about

their music compositions. Students were aware of the activities and could recall previous

activities, but demonstrated a lack of depth in describing the choices that they made when

composing. Over the course of all the interviews, seven of the nine students gave more

information to the researcher after the composing session rather than before it. Six of the

14
students took ownership of their compositions, identifying their work as their own and

“liking” their compositions.

Younker examined eight developmental patterns that occurred differently across

age groups. Students across the age groups approached composing music in different

ways regarding creating new material, using old previous material, and the manipulation

of those materials. Some of the students incorporated known material in their

compositions or selected timbre or instruments based on knowing sounds. The students’

comfortability with the keyboard varied across the age groups. Students within and across

the age groups manipulated different elements of music at different frequencies. The

researcher found that the students ability to recall previous sessions and what occurred

during those sessions depended on the involvement of the individual in the session.

Students varied in their descriptions on how to begin composing music.

Younker determined that discussion is an important component in music

composition activities. Differences in composing strategies between and within age

groups. Younker noted those differences may be due to the students’ confidence and

belief in their ability to compose.

Relevance to Current Study

I created a teaching sequence like Younker’s. I observed students as they

composed music and included a class regarding using technology for recording purposes.

Unlike Younker, my students explained their music composition processes through

15
handwritten reflections2 and a presentation at the end of the study along with short

individual interviews.

2
Due to a lack of reliable technology, the participants in this study explained their music
composition processes through handwritten reflections.

16
CHAPTER 3

METHOD

Design

For this study, I used a qualitative action research design (Conway & Borst,

2001). I filled the role of teacher-researcher in the sixth-grade music class at St. Peter’s

Catholic Elementary School, Columbia, SC. Conway and Borst described action research

as “inquiry that is designed by teachers to make changes and affect teaching” (p. 3). I led

my students through music composition activities in the role of their teacher. As a

researcher, I observed, recorded, reflected, and analyzed data collected from our

classroom during this study. Through observing my students during rhythm composition

processes, I planned to gain understanding regarding their music agency and music.

Participants

I utilized purposive sampling for this study. Sharma (2017) noted that researchers

who utilize purposive sampling select their sample based on their own judgement and for

specific purposes. My purposive sample comprised the 2021-2022 St. Peter’s Catholic

Elementary School sixth-grade students. As their 2020-2021 fifth-grade music teacher,

those students and I had established music classroom procedures, protocol, skills, and

knowledge. Moreover, I had an informed understanding of their musical skills and

capabilities. Two new students enrolled in St. Peter’s sixth grade for the 2021-2022

school. During the first few weeks of the school year, I established teacher-student

17
relationship with those students, gained an understanding of their previous music

education experiences, and introduced those students to our music classroom procedures,

protocol, skills, and knowledge.

Setting

This study took place at St. Peter’s Catholic Elementary School in Columbia,

South Carolina. During this study I visited the sixth-grade class twice-per-week to

facilitate music classes, and each music class lasted for 45 minutes. Each student had a

desk to themselves.

The music curriculum and experiences of these students are based in Gordon’s

music learning theory (Gordon, 2013). The students experience music through audiation

and participating in musical play (Valerio et al., 1998; Reynolds et al., 2020). The class

activities include opportunities for singing, playing instruments, improvising, listening,

and creating music. Green’s (2006) informal music learning philosophy has also

influenced the structure of activities in the music classroom. The students dictate the flow

of improvisation and creation activities, with me, their music teacher, serving as someone

who guides and facilitates music making.

Students in St. Peter’s sixth grade each have a music kit and a music journal. The

music kits contain the following items: a pair of plastic rhythm sticks, a pair of wooden

rhythm sticks, cut sections of pool noodles for scrapping, a handmade shaker made from

a plastic soda bottle, bean bags, and scarves. My mentor and fellow music teachers at St.

Peter’s Catholic Elementary School and I compiled the music kits for all of the students

in each grade level.

18
Procedures

Music Composition Lessons

During nine lessons held during nine consecutive class meetings, I led the students

in a rhythm composition unit. I chose to focus on rhythm composition because of the

knowledge and skills my students worked on in the previous school year, and the

COVID-19 pandemic restricted activities in the music class such as singing and sharing

instruments. I drafted an outline for my learning plan and data collection over a three-

week data collection period (See Appendix Table C.1 for the initial learning plan).

Though I Initially planned for the rhythm composition unit to take six total classes, I

adjusted as necessary to assist students in meeting the end goal (See Appendix D for the

implemented learning plan). The nine lessons culminated with a rhythm composition

completed, performed, recorded, and presented by each student. Though each student

composed a rhythm chant, some students also composed a rhythmic accompaniment for

their personal rhythm chants.

During the first class, the students improvised a rhythm chant based on a theme of

their choice. I prompted the students to create their themes by thinking of topics that they

enjoyed. The students first improvised the words to their rhythm chant. I played several

drum loops for the students to chant over and experiment with the rhythm of their chants.

At the end of class, the students completed a reflection sheet about their musical choices

found in Appendix E.

During the second class, the students reviewed their musical ideas from the

previous class and choose some of their ideas to begin creating their rhythm chants. The

students notated their rhythm chant using a notation form of their choice that allowed

19
them to remember how they wanted their chant to sound. I made this decision based on

research done by Campbell and Scott-Kasner (2019), which describes how students use

invented notation as means of remembering and recording their compositions. The

students completed the same reflection sheet from the first class at the end of this class.

During the third class, the students continued to compose their rhythm chants

individually. Some students began creating rhythm accompaniments using their music

kits, which they recorded in some way in their handwritten music journal. At the end of

class, the students completed their reflection sheet.

During the fourth class, the students continued working on their rhythm chants

and accompaniments. I instructed the students who had finished their chants and

accompaniments to practice their chants and accompaniments to be ready to record. At

the end of class, the students completed their reflection sheet.

During the fifth class, the students began to finalize their chants and

accompaniments and continued to practice them. Some students began to work in groups

with one another to practice their chants and make changes. Students completed a

reflection sheet on their musical choices at the end of class. The reflection sheet questions

remained the same throughout the entire study.

The sixth, seventh, and eighth classes comprised students practicing and then

recording their chants and accompaniments (if applicable) using the camera on an iPad.

Students recorded in a separate room by themselves or with classmates of their choice. I

instructed each student on how to record using an iPad. At the end of each of those

classes, students completed their reflection sheets.

20
During the ninth class, with each student composer’s permission, together the

students and I watched each of their recorded videos using Apple Airplay on a TV

monitor in their classroom. After watching each video, each student composer told us

about their rhythm composition and how they felt about the whole project, respectively.

The students did not complete a reflection sheet at the end of this class.

Materials

I used a Go Pro Max camera to video record each class. I utilized an iPad as a

secondary recording device for the classes. Using an iPhone 8, I recorded short

interviews with each student once during our classes seven and eight on November 1st

and November 3rd, respectively. At the end of each class, I provided paper for each

student to complete a handwritten reflection. Students used personal notebooks to notate

their rhythm compositions. Each student could use body percussion, found sound, and

unpitched percussion instruments (each student at St. Peter’s Catholic Elementary School

has a personal music kit) during the composition process. Each personal music kit

contained several items to play as instruments, including wooden and plastic rhythm

sticks, pool noodles for scraping sounds, scarves, and bean bags. Each student also had

access to a tubano drum. The students and I created the tubano drums during the previous

school year. The students chose the design of their drumheads and the outside fabric of

their drums3. The tubano drums are 18” tall and 12” in diameter.

Dates and Time

3
The students used materials from the drum kits found at this website:
http://music4wellness.com/marketplace.html#!/Drum-Making-Kits/c/29767005

21
Data collection took place over 35 days, starting on October 6th, 2021, and ending

on November 10th of 2021. Music classes took place from 2:10 to 2:55 on Monday and

Wednesday each week, with some schedule interruptions as noted in Appendix D.

Data Sources

Video recordings

To ensure adequate video recording quality, I practiced recording several lessons

before data collection using a Go Pro Max 360 Camera and an iPad. I reviewed the

videos and determined that an external microphone was not needed to improve sound

quality, but the Go Pro Max 360 Camera and iPad were both needed for optimal data

collection. Using an iPhone 8, I recorded short interviews with each student during

classes 7 and 8. I transcribed each of the videos after the data collection using Otter.ai.

Then, I reviewed each transcription completed by Otter.ai to ensure accuracy.

Student Artifacts

Student artifacts comprised students’ handwritten reflections, photos of students’

handwritten rhythm compositions, and video recordings of student’s rhythm

compositions. I collected students’ written reflections at the end of each class and kept

the students’ recordings on the locked iPad.

Data Analysis

As recommended by Saldaña (2016), I engaged in two data coding cycles. During

the first data coding cycle, I used In Vivo coding, for each of the class video

transcription, students’ handwritten reflections, and short interviews with the students.

Saldaña defines In Vivo Coding as when a researcher “Uses words or short phrases from

the participant’s own language in the data record as codes” (p. 264). Saldaña

22
recommended In Vivo Coding “to honor children’s voices and to ground the analysis

from their perspectives” (p.61). By using In Vivo coding, the literal words of the students

become emphasized in the analysis. For analyzing the students’ rhythm compositions and

my personal handwritten research journal, I utilized process coding. Saldaña (2016) noted

that,

“Process Coding uses gerunds (“-ing” words) exclusively to connote action in the

data (Charmaz, 2002). Simple observable activity (e.g., reading, playing,

watching TV, drinking coffee) and more general conceptual action (e.g.,

struggling, negotiating, surviving, adapting) can be coded as such through a

Process Code” (p. 87).

I chose process coding because it allowed me to verbalize the ways in which students

notated their rhythm compositions. I used process coding for my handwritten research

journal because my notes also primarily focused on actions that I could see the students

doing.

Once I completed coding my data, I reviewed my sources and codes again to

organize the data around categories. A peer elementary music teacher with qualitative

research experience served as an expert analyst to check the codes to determine if they

represent the data (Patton, 2015). I organized my data into a code mapping structure as

recommended by Saldaña (2016). A code mapping refers to how codes are organized and

categorized in a given structure. I utilized Saldaña’s second iteration of code mapping. I

labeled my four categories in a table and placed each individual code into each category.

I organized the codes by data source as well. I examined the codes for patterns and

themes. After determining patterns and themes, the peer elementary music teacher with

23
qualitative research experience served as an expert analyst check the patterns and

themes to determine if they represented the data as an expert analyst (Patton, 2015).

Triangulation and Credibility

By utilizing multiple forms of data including video recordings, student

handwritten reflections, student rhythm compositions, recordings

of each student’s rhythm compositions, and my handwritten researcher’s journal, I

provided triangulation (Patton, 2015). To enhance credibility each student member

checked my interpretation of their individual interviews. One student asked me to change

the words of her interview to reflect her working with two other students to working with

“my friends”. A peer elementary music teacher with qualitative research experience

served as an expert analyst to check the codes, patterns, and themes to determine if they

represented the data.

Confidentiality

According to the University of South Carolina Office of Research Compliance,

action research that results in non-generalizable findings is not subject to the Protection

of Human Subject Regulations in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations 45

CFR 46 et. Seq as documented in Appendix B. Nonetheless, the guardian of each of the

students involved in this study received the consent form approved by the St. Peter’s

Catholic Elementary school principal and presented in Appendix B before the study

began. I provided each of the students with a pseudonym to protect their identity. The

consent form included information on technology use. Any revealing information in

student rhythm compositions has been modified with the consent of the student

composer.

24
I stored all data on a password protected laptop and on a single SD card. Any

pictures or recordings were placed in a password encrypted folder on the laptop or SD

card. The students’ notebooks always remained within the classroom during the study. I

took the students’ notebooks to my home for analysis and returned them to the classroom

after completing data analysis.

25
CHAPTER 4

FINDINGS

Prior to and while analyzing the data for this study, I reviewed my research

purpose and guiding questions. With the intent of examining music agency, the purpose

of this research was to observe and investigate my sixth-grade students’ rhythm

composition processes. Regarding their music composition processes:

● What did students think about making choices?

● How do students describe making choices?

Based on my data coding procedures and conversations with my expert data analyst, I

express the findings of this action research study using four emergent themes. Those

themes include:

• Theme 1: Students demonstrated music agency by choosing how to notate their

rhythm compositions.

• Theme 2: Students described a variety of feelings after using their music agency.

• Theme 3: Having music agency allowed students to own their rhythm

compositions.

• Theme 4: Students described how they utilized their music agency in their rhythm

composition processes using action words.

I assigned each of the students a pseudonym to protect their identity. I

labeled each student with a different letter, beginning with letter A and ending

26
with J. I omitted the names and identifying information from students’

compositions. I labeled my own comments with R. Spearman.

Theme 1: Students Demonstrated Music Agency by Choosing How to Notate Their

Rhythm Compositions

When designing the rhythm composition unit, I decided not to require my

students to use standard Western rhythm notation when notating their compositions.

Though my students had experience with standard Western rhythm notation, I feared that

they would become anxious with having to use standard Western notation (Mayo, 2018).

After consulting with my mentor on this concern, I decided to let my students have

agency over how they would record their rhythm chant in their personal notebook. The

students’ rhythm composition notation comprised two styles: all students notated their

rhythm compositions using words, while some notated their rhythm compositions with

words and standard Western rhythm notation.

Students Documented Their Compositions with Only Words

All students used words as part of their notation strategy for their rhythm

compositions in their handwritten music journals. Seven of the 10 students notated their

rhythm compositions using only words. During the short individual interviews, some of

the students expressed in their short interviews and written reflections that they “wrote

the words and the beats” and “wrote it down normally”. The phrase “wrote it down

normally” implied writing down something musical without notation. Some students, like

Student-I, neatly organized the parts of their chant in a stanza form as presented in Figure

4.1.

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Figure 4.1 Student-I’s Composition

Student-I also included the breakdown of the syllables for the word “imagination” in their

chant. Many of the other students who only utilized words wrote their chants in a

paragraph style, rather than a stanza style. Student-A crossed out words that they did not

want to use, rather than erase them from their journal as presented in Figure 4.2.

28
Figure 4.2 Student-A's Composition
Student-A along with others included drawings to go along with their rhythm

compositions.

29
Students Documented Their Chants with Personal Versions of Standard Western

Notation

Three of the 10 students utilized personal versions of standard Western notation

when recording their chants in their personal journals. Two of the students, Student-C

and Student-J, notated rhythms throughout most of their composition as presented in

Figures 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5.

Figure 4.3 Student-J’s Composition Page 1

30
Figure 4.4 Student-J’s Composition Page 2

Figure 4.5 Student-J’s Composition Page 3

31
Student-J included several different rhythmic values, including quarter notes, half

notes, eight notes, and quarter rests. Student-J stated in their interview with me that the

rhythm notation made it difficult to read the chant, saying that it was “hard to follow with

the notation”.

Student-C included notation throughout their entire composition.

Figure 4.6 Student C’s Composition Page 1

32
Figure 4.7 Student-C’s Composition Page 2

Student-C’s composition includes drawings like those of their peers who recorded using

only words. Students’ included drawings to illustrate the characters, topics, or story of

their chants like some of the notation provided by students in Miller’s (2006) study.

Some of Miller’s student’s documented their compositions using standard Western

notation and words.

Student-F deviates from the pattern set by the previously mentioned 2 students by

using standard Western notation for only parts of their rhythm chant, as presented in

Figure 4.8. You also need another sentence in this paragraph.

33
Figure 4.8 Student F’s Composition

Student-F used standard Western notation to note the “steady beat” of their chant as well

as the pattern that needed to be played the “whole song”. Student-F drew lines to show

where the fragments of notation go and labeled them with words like “clap” and “beat”.

Student-F also notated the way the drum is supposed to played by the performer “inside

of drum”.

Theme 2: Students Described a Variety of Feelings After Using Their Music Agency.

Understanding how the students felt about making their choices was a critical

question I had when formulating this action research study. As I continue to develop my

rhythm composition pedagogy, I want to adapt my practices based on the emotional

experiences of my students to give future students the best possible experience. Having

agency over your composition processes can bring about anxiety to students, as found in

34
Mayo’s (2018) study. In a study like Younker’s (1999), the students had the opportunity

to express how they felt about their composing.

During my action research study, the students had many times to reflect on their

musical choices. At the end of classes one through eight, the students filled out their

reflection sheets, which included the question “What did you think about making your

musical choices?” I wanted to understand how students’ felt about having agency

throughout this composition unit. Through this question on the reflection sheet, as well as

the individual interviews of each student, students expressed d a variety of feelings

regarding their musical choices. Most students described their feelings regarding their

musical choices using positive language, though in some instances they expressed regret

or negative emotions.

Positive Emotions

Many of the students’ responses on their reflection sheets contain simple, one

sentence answers. For example, Student-H ended their reflection sheet using almost the

same phrase, describing their choices as being “fun” almost each day. Similarly, many

students used the word “fun” to describe their musical choices for each day. Other

students used different positive words such as “good” or “awesome”. The overall

experience of making musical choices seemed to be a positive one for the students, with

one student stating in their reflection sheet, “I loved it”.

The students expressed similar sentiments during our short interviews. During the

short interview, I asked Student-C how they felt about their choices and getting to make

them, they stated “I liked making my own decisions”. Others like Student-D also

expressed in their interview how they enjoyed getting to pick the topic of their chant, “It

35
was fun to write about a topic I like”. Student-G described their fondness for the whole

experience during our short interview. The following is a transcript from our short

interview:

R. Spearman

Can I ask you a few things while you're rewriting? So, how'd you come up with

this rhythm chant? How'd you compose your rhythm chant? What kind of things

did you get to choose to when you were composing?

Student-G

Well, I just thought of what I really liked. And I just experienced it so I thought it

would be nice to write it down.

R. Spearman

I liked that you used the phrase “experienced it”. What do you mean by that?

Student-G

I mean, It just happened that I really enjoyed when it happened. And I

thought to have a great time and have great memories of this.

Student-G and many of the other students expressed an many positive emotions when

asked to describe how they felt about making their choices. The daily reflection sheet and

short interviews at the end of study both contain mostly positive comments from students.

Negative Emotions

While each of the students described making musical choices as a positive

experience, some students described their difficulties with making musical choices or

used some negative emotional terms to describe their choices. Student-I wrote in their

reflection sheet during the fourth class (October 20th, 2021) on their ostinato they created.

36
They “didn’t really like it” and wanted to “find another one” during the next class.

Student-I also expressed some regret about their choices made during the recording

process. This lead Student-I to record a second time, after which they had felt better.

They had made changes to their chant and even included other individuals in their second

recording process.

Student-H expressed some difficulty with creating their chant, as they thought that

“most of it was fun” when describing their choices in their reflection sheet, but that their

“ideas were hard to make a chant out of”. This frustration could have arisen from the lack

of formal instruction and structure I gave to the students for this project. While each

student expressed mostly positive emotions when describing how they felt about making

musical choices, some experienced emotions with negative connotations.

Theme 3: Having Music Agency Allowed students to own Their Rhythm

Compositions.

As I began this action research study, I knew that I wanted to remove my

influence as much as possible from the students’ composition processes to give them as

much agency over the composition as possible. Similar to Younker (2000), I assumed the

role of facilitator and helper to assist the students when needed without telling them how

I would do the project or how they should do the project. I also observed the students and

asked questions of them to gain understanding of their rhythm composition processes.

In many of the students’ reflections and interviews, the words “my” and “I” occur

frequently when the students describe what choices they made. The students also use

those words when they describe their feelings in their handwritten reflections and in their

interviews, noting how it was “fun to use my own ideas”. The use of these words

37
establishes a sense of ownership over these rhythm compositions for each student. The

students chose words like “my” and “I” throughout their reflections and interviews,

establishing their personal connections to their rhythm compositions and their processes.

When I analyzed my data, I also noticed an absence of students mentioning me,

R. Spearman, in any of their reflections or their short interviews. Student-G was the only

one to mention me in their reflection sheet. When answering what they thought about

making their musical choices, they wrote in their reflection sheet for that day, “I thought I

did great and I hope you will like my song I found this interesting.” While Student-G felt

great about their choices, they still wanted my approval.

Theme 4: Students described how they utilized their music agency in their rhythm

composition processes using action words.

The students utilized action words when describing how they made their musical

choices each day. Several action words occur frequently throughout the data, primarily in

the students’ written reflections. Students identified the following five actions as essential

to their composition process: audiating, playing, writing, making, and collaborating.

Audiating

In several instances, the students described how they made their musical choices

with their “mind” or “in my head”. The use of this phrase represents music thinking, or

audiation, as being an action students utilized to make their decisions. As a class, we

often use the term, audiation, during our activities. Gordon Institute for Music Learning

(2022) defined audiation as “to hear and comprehend music in the mind.” Students are

familiar with the term, audiation, and have used it when putting the music “in their

38
heads” during such as resting tone activities and when we are learning songs or chants.

Audiating is a common phrase I have used in my classroom for the past two years.

In my handwritten research journal notes, I also noticed the students often quietly

working at their desks while composing, and at some points it seems like they made no

sounds at all. It seemed to me the students were still working, just silently audiating their

music in their heads. I told the students during several class that they could practice and

say their chants out loud, but most of them continued to work quietly while

independently and silently audiating.

Playing

During the initial process of composing their chants, most of the students worked

while silently audiating; however, as we moved through the unit, it became apparent that

“playing” became a new action for the students to make their musical choices. This

action word “playing” came from several instances of students describing how they made

choices with body percussion or music kit items. Student-B played the rhythm of their

chant several times using their drumsticks from their music kit. Student-F played their

tubano drum often throughout their composing process.

Student-J took different parts of their music kit and combined them to make new

and interesting sounds for their chant. Student-E asked if they could use their metal

chopsticks from their lunchbox to play their chant. They liked the sound of the chopsticks

and thought it would go well with their chant about turtles. Playing instruments and

exploring musical sounds became an important part of the composing process for many

of these students. Student-G combined their plastic rhythm sticks and scrapers made from

pool noodles to explore different sounds for their accompaniment. During Student-I’s

39
final recording of their rhythm chant, they had another student use their scarves from

their music kit as a curtain for an introduction.

Writing

The action of “writing” occurred throughout the data, especially during the

reflection sheets. At the beginning of the study, I asked students to document their topics

and their rhythm compositions into their personal journal. They knew that they had to

write down something in their journal. When students described how they made their

choices, they used phrases such as “I wrote down the words”. Early in the rhythm

composition unit, when the students generated topics for their chants, they described their

choices as “writing down the topics” they had improvised to that day. Writing their ideas

in some shape or form was essential for the students’ composing processes.

Making

Similar to writing, the term “making” occurs several times in the data. Students

described their musical choices for the day as “making a beat” or “making a chant”.

Others described their choices for the as “making their words rhyme”. By using the term

“making” students demonstrated they knew they were agents of their own music. They

were the creators who made and notated their personal music compositions, and they

were aware of it.

Collaborating

Students began to collaborate and work with one another after the first five initial

classes. At the beginning of the study, I told the students that they would work to create

their own rhythm chant. This implied that they would work separate from one another;

however, several of the students expressed that they wanted to work with one another.

40
Eventually they all began working in groups of two or three students, sharing their

compositions and giving each other advice. I decided to let them collaborate with one

another to give them additional agency over their process. The students decided if they

wanted to work with others or work alone.

Student A began to work with Student-J, and even described how Student-J

helped them with one of their reflection sheets. Student-J also reflected on helping

Student-A that same day. Other instances of collaboration occurred between Student-H

and Student-E. Student-H told me in their interview about how Student-E helped them:

R. Spearman

What kind of choices did you get to make? For when you were writing all this?

Student-H

I asked Student-E to help me.

R. Spearman

Yeah. What did Student-E help you out with?

Student-H

He did the drum for me.

Student-H included Student-E in their recording as the drummer while they

chanted. Student I articulated a similar need for others to assist them. During our short

interview, we discussed their second recording process:

R. Spearman

So, we get to record again, which is awesome. How’d you feel about getting to do

it again? Better? What do you think? How did you feel overall getting to do

something like this project? Just getting to write your own chant.

41
Student-I

The writing part was really fun and I got to be really creative. But the recording

part was kind of hard. But my friends really helped me.

Collaborating with the other students allowed for Student I to feel more successful than

they had felt about their first. From my observations, students enjoyed collaborating and

sharing their rhythm compositions with others

42
CHAPTER 5

OVERVIEW, DISCUSSION, AND IMPLICATIONS

Overview of the Study

Purpose and Guiding Questions

With the intent of examining music agency, the purpose of this research was to

observe and investigate my sixth-grade students’ rhythm composition processes.

Regarding their music composition processes:

● What did students think about making choices?

● How do students describe making choices?

Method

For this action research study, I utilized purposive sampling that comprised the

2021-2022 St. Peter’s Catholic Elementary School sixth-grade students. I led my students

through music composition activities in the role of their teacher over nine classes. As a

researcher, I observed, recorded, reflected, and analyzed data collected from our

classroom during this study. My data sources included the following

• video recordings of student composition projects,

• student handwritten reflections,

• short interviews with students,

• video recordings of classes,

• students’ handwritten rhythm compositions,

• and a personal handwritten research journal.

43
Findings

I utilized In Vivo coding and Process coding for my data sources as recommended

by Saldaña (2016) and organized my data into a code mapping structure. Based on my

data coding procedures and conversations with my expert data analyst, I express the

findings of this action research study using four emergent themes. Those themes include:

• Theme 1: Students demonstrated music agency by choosing how to notate their

rhythm compositions.

• Theme 2: Students described a variety of feelings after using their music agency.

• Theme 3: Having music agency allowed students to own their rhythm

compositions.

• Theme 4: Students described how they utilized their music agency in their rhythm

composition processes using action words

Summary of Findings as They Relate to the Research Questions

Regarding theme 2, the students described a variety of feelings after using their

music agency. Students described how they felt about their ability to have musical agency

with both positive and negative emotions. Words such as “fun” and “good” appear

frequently in their reflection sheets. During the short interviews, students described how

they felt with phrases such as “I liked getting to make my own choices.” Some students

did express negative emotions such as “regret” in their reflection sheets, with one student

expressing they “didn’t like” part of the choices they made. As I described with regard to

theme 3, having music agency allowed students to own their rhythm compositions. The

students used words that identity ownership when describing their rhythm chants, such as

“I” and “my” in their reflection sheets and short interviews.

44
Question 2: How do students describe making choices? Regarding theme 1,

students demonstrated music agency by choosing how to notate their rhythm

compositions. All students utilized words to document their chants, while 3 utilized

standard Western notation. Students described their notating process in their written

reflections and during their short interviews. IN their reflections, students used words and

phrases that described writing down their chants with “words.” This relates to what I

described in theme 4, students described how they utilized their music agency in their

rhythm composition processes using action words. The students utilized action words

when describing how they made their musical choices each day. Several action words

occur frequently throughout the data, primarily in the students’ written reflections.

Students identified the following five actions as essential to their composition process:

audiating, playing, writing, making, and collaborating.

Implications of the Findings

Implications for My Elementary Music Pedagogy

I do not claim generalizability for this study or my findings or the following

implications (Patton, 2015). As I designed and implemented this action research study

and analyzed the data from the various sources, I have reflected and continue to reflect on

my music pedagogy. When creating and implementing each learning plan, I asked

myself, “Where can I give my students agency in this lesson?” As I have continued that

practice, I increasingly view my role in the music classroom as a music facilitator for my

music students of all ages.

I acknowledge that I have expertise and experience in music and music education,

but so do all my students. I had fears about allowing my students to have so much agency

45
over their learning. I worried that giving them so much control over the lesson would

make it boring and unexciting, or that we would lose site of the goal of completing their

rhythm compositions. As do many educators, I struggle with classroom management, and

worried that encouraging my students music agency would lead to distractions and off

task behavior from my students. However, I was surprised by how diligently they worked

towards their goals. Although the data collection period took longer than expected, I was

content with the length that it took my students to finish their rhythm compositions. The

students enjoyed working and completing their rhythm compositions and expressed

mostly positive emotions when asked about their music choices.

One of the rights located in the Music for People Bill of Musical Rights4 (2019)

reads, “Musical self-expression is a joyful and healthy means of communication available

to absolutely everyone.” The students in this study each demonstrated their personal

music self-expression through this rhythm composition project. During this study I

learned that my students are creative individuals with the capacity to utilize their music

agency, describe how they utilize their music agency, and describe how they think and

feel about their music agency. They inspire me with their music skills, music creativity

and abilities to express themselves through music. Giving the students music agency

throughout their rhythm composition processes gave them the opportunity to have self-

expression. Wiggins’ (2016) defined students’ music agency as, “their sense that they can

initiate and carry out their own musical ideas and ideas about music” (p. 103).” Music

agency is the vehicle that students utilized to partake in self-expression and creativity. In

4
Use the following link to access the Music for People Bill of Musical Rights.
https://www.musicforpeople.org/wp/bill-musical-rights/

46
the frame of the Music for People Bill of Musical Rights, all people, including students,

have the capacity for self-expression; therefore, they should have the capacity for music

agency in the music classroom. Composition activities such as the one implemented for

this study offer students opportunities to creatively express themselves using music and

to demonstrate music agency. That music creativity and expression was evident because I

adopted the role of music facilitator who encouraged each student’s music agency.

As my interest in facilitating student music agency increases, I have begun to

incorporate more opportunities for students to have music agency in all music classes I

teach at St. Peter’s Catholic Elementary School. The fifth-grade students at St. Peter’s

Catholic Elementary School explore sound and their creativity through miniature

keyboards5. I give the students instructions to create music and explore the individual

sounds of each MIDI instrument available on the keyboard. The students share their

music and describe their sound choices and their musical ideas. I have found the students

enjoy the agency they have to create and explore on their own with the keyboards.

With my five-year-old kindergarten students, student music agency takes the form

of students sharing their improvised songs in class. We had sung a “goodbye” song in F

Major, duple meter at the end of every music class. During one class, a student began to

improvise his own goodbye song using chord tones from the same tonality as our

goodbye song, and in the same meter. I asked the student to repeat the improvised song

several times for the other students and me. Once we had listened several times, we sang

5 We use the Casio SA-76 44-Key Mini Personal Keyboard at St. Peter’s Catholic
Elementary School.

47
the improvised song with that student. After the students and I sang through that

improvised song, another student began to improvise a different goodbye song. This

occurred all in one class period. Now many of my students desire to share improvised

chants and songs during each music class. Each student’s song takes us in a new direction

in the lesson that while I unplanned, is impactful because it is an example of how a

student’s musical agency can lead to incredible, personal music making.

I relate the previously described instance of improvisation and music agency to

the image of a tree. At the root and base of the tree are my understanding of musical

contexts and musical knowledge. As I present opportunities for students to make music

and utilize their music agency, the branches begin to grow, symbolizing their musical

ideas. From there, the students develop and plant their own musical trees, symbolizing

their own creativity and improvisation grown into its own entity.

With my youngest students at St. Peter’s, the three-year-old students, I find that I

rely on my understanding of Gordon’s (2013) music learning theory recommendation by

Gordon (2013), Reynolds, et al. (2020), and Valerio, et al. (1998) for opportunities for

student music agency. For example, when a child makes a sound in response to some

music activity I have initiated, I acknowledge that sound by recontextualizing it in a song

or rhythm, and I and encourage the student to explore sounds in their own way. Reynolds

et al. (2007) discussed music and its relationship to language acquisition, stating that

during socially based language learning or music learning, "conversational partners

moving fluidly in and out of the roles of novice and expert guiding the participation and

thereby the learning of one another through the interaction” (p. 212). As my students and

48
I exchange musical “audeas6” (Reynolds et al., 2020) we also exchange roles of novice

and expert, and learner and facilitator. Arrasmith (2022) and Reynolds & Burton (2017)

describe those serve and return music exchanges as fundamental to early childhood

development and learning.

As I continue to reflection on music agency, I acknowledge that I believe music is

inherent in all people, as stated in the Music for People Bill of Musical Rights (2019);

however, if persons do not experience music agency they may never fully express their

musical selves, may not fully know their musical selves, and may not fully develop their

musical selves. By studying my students’ music agency, I now have a desire to develop

and facilitate opportunities for music agency for all my students. Moreover, as I continue

to develop and facilitate opportunities for music agency and opportunities for my

students.

Implications for Other Elementary Music Educators

I encourage other music educators interested in music agency to consider how

they can offer students more opportunities for music agency in their classroom activities.

As I previously stated, I found it difficult to let go of the control in my music classroom,

but when I did, I was able to learn so much about my students. we have as educators over

every aspect of music learning in our classrooms. I encourage other music educators to

let go of the control they exhibit over aspects of their pedagogy and allow their s students

opportunities for music agency and the exchange of musical ideas. Fleischmann et al.

(2021) stated that regarding music agency and creativity, “For students to experience

6
“Valerio’s coined word audea means focus on a music thought” (Reynolds et al., 2020,
p. 11).

49
agency through creativity their voice needs to emerge predominantly in the classroom.”

Each student is unique in their capabilities and musical identity, and therefore, should

have the agency to express themselves using music. Moreover, knowing each student

through their music creativity and music expression leads to understand our students on a

deeper and more personal level.

Other educators might modify the lessons I used during this research study for a

beginning guitar class or ukulele class to encourage students to write their own songs. An

instrumental ensemble instructor might have their students collaborate or work alone to

create their own music or arrange the music they are working on in class.

Recommendations for Future Research

Though I did not examine the students’ video-recorded performances of their

rhythm compositions and related discussions at the completion of this studies’ rhythm

composition unit, my future examination of those recordings may further my

understanding of music agency. Other researchers may benefit by examining video-

recorded performances of their students’ music compositions.

Future researchers may modify my method to fit their pedagogies. For example,

exploring melodic composition or composition with instruments such as keyboards or

guitars might yield interesting findings that differ from those of this research study. Like

Cape (2014), they could incorporate technology such as Garageband, Soundtrap, and

BandLab to facilitate their students’ music composition. Researchers who use protocols

such as the one I implemented might also examine how students exercise their music

agency through independently arranging handwritten compositions using Garageband,

Soundtrap, and BandLab.

50
I encourage researchers to examine what music agency looks and sounds like in

their research settings. Students with music agency are aware of their music actions, are

responsible for their music action, can describe their music actions, can reflect on their

music actions, and can learn from their music actions. Student composers with music

agency decide their strategies for composing and creating their music compositions. The

more we examine and understand students’ composition processes, the more we may

empower them to know, develop, and share their music voices.

51
REFERENCES

Auh, M. (1997). Prediction of musical creativity in composition among selected variables

for upper elementary students. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music

Education, (133), 1–8. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40318831

Arrasmith, K. K. (in press). Social music interactions and vocal music improvisations in

a serve and return music community. [Unpublished doctoral dissertation].

University of South Carolina.

Blair, D. (2009). Learner agency: To understand and to be understood. British Journal of

Music Education, 26(2), 173–187. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051709008420

Campbell, P. S., & Scott-Kassner, C. (2019). Music in childhood: From preschool

through the elementary grades (4th ed.). Wadsworth Publishing.

Cape, J. E. (2014). Creating opportunities for voice and choice: Elementary students’

participation in an after-school music composition group. Visions of Research in

Music Education, 24(1), 3.

Conway, C. M., & Borst, J. (2001). Action research in music education. Update:

Applications of Research in Music Education, 19(2), 3–8.

https://doi.org/10.1177/87551233010190020102

Fleischmann, M. P., Schroeder, C., & Edgar, S. (2021, October 5). Musical creativity is

the DNA of SEL. Music in a minute. https://nafme.org/musical-creativity-is-in-

the-dna-of-sel/

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Godt, I. (2005). Music: A practical definition. The Musical Times, 146(1890), 83-88.

https://doi.org/10.2307/30044071

Gordon, E. (2013). Music learning theory for newborn and young children (2013 Edition).

GIA.

Gordon Institue of Music Learning. (2022, March 3). About Music Learning Theory.

https://giml.org/mlt/about/

Green, L. (2005). The music curriculum as lived experience: Children’s “natural” music-

learning processes. Music Educators Journal, 91(4), 27–32.

https://doi.org/10.2307/3400155

Green, L. (2017). Music, informal learning and the school: A new classroom pedagogy.

Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315248523

Jääskeläinen, R. (2010). Think-aloud protocol. Handbook of translation studies, 1, 371-

374.

Karlsen, S. (2011). Using music agency as a lens: Researching music education from the

angle of experience. Research Studies in Music Education, 33(2), 107–

121. https://doi.org/10.1177/1321103X11422005

Kvale, S. & Brinkman, S. (2009) Interviews: Learning the craft of qualitative research

interviewing. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE.

Mayo, W. (2018) The effects of parameters on composition anxiety. Texas Music

Education Research, 18(31), 18–31. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1205445

Miller, B. A. (2004). Designing compositional tasks for elementary music classrooms.

Research Studies in Music Education, 22(1), 59–71.

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Muhonen, S. (2016). Students' experiences of collaborative creation through songcrafting

in primary school: Supporting creative agency in ‘school music’ programmes.

British Journal of Music Education, 33(3), 263–281.

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051716000176

Music for People. (2019, June 5). Bill of musical rights.

https://www.musicforpeople.org/wp/bill-musical-rights/

Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods. SAGE Publications,

Inc.

Reynolds, A. M., & Burton, S. L. (2017). Serve and return: Communication foundations

for early childhood music policy stakeholders. Arts Education Policy Review,

118, 140–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2016.1244779

Reynolds, A. M., Taggart, C. C., & Valerio, W. H. (2020). Music play 2 – Bundle

(includes parts A and B). Chicago: GIA.

Reynolds, A. M., Long, S., & Valerio, W. H. (2007). Language acquisition and music

acquisition: Possible parallels. In K. Smithrim & R. Upitis (Eds), Listen to their

voices: Research and practice in early childhood music (pp. 211-227). Canadian

Music Educators’ Association.

Saldaña, J. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (2nd ed.). Sage

Publications Ltd.

Sharma, G. (2017). Pros and cons of different sampling techniques. International journal

of applied research, 3(7), 749–752.

Sutela, K., Juntunen, M., & Ojala, J. (2020). Applying music-and-movement to promote

agency development in music education: A case study in a special school. British

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Journal of Music Education, 37(1), 71–85.

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051719000184

Valerio, W. H., Reynolds, A. M., Bolton, E. M., Taggart, C. C., & Gordon, E. E. (1998).

Music play: The early childhood music curriculum guide for parents, teachers,

and caregivers. Chicago: GIA.

Wiggins, J. (2016). Music agency. In McPherson, G. (2015) The child as musician: A

handbook of musical development (2nd ed., pp. 102-121). Oxford.

Younker, B. A. (2000). Thought processes and strategies of students engaged in music

composition 1. Research Studies in Music Education, 14(1), 24–39.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1321103X0001400103

55
APPENDIX A: IRB APPROVAL LETTER

56
APPENDIX B: LETTER OF CONSENT SENT TO PARENTS

10.3.21
Dear

Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

As a part of the University of South Carolina/St. Peter’s Catholic School 24-year


partnership, I have been privileged to be your child’s music teacher during the 2020-21
and 2021-22 academic years. In our music classes, your child has demonstrated creative
musicianship during many of our in-class music improvisation and composition
activities. I ask your permission to videotape our class periods on Mondays and
Wednesdays from October 6th- October 25th, 2021 to collect data for my master’s thesis,
Examining Sixth-Grade Students’ Music Agency Through Rhythm Composition. This
research will provide insight into how students utilize agency, their ability to make
choices, during a music composition activity. Video recordings will be stored in an
encrypted, password protected folder that will only be accessible to myself. This insight
may provide information that future music educators may use in their pedagogies.

Data for this study will be collected as a part of the regular music class curriculum,
during the established sixth-grade music class period. I will use a video camera to record
each music class period. Other data sources will include your child’s music journal, your
child’s reflection sheets, my personal journal, and my lesson plans. Each of these data
sources is a part of our current music class curriculum. All data will be coded with no
identifying information, including names. Videotapes will not be published, but will be
used for my future research presentations.

At any time, you may discontinue your child’s participation in this study without
prejudice. If you do wish for your child to participate in this study, data provided by your
child will not be analyzed or used in this study. Should you have any questions about this
research, please contact Robert Spearman at rzs@email.sc.edu. The UofSC School of
Music is eager to ensure that all research participants are treated in a fair and respectful
manner. If you have any concerns or questions about your child’s treatment as a subject
in this project, contact Dr. Wendy Valerio (wvalerio@mozart.sc.edu).

57
If you agree for your child’s journaling and videotaped composition activities to be used
for this study, please complete the following page and return it to your child’s classroom
teacher by October 6th, 2021. Thank you for considering supporting this study.

Sincerely,

X Robert Spearman
Robert Spearman

Signed by: ed952c94-2caa-4c82-bb2b-cbf58a7858cd

Robert Spearman, MME in progress Wendy H. Valerio, Ph.D.


USC School of Music Faculty Advisor

Examining Sixth-Grade Students’ Music Agency Through Rhythm Composition

Informed Consent

My child has permission to participate in Examining Sixth-Grade Students’ Music Agency


Through Rhythm Composition. I have read, understand, and agree to comply with the
information outlined in the accompanying letter of informed consent.

Today’s Date

Child’s Name (Print) Child’s Birth Date

Printed Name of Parent/Guardian

Signature of Parent

58
Return by October 6th, 2021

59
APPENDIX C: INITIAL LEARNING PLAN FOR STUDY
Table C.1
Outline of Rhythm Composition Unit

Class Description of Class Data Collected During


1 Using a theme of their choice, students Students’ hand-written reflections.
improvise words to create a rhythm chant
and experiment with the rhythm of the Photo of students’ written words to chant
chant over drum loops. recorded in individual notebooks.

Class video recording.

2 Students finalize the rhythms of their Students’ hand-written reflections.


rhythm chant. The students then notate
their rhythm using a form of notation of Photo of students’ notated rhythm chants
their choice. in individual notebook.

Class video recording.

3 Students create a rhythmic Students’ hand-written reflections.


accompaniment using percussion and
improvised instruments. The students Photo of students’ notated rhythm chants
notate their rhythmic accompaniment and rhythmic accompaniment in
using a form of notation of their choice. individual notebook.

Class video recording.

4 Students learn how to record their Students’ hand-written reflections.


rhythm chants using the Soundtrap app
on an iPad. Class video recording.

5 Students record their individual rhythm Students’ hand-written reflection.


chants and rhythm accompaniments on
Soundtrap. Students each title their Audio files of students’ recordings.
compositions.
Class video recording.

60
6 Teacher shares the students’ recordings Students’ hand-written reflections.
of their rhythm composition. Students’
each describe their rhythm compositions Class video recording.
to the class. Classmates offer verbal
feedback to each composer.

61
APPENDIX D: IMPLEMENTED LEARNING PLAN FOR STUDY
Table D.1
Outline of Rhythm Composition Unit

Day # Description of Activities Data Collected

Day 1: October 1. Hello Chant and Warm Up ● Video Recording


6th, 2021 a. Students will chant a hello of Class on 360
rhythm chant while Camera and iPad
moving ● Pictures of
b. Students will modify the students’ work in
rhythm chant to map their music
different body parts journals
c. Students will lead their ● Students’
classmates in body completed
stretches Reflection sheets
2. Duple Rhythm Patterns ● Teacher’s research
a. Students will imitate notes
teachers patterns at the
Aural/Oral (A/O) and
Verbal Association (VA)
skill level
b. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns
using a neutral syllable
c. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns V/A
at the creativity improv
level.
d. Students will perform
rhythm patterns using VA
after teacher performs
rhythm patterns on neutral
syllable.
3. Rhythm Chant Improv over drum
loop
a. Teacher will select a
duple meter drum loop for
use in this activity.
b. Students will write down

62
3 topics of which they are
knowledgeable and want
to create music about in
their music journal.
c. Students will share their
three topics with others
d. Students will listen to
their teacher improvise
about one topic.
e. Students will improvise a
rhythm chant over a drum
loop about one of their
three topics
f. Students will choose a
different topic to
improvise a rhythm chant
to over a drum loop
g. Students will choose a
different topic to
improvise a rhythm chant
to over a drum loop
h. Students will record their
musical ideas from their
improvisation in their
music journal
4. Reflection on Choices
a. Students will complete
the reflection sheet given
to them by their teacher.

Day 2: October 1. Hello Chant and Warm Up ● Video Recording


13th, 2021 a. Students will chant a hello of Class on 360
(The monday rhythm chant while Camera
of this week moving ● Pictures of
was an early b. Students will modify the students’ work in
release day). rhythm chant to map their music
different body parts journals
c. Students will lead their ● Students’
classmates in body completed
stretches Reflection sheets
2. Duple Rhythm Patterns ● Teacher’s research
a. Students will imitate notes
teachers patterns at the
Aural/Oral (A/O) and
Verbal Association (VA)
skill level

63
b. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns
using a neutral syllable
c. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns V/A
at the creativity improv
level.
d. Students will perform
rhythm patterns using VA
after teacher performs
rhythm patterns on neutral
syllable.
3. Rhythm chant Creation
a. Students will review their
musical ideas from their
improvisation from the
previous class period
recorded in their music
journals
b. Students will choose one
topic for their chants and
begin creating and
recording their chants
c. Students will record their
work in their music
journal.
d. Teacher will work with
students individually as
they work on their rhythm
chants.
4. Reflection on Choices
a. Students will complete
the reflection sheet given
to them by their teacher.

Day 3 1. Hello Chant and Warm Up ● Video Recording


a. Students will chant a hello of Class on 360
OCtober 18th rhythm chant while Camera
2021 moving ● Pictures of
b. Students will modify the students’ work in
rhythm chant to map their music
different body parts journals
c. Students will lead their ● Students’
classmates in body completed

64
stretches Reflection sheets
2. Duple Rhythm Patterns ● Teacher’s research
a. Students will imitate notes
teachers patterns at the
Aural/Oral (A/O) and
Verbal Association (VA)
skill level
b. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns
using a neutral syllable
c. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns V/A
at the creativity improv
level.
d. Students will perform
rhythm patterns using VA
after teacher performs
rhythm patterns on neutral
syllable.
3. Rhythm Chant Creation
a. Students will review their
written rhythm chants
from the previous class
period and continue to
work on them.
b. Students will record their
work in their music
journal
c. Teacher will assist
students individually as
they work on their rhythm
chants
4. Rhythm Chant Accompaniment
a. Students will create a
rhythm accompaniment to
go along with their
rhythm chant
b. Students will use drums
and their student music
kits to play their rhythm
accompaniment
c. Students will record their
rhythm accompaniment in
their journal.
d. Teacher will assist
students individually as

65
they work on their chants
and accompaniment.
5. Reflection on Choices
a. Students will complete
the reflection sheet given
to them by their teacher.

Day 4 1. Hello Chant and Warm up ● Video Recording


October 20th, a. Students will chant a hello of Class on 360
2021 rhythm chant while Camera and iPad
moving ● Pictures of
b. Students will modify the students’ work in
rhythm chant to map their music
different body parts journals
c. Students will lead their ● Students’
classmates in body completed
stretches Reflection sheets
2. Duple Rhythm Patterns ● Teacher’s research
a. Students will imitate notes
teachers patterns at the
Aural/Oral (A/O) and
Verbal Association (VA)
skill level while moving
around the room in
locomotor space.
b. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns
using a neutral syllable
c. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns V/A
at the creativity improv
level.
d. Students will perform
rhythm patterns using VA
after teacher performs
rhythm patterns on neutral
syllable.
3. Rhythm Chant/Rhythm
Accompaniment
Creation/Review
a. Students will continue
creating their rhythm
chants and rhythm
accompaniment

66
b. Students will record all
work in their music
journals
c. Teacher will assist
students individually as
they work on their chants
and accompaniments
4. Chant and accompaniment
practice
a. Students will practice
their chants and
accompaniments outloud.
5. Reflection on Choices
a. Students will complete
the reflection sheet given
to them by their teacher.

Day 5 6. Hello Chant and Warm Up ● Video Recording


October 25th a. Students will chant a hello of Class on 360
rhythm chant while Camera
moving ● Pictures of
b. Students will modify the students’ work in
rhythm chant to map their music
different body parts journals
c. Students will lead their ● Students’
classmates in body completed
stretches Reflection sheets
7. Duple Rhythm ● Teacher’s research
Patterns/Percussion Line activity notes
a. Students will imitate
teachers patterns at the
Aural/Oral (A/O) and
Verbal Association (VA)
skill level
b. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns
using a neutral syllable
c. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns V/A
at the creativity improv
level while moving
around the room.
d. Students will perform
rhythm patterns using VA
after teacher performs
rhythm patterns on neutral

67
syllable.
8. Rhythm Chant/Rhythm
Accompaniment
Creation/Review
a. Students will continue
creating their rhythm
chants and rhythm
accompaniment
b. Students will record all
work in their music
journals
c. Teacher will assist
students individually as
they work on their chants
and accompaniments
9. Chant and accompaniment
practice
a. Students will practice
their chants and
accompaniments outloud.
10. Reflection on Choices
a. Students will complete
the reflection sheet given
to them by their teacher.

Day 6 1. Hello Chant and Warm Up ● Video Recording


October 27th, a. Students will chant a hello of Class on 360
2021 rhythm chant while Camera
moving ● Pictures of
b. Students will modify the students’ work in
rhythm chant to map their music
different body parts journals
c. Students will lead their ● iPad video
classmates in body recording of
stretches students’ chants
2. Duple Rhythm and
Patterns/Percussion Line activity accompaniment
a. Students will imitate ● Students’
teachers patterns at the completed
Aural/Oral (A/O) and Reflection sheets
Verbal Association (VA) ● Teacher’s research
skill level notes
b. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns
using a neutral syllable
c. Students will create their

68
own rhythm patterns V/A
at the creativity improv
level while moving
around the room.
d. Students will perform
rhythm patterns using VA
after teacher performs
rhythm patterns on neutral
syllable.
3. Rhythm Chant/Rhythm
Accompaniment
Creation/Review
a. Students will continue
creating their rhythm
chants and rhythm
accompaniment
b. Students will record all
work in their music
journals
c. Teacher will assist
students individually as
they work on their chants
and accompaniments
4. Chant and accompaniment
practice
a. Students will practice
their chants and
accompaniments outloud
5. Recording chant with
accompaniment using iPad
a. Students will video record
their chant and
accompaniment using my
iPad.
6. Reflection on Choices
a. Students will complete
the reflection sheet given
to them by their teacher.

Day 7 1. Hello Chant and Warm Up ● Video Recording


November 1st b. Students will chant a hello of Class on 360
2021 rhythm chant while Camera
moving ● Pictures of
d. Students will modify the students’ work in
rhythm chant to map their music
different body parts journals

69
e. Students will lead their ● iPad video
classmates in body recording of
stretches students’ chants
2. Duple Rhythm and
Patterns/Percussion Line activity accompaniment
a. Students will imitate ● Students’
teachers patterns at the completed
Aural/Oral (A/O) and Reflection sheets
Verbal Association (VA) ● Teacher’s research
skill level notes
b. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns
using a neutral syllable
c. Students will create their
own rhythm patterns V/A
at the creativity improv
level while moving
around the room.
d. Students will perform
rhythm patterns using VA
after teacher performs
rhythm patterns on neutral
syllable.
3. Rhythm Chant/Rhythm
Accompaniment
Creation/Review
a. Students will continue
creating their rhythm
chants and rhythm
accompaniment
b. Students will record all
work in their music
journals
c. Teacher will assist
students individually as
they work on their chants
and accompaniments
4. Chant and accompaniment
practice
a. Students will practice
their chants and
accompaniments outloud
5. Recording chant with
accompaniment using iPad
a. Students will video record
their chant and

70
accompaniment using my
iPad.
6. Reflection on Choices
a. Students will complete
the reflection sheet given
to them by their teacher.

Day 8 7. Hello Chant and Warm Up ● Video Recording


November 3, a. Students will chant a hello of Class on 360
2021 rhythm chant while Camera
moving ● iPad video
b. Students will modify the recording of
rhythm chant to map students’ chants
different body parts and
c. Students will lead their accompaniment
classmates in body ● Teacher’s research
stretches notes
8. Recording chant with
accompaniment using iPad
a. Students will video record
their chant and
accompaniment using my
iPad.
9. Watch Recordings
a. Students will share their
rhythm chant recordings
and discuss the choices
they made
b. Students will watch other
students’ recordings.
10. Reflection on Choices
a. Students will complete
the reflection sheet given
to them by their teacher.

Day 9 1. Hello Chant and Warm Up ● Video Recording


November 10, b. Students will chant a hello of Class on 360
2021 rhythm chant while Camera
moving ● iPad video
(No class on c. Students will modify the recording of
Novemebr 8th rhythm chant to map students’ chants
due to Early different body parts and
release) d. Students will lead their accompaniment
classmates in body ● Students’
stretches completed
2. Watch Recordings Reflection sheets

71
a. Students will share their ● Teacher’s research
rhythm chant recordings notes
and discuss the choices
they made
b. Students will watch other
students’ recordings.
3.

72
APPENDIX E: STUDENT REFLECTION SHEET

Name_____________
Date_____________

Students Reflection Sheet

What musical choices did you make today?

How did you make your musical choices?

73
Name_____________
Date_____________

What did you think about making your musical choices?

74
APPENDIX F: CODE BOOK

4 Categories
Data Source Notation Feelings Ownership Action
Codes From “words be the “I loved it a “I get to make “I get to make
Interviews song, the title” lot” my, my, the my, my, the
words that I words that I had
“I wrote it “awesome” had to put in to put in my, my
down my, my song” song”
normally” “it was fun”
“I got to “I do it to read
“thought it “liked making decide” my book. That's
would be nice my own it.”
to write it decisions” “I got to decide
down.” um my topic” “It because in
“fun to write my book I found
“I wrote what about a topic “how I wanted a lot, a lot of
came into my that I like” to write it.” rhymes”
head first.”
“rally liked it” “My turtle “. I decided
“I just wrote inspired me” what speed I
the words and “like that I got wanted to play
the beats” to choose what “choose what the ostinato and
I wanted to do my steady beat how fast I
“hard to and what I like was And to wanted to say
follow with to do.” choose what my
the notation” lyrics would fit composition”
“hard to read “really enjoyed best and what I
the notation when it like the most” “and showing
happened” you how to say
“I chose to do the words that
“it Was rhythm beats are.”
fun…to write that I'd known
stuff” the best and “how I wanted
that I like the to write it.”
“recording part best”
was kind of “I wanted to try
hard…” “I got to be to make it
really creative” rhyme because
“writing part it helped me to
was really fun” remember.”

75
“decide what
“wanted to my I wanted it “I also got to
improve” to be about” make a pattern
to go with that
“my ideas” and I got to
make that all by
“my patterns” myself.”

used my
chopsticks to
make a beat”.

“thought of
what I really
liked.”

“asked Student
E to help me”

“I wrote what
came into my
head first.”

“make some of
the two most
random things I
could think
about together”

Codes From “put the notes “my Halloween “made a


Students’ for it” “turned out song” rhythm”
Reflections really well”
“my own “thought of my
“made really chant” topic”
good choice”
“making my “what to say
“really good” words rhyme” when I
improvised”
“Fun” “with my voice
and body “things that
“I Enjoyed it” percussion” came to my
mind”

76
“Did a good “I made “Made a cute
Job” something” song”

“I felt good “Singing my “with my voice


about being own song” and body
able to choose percussion”
my own topic”. “making a beat
for myself” “do a rhythm
“Felt good” pattern”
“thought of
“wrote them which I “lyrics and beat”
down” wanted”
“I made
“my ideas “thought of something”
were hard to which one I
make a chant wanted” “Singing my
about.” own song”
“made myself”
“Mostly fun”
“what I “improvising”
“really good” wanted” “thinking”

“really fun” “my own “made my


pattern rhythm rhyme”
“great, cool,
nice” “made it from “Thinking of
my heart” words that
“Enjoyed it” rhyme”
“I decided what
“liked the way to write” “making a beat
it sounded” for myself”
“I decided what
“liked it” beat to put with “made a
the words” rhythm”
“fun…using
my own ideas” “my own “really good
rhythm chant” musical
“love my choices”
story” “about what I
think sounds “my mind”
“doubted best”
myself” “picked a topic”
“my music”
“Love my “thought of
story” “writing my which I wanted”
chant”

77
“doubted “thought of
myself” “my chant” turtles”

“enjoyed” “I decided how “thought a


to end my rhythm”
“I loved it” composition”
“in my head”
“it was great” “I decided what
beat I should “thought of
“made a good do” which one I
choice” wanted”
“helped myself
“I liked my with my song” “made myself”
composition”
“my “what I wanted”
“ I loved it ” song/chant”
“put the notes
“I think I did “what I liked for it”
good” and think
sounds the “what I like
“it was fun” best” most”

“good” “what rhythm I “how to say my


wanted to use” chant”
“I liked it”
“sounded best “in my head”
“didn’t really for my chant”
like it” “Minecraft
“what my song”
“good ostinato should
decision” be” “book”

“would be “my song” “listened”


good”
“my rhythms” “audiated”
“good song”
“my own “thought
“I liked it!” rhythms” random things”

“fun” “what I needed “use a pattern


for my from a song I
“fun to play” recording” like”

“felt proud of “my song” “write a song”


myself”
“my chants” “thinking”

78
“fun” “used my own “chosed the beat
thoughts and of my song and
“yes ” words” words”

“I like them” “chant that I “thinking about


made” topics”
“liked my
choices” “my chant” “I decided what
to write”
“good idea” “my patterns”
“I decided what
“happy” “my rhythm beat to put with
pattern” the words”
“easy”
“what I like “Thought”
“really good” most”
“helped myself
“fun” “my rhythm with my song”
chant”
“not much” “what would
“my chant” sound good”
“fun”
“my musical “made a beat”
“fun” inspiration”
“thought about
“didn’t think it it”
sounded great”
“good ones”
“now it sounds
great” “in my head”

“enjoyed it!” “make a


rhythme”
“liked my
choices” “taping on my
desk”
“very good
choices” “really good”

“really good” “imagination”

“fun” “make another


song”
“enjoyed
listening”

79
“looking at my
“happy with ideas”
my chants”
“find an
“good because ostinato”
I used my own
thoughts” “audiated then
played it”
“fun to record”
“If it rhymed it
“fun” would sound
better”
“great”
“found the
“fun” perfect beat”

“loved making “practiced the


them!” beat”

“regretted after “thinking about


recording” it”

“liked my “what rhythms I


choice” got to do”

“made a good “in my head”


choice”
“make a short
“really good” pattern”

“I did very “used


well” chopsticks”

“I did great” “memorize part


of my pattern”

“read it over and


over again”

“helped Student
with pattern”

“very good
musical
choices”

80
“mind”

“love for topic”

“found what
sounds best”

“memorize my
chant”

“thought about
the length”

“continued
song”

“looking back”

“make my
pattern easier
for myself”

“played it on my
sticks and
drum”

“student helped
me make my
choices”

“made a
rhythm”

“in my head”

“figured out the


beat”

“played it
(beat)”

“made my own
rhythms”

“youtube video”

81
“practiced my
chant”

“in my brain”

“recorded my
chant”

“chose to record
today”

“remake my
video”

“helped student
decide ostinato”

“listened to her
ideas”

“playing my
song”

“my mind”

“worked with
other students”

“listen to their
rhythm chants”

“made a lot of
great rhyme”

“listening words
that rhymed”

“used my own
thoughts and my
own words”

“using a friend”

“practiced my
chant”

82
“played my
chant on my
drum”

“in my mind”

“made a
summer song”

“listening”

“played my
chant on my
drum”

“played my
patterns”

“said what
sounded best”

“recorded my
rhythm chant”

“helped student
finish their
chant”

“helped with
their beat”

“decided speed”

“listened”

“made the
ending of my
song”

“telling a friend
to help me”

“used my love
for topic for my

83
musical
inspiration”

Codes From Student wrote


Students’ duple rhythms
Compositions above words
(Process in standard
coding) notation

Student wrote
words to chant
marked out in
stanzas.

Student wrote
out diction for
certain words
in chant

Student wrote
just words for
chant (I)

Student wrote
out chant
multiple
times,
crossing out
words not
used

Student used
standard
notation and

84
words in
rhythm chant

Student wrote
multiple
chants
referencing
previous
material

Student wrote
chant in
paragraph
form

Student used
small amounts
of notation,
noted as
“beat”. Along
with words

Student
included
notation for
clapping part
of chant.

Student wrote
out rhythm to
ostinato in
standard
notation

Student
connected
composition
to previous
classroom
project.

Student wrote
chant using
words.

85
Student
credited
another
student with
edits to their
composition.
Codes From Students’ used Students’ Students’
Teacher’s notation in enjoying and improvised with
Research composition laughing body percussion
Journal during
(descriptive Students’ improvisation Students’
coding) wrote words bobbed head to
with no music Students’ internal beat
notation. enjoying
sharing ideas Students’
with each other referenced book

Students’ Students’
nervous about referenced
sharing outside music
recordings when
with class composing

Students’ Students’
unsure about reading music in
describing head
their choices

Students’
chanting
quietly.

86

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