International Journal of Music Education recent issues

Editorial

Cheung, J., Brophy, T. S. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:15 PST

Can improvisation be 'taught'?: A call for free improvisation in our schools

Hickey, M. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:15 PST

The purpose of this article is to present the idea that the music education profession’s current drive to include improvisation in school music is limited in its approach, and that teaching improvisation, in the traditional sense, is not possible. These beliefs are based on an examination of current methodologies and texts in light of the historical evolution of both improvisation and the teaching of improvisation. The article provides an examination of Jeff Pressing’s historical conceptions of improvisation as a continuum model and then briefly looks at the short history of improvisation in American music education in the 20th century. Current methods are examined in light of free improvisation techniques. This leads to a final argument for more free improvisation in school music balanced with the current skills approach used in the USA. The conclusion of this article examines the issues and realities for current practices in music education in light of the beliefs set forth.

Facilitating musical composition as 'contract learning' in the classroom: the development and application of a teaching resource for primary school teachers in the UK

Clennon, O. D. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:15 PST

Despite national initiatives in the UK such as Creative Partnerships, an organization formed in 2002 for exploring creative approaches to learning in the classroom, there is still a gap between aspiration and practice. This is especially evident in the teaching of musical composition in primary schools, partly because there seems to be a profound fear of music, especially for many primary school teachers who are not music specialists, and a lack of knowledge of participatory practice. This article describes the development of a resource for facilitating compositional processes using classroom management skills, as adapted from Knowles’s ‘contract learning’. I will also highlight the creative tensions raised by the sometimes conflicting approaches of instruction and facilitation.

Orff and the 'ivory tower': fostering critique as a mode of legitimation

Locke, T. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:15 PST

This article begins by recounting the development and implementation of a unique, mutual agreement between the School of Education at the University of Waikato and Orff New Zealand Aotearoa (ONZA) to develop three master’s-level courses in Orff Music Education: Theory and Practice. The rationale for this project is detailed and related to changing conceptions of postgraduate study and debates about continuing ‘professional learning’ for teachers. It is argued that at the heart of the exercise is a problematic around theorization. How can an approach to pedagogy such as Orff Schulwerk be incorporated into a programme that demands critical reflexivity? A number of ‘solutions’ to this problematic are provided. A case is made that involves teachers (as practitioners and prospective researchers) in addressing this problematic and will have positive consequences for Orff Schulwerk in New Zealand (and beyond), and for debates about classroom pedagogy in general.

Communicating and accentuating the aesthetic and expressive dimension in choral conducting

Durrant, C. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:15 PST

This article considers the issues that are involved in effective choral conducting from an aesthetic dimension. Drawing upon research, theories and practice, it provides some insight into the nature of communication and the significance of gesture on vocal outcome as well as qualities of leadership concomitant with such musical activity. The article also reports on a research study that investigated the professional development of students and teachers in the area of choral conducting, focusing on their attitudes, skill acquisition and the importance attached to reflection on practice. The findings reveal that consideration of what counts as effective conducting gesture and communication skill can promote better conducting and, consequently, better, more expressive singing. In addition, the positive impact of self- and peer reflection on progress (both face-to-face and within a virtual learning environment) was also acknowledged. Certain suggestions for promoting effective musical leadership in the area of choral conducting are provided, in order to ground theoretical perspectives in practice.

'I'll sing with my buddies' -- Fostering the possible selves of male choral singers

Freer, P. K. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:15 PST

The stories of three high school boys about their experiences in school-based choral music provide the framework for a discussion of the role music educators can play in retaining male singers. The ‘possible selves’ construct (Markus & Nurius, 1986) is explored alongside research-based implications about specific steps toward developing boys’ identities as choral musicians. Possible selves are future conceptions of the self that are either positive (hoped-for) or negative (feared). The changing of the adolescent male voice occurs at approximately the same time as major social, academic, and other physical changes. It is thought that these issues coincide in a manner that discourages boys from participation in choral music (Freer, 2007). Drawing upon a successful non-musical model, the author proposes a variant of the ‘Possible Selves Program’ (Hock, Deshler, & Schumaker, 2006) for use in music settings.

Music practices and teachers' needs for teaching music in public preschools of South Korea

Lee, Y. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:15 PST

The present study aimed to investigate the current music practices and teachers’ needs for teaching music in public preschools of South Korea. The data were obtained from the public preschools in South Korea, where 66.7 percent (n = 606) of the total sample (N = 908) responded. The online survey consisted of 42 questions: Likert-type scales, single and multiple-choice responses, and four open-ended questions. Focusing on the current music practices of public preschools, the 42 questions were divided into seven categories according to question content. The majority of teachers stated that their lesson plans included group music activities more than twice a week, lasting less than 30 minutes on average. The most important reason for including music in the curriculum was ‘enjoyment and recreation’. Almost all teachers planned their music curriculum with a weekly theme, and they chose songs to complement the theme. Singing with finger play (a song, game or chant with finger action) was reported to be the most popular activity in public preschools. The teachers taught songs with piano accompaniment or a CD, and several common CD collections for music activities were employed. Although rhythmic percussion instruments were the most accessible in a music center, the piano was the most frequently used by teachers during circle time in the classroom. Teachers identified the difficulty of the lack of ideas for music activities in preschools. The majority of the participants requested more applicable and thorough preservice and inservice music education programs for preschool teachers.

Reflective practice: a tool for measuring the development of generic skills in the training of professional musicians

Brown, J. E. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:15 PST

The 2006 ISME Commission for the Education of the Professional Musician (CEPROM) provided a unique forum for a number of important debates surrounding the preparation of young musicians for a professional career in the performing arts. One such debate considered the imperative of ensuring young professional musicians graduated from tertiary music institutions with skills beyond those of just performance practice: the more general or ‘generic’ skills that can be transferred into the many types of work situations they will inevitably face after their formal studies have been completed. Driven by the new imperatives surrounding work and changing careers, this debate dominated many of the discussions at the 2006 CEPROM. Building upon this debate, this article outlines a case study on the use of reflective journal writing as a curriculum tool to encourage music students to develop the generic skills of critical, creative and self-regulated thinking. Within the context of an Australian university landscape that is increasingly placing more emphasis on generic graduate outcomes, this article draws on the work of a number of educational theorists to provide a theoretical underpinning and rationale for reflective journal writing as a tool for embedding these generic skills in the music curriculum. The article concludes with some discussion of further research challenges and implications for curriculum design in tertiary music.

Editorial

Ilari, B. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:04:45 PDT

Participant approaches to and reflections on learning to play a 12-bar blues in an asynchronous e-learning environment

Seddon, F., Biasutti, M. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:04:45 PDT

This study investigated the viability of learning to play an improvised 12-bar blues on keyboard with both hands together in an asynchronous e-learning environment. The study also sought to reveal participant approaches to and reflections on this learning experience. Participants were video-taped as they engaged with six `Blues Activities', supported by audio `guide' and `backing' tracks and a `remote facilitator'. Participants required nine or ten learning sessions, over a period of six weeks, to successfully complete the `Blues Activities'. Individual, semi-structured interviews, designed to reveal participant reflections on their engagement with the `Blues Activities' were conducted with the participants after they had completed the learning sessions. Results revealed that: (1) at the end of the learning sessions, all participants were able to play the 12-bar improvised blues; (2) participants engaged in five distinct learning behaviours; and (3) four participant `reflective themes' emerged from the semi-structured interviews. The five distinct learning behaviours were interpreted as `learning activities': `instruction', `copying', `practising', `playing' and `evaluating'. The four `reflective themes' were interpreted as: `activities', `feelings', `evaluation' and `difficulties'. Comments made by participants during interviews and email exchanges, provided support for the researcher interpretations of the `learning activities' and `reflective themes' through the process of triangulation. Implications for music education are discussed.

Learning design and proscription: how generative activity was promoted in music composing

Breeze, N. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:04:45 PDT

This article reports on a particular aspect of a PhD study into pupil composing in music classrooms with information and communications technology (ICT). Two case studies based in England investigated the work of two groups of pupils in different phases of education, one aged 12—13 (secondary) and the other 10—11 (primary). A theoretical lens that was utilized to illuminate a specific aspect of the learning design was that of proscription, which not only allowed a detailed investigation of pupils' generative activity to be made, but also revealed aspects about the learning environment that often remain tacit and hence unexplored. A key outcome of the study was the suggestion that the notion of proscription be extended to one of providing the possibility of moving beyond given constraints to compose music that lies outside their boundaries.

A descriptive study of high school and university students' focus of attention in fast and slow orchestral excerpts

Macleod, R. B., Geringer, J. M., Scott, L. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:04:45 PDT

The purpose of this study was to investigate listener discrimination of orchestral performances and to ascertain focus of listener attention to technical and expressive music elements of those performances. High School (n = 84) and University (n = 84) music students listened to four orchestral excerpts: two slow/soft excerpts and two fast/loud excerpts. Recordings representing three levels of performance were presented: high school, university and professional. Listeners rated excerpts on accuracy and musicality, and identified the most noticeable element of each performance. Results indicated that listeners discriminated between performance levels. In the slow excerpts, university students noticed intonation and tone most frequently, while high school students noticed dynamics and tone. For the fast examples, university students noted dynamics, accuracy and articulation. High school students noticed dynamics overwhelmingly. Listeners noticed a wide variety of elements for the slow examples, whereas responses were more similar for the fast excerpts.

What the students bring: examining the attributes of commencing conservatoire students

Lebler, D., Burt-Perkins, R., Carey, G. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:04:45 PDT

As the range of experiences offered by conservatoires expands to serve an increasingly diverse student cohort, it is no longer reasonable to assume that all students will fit neatly into the traditional expectations of institutions. In the 3P model of learning, the prior learning of students is one of the presage factors that interact with process factors to create products of the system; all three sets of factors should be considered when exploring a learning system. This study explores students' preconservatoire music-learning experiences and attitudes in one bachelor of (western classical) music program in the UK and a similar program in Australia, where a popular music cohort was also studied. Results indicate that prior learning experiences and expectations differ among all three cohorts, raising pertinent questions about the need to reject a `one-model-fits-all' approach to curriculum development. Working from the data, potential lessons from the popular music context are proposed for consideration in the processes of the classical context.

Assessment of undergraduate students' music compositions

Chi Cheung Leung, , Yu Ying Wan, , Lee, A. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:04:45 PDT

This study aims to investigate and identify the criteria and parameters for assessing compositions, and how assessment can help students' learning. Participants in the study include three composer-assessors and six undergraduate music students. An assessment framework for music composition based on both the macro and micro philosophies of assessing music compositions was established. Assessment results, written comments and interview data from the composer-assessors and the student-composers were collected and analysed. A Rasch measurement model was the main tool for calibrating a stable and unified assessment scale based on subjectively rated data, and it provided a solution for standardizing ratings of assessors with different levels of severity in their ratings. The study revealed that both macro and micro aspects of assessing composition were important but assessors weighted heavier on the micro skills; supportive feedback and comments served to facilitate students to improve their works; and the framework was proven to be an effective tool in assessing music composition.

Preservice music teachers' and therapists' nonverbal behaviors and their relationship to perceived rapport

Darrow, A.-A., Johnson, C. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:04:45 PDT

The purpose of the two studies reported in the article was to determine whether or not a relationship exists between preservice music therapists' and teachers' nonverbal behaviors and their perceived rapport. In study 1, evaluators (N = 56) viewed a stimulus tape consisting of 15 45-second segments of 15 preservice music therapists leading songs appropriate for various groups of music therapy clientele. Evaluators then judged the preservice therapists for perceived client rapport under one of three conditions: video-only, audio-only, and audio/ video, and then provided comments regarding their evaluations. Two trained observers also viewed the stimulus tape and simultaneously recorded the preservice music therapists' use of the following nonverbal behaviors: proximity, gestures, facial affect and eye contact. Results of the data analyses and evaluator comments indicated that: (1) nonverbal behaviors most important to rapport ratings and client engagement were eye contact and the use of gestures; and (2) rapport ratings were not dependent upon nonverbal behaviors alone, but upon the verbal behaviors and musical skills of the preservice therapists' as well. To determine what behaviors beyond musicianship contribute to appraisals of rapport, evaluators (N = 78) in a follow-up study viewed 60-second segments of 10 preservice music teachers' verbal introductions to musical selections under the three conditions (audio-only, video-only, and audio/video), and again provided comments and rated the preservice teachers' perceived rapport. The video-only group assigned the highest rapport ratings for six of the 10 teachers, and significantly so for three of those six, indicating that nonverbal behaviors may play a role in the perception of teacher rapport. Findings of both studies indicate that nonverbal behaviors are important to verbal and musical behaviors in determining therapists' and teachers' rapport.

Editorial

Brophy, T. S., Cheung, J. — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:00:13 PDT

Interaction in instrumental learning: the influence of interpersonal dynamics on parents

Creech, A., Hallam, S. — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:00:13 PDT

The research reported here forms part of a UK study that investigated the impact of interpersonal interaction on teaching and learning outcomes, in the context of learning a musical instrument. This article presents the findings relating to parents, exploring how parental involvement, self-efficacy and personal satisfaction were influenced by parent—pupil and parent—teacher interactions. Systems theory provided a framework whereby interaction was interpreted as a product of a communicative system. Interpersonal dynamics were conceptualized as control and responsiveness, and treated as possible predictors of involvement, self-efficacy and personal satisfaction. Personal satisfaction of parents was found to be the outcome most vulnerable to interpersonal factors. Perceived teacher leadership and parental ambition (underlying dimensions of the control scale), together with reciprocity (underlying dimension of the responsiveness scale) had the greatest positive effects. This article points to the potential for parents and teachers to reframe their modes of relating within learning partnerships, thus (according to systems theory) effecting change in communication patterns and potentially fostering enhanced outcomes for all.

Improving studio music teaching through understanding learning styles

Beheshti, S. — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:00:13 PDT

The role of a studio music teacher is a delicate balance of creativity and organization. In a one-on-one setting a teacher must guide a student through the physical challenges of playing an instrument as well as conveying the abstract notions of music and aesthetics. The goal of guiding a student into becoming a fine musician is universal, but teaching approaches differ. In this article I propose using learning style models as a teaching framework. The use of learning style models in the classroom is not a new idea, but the music lesson provides a unique setting for the assessment and implementation of these models. By identifying a student's dominant learning style, a teacher can more effectively develop an individualized pedagogical approach for each student. The models can be used to organize a teacher's curriculum as well as provide a framework for new and creative teaching ideas.

An analysis of the elementary school music teaching course in Turkey

Ozgul, I. — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:00:13 PDT

In this article, I discuss the Turkish elementary school music teaching course in terms of the requirements of the Turkish elementary music curriculum and those of other countries such as the USA, Ireland and Malta. I propose that a more effective and efficient method of elementary music teacher preparation be put in place based on findings from research conducted in Turkey, and what is currently considered sound practice within the field of education in general and the music education profession.

Peer learning and reflection: strategies developed by vocal students in a transforming tertiary setting

Latukefu, L. — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:00:13 PDT

The focus of this article is on the analysis of reflection and peer learning in the pedagogical environment. The research draws on findings from a three-year Australian study, which aimed to develop and critically evaluate a model of vocal pedagogy influenced by sociocultural theories. The model sought to position Vygotsky's theories in the environment of university-level vocal instruction. To capture the developmental nature of this pedagogical project, a design-based development research methodology was employed. Central to this approach was flexibility of the design, multiple dependent variables and capturing social interaction. The students were not the subject of experimentation, but were co-participants in the design and analysis. The results of the study suggest that there is value in peer learning for both classical and non-classical singers at an undergraduate level. In particular, the data from the student journals in the present study also suggests that if the environment is arranged in such a way that peer learning is encouraged and purposely mediated, singing students find this extremely helpful as a learning strategy.

The use of gestural modes to enhance expressive conducting at all levels of entering behavior through the use of illustrators, affect displays and regulators

Mathers, A. — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:00:13 PDT

In this article, I discuss the use of illustrators, affect displays and regulators, which I consider to be non-verbal communication categories through which conductors can employ a more varied approach to body use, gesture and non-verbal communication. These categories employ the use of a conductor's hands and arms, face, eyes and body in a way that is currently being missed by many conducting programs. By utilizing three gestural modes, declamatory, corrective and narrative, conductors have a framework to apply these nonverbal communication categories, dependent on the skill level of the ensemble, the level of experience the ensemble has of the work at hand and the requirements of the music. Although corrective mode gestures are important for conductors, as they emphasize clarity and precision, more use could be made of illustrators and affect displays by conductors at all levels of entering behavior in order to access the declamatory mode, and regulators and affect displays in order to access the narrative mode. These modes promote the enhancement of expressive conducting beyond the beat patterns.

Musical exploration using ICT in the middle and secondary school classroom

Ward, C. J. — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:00:13 PDT

In this article, I explore musical creativity through Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This article aims to show that secondary school pupils can compose freely using ICT in the classroom, easing and `democratizing' the creative process, enabling a high standard for all, regardless of formal musical training. The fieldwork project was conducted across one secondary school (Years 9—13, ages 14—18) and one middle school (Years 5—8, ages 9—13) in Windsor, UK from November 2002 to December 2003. There were opportunities in the music classrooms of both schools to develop creative ideas based around tonalities of the last 40 years in spite of the fact that creativity in a non-tonal medium was well established in the professional field. I intended to show that pupils were more inventive and motivated in the music classroom when given opportunities to: (1) use ICT as an integral part of the creative process; (2) explore new sounds in a non-fixed-tonal environment; and (3) promote motivation through learning by relevant and interesting lesson content, enthusiastic delivery and an informal class atmosphere.

Pupil response, and multi-levelled and open-ended lesson content were the key to impetus, with creative catalysts and subject matter reflecting the interests of mixed-ability pupils. The students became self-motivating, and were captivated by their `play-art'. Semi-supervision became possible as pupils worked on the assignment in their groups, with the teacher helping to facilitate ideas in turn. Action research was used to continuously improve the learning environment. ICT enabled pupils to follow Bruner's constructivist philosophy and go beyond the information given. Pupils became less inclined to adopt media-generated tonal attitudes merely because they were the `norm' after the research, and showed more independence of mind in discussion and evaluation.

Earthsongs: Indigenous ways of teaching and learning

Kennedy, M. C. — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:00:13 PDT

Earthsongs was the third in a series of courses designed and facilitated by Dr. Lorna Williams, Canada Research Chair in Aboriginal Education at the University of Victoria. Subtitled Learning and teaching in an Indigenous world, these courses offer undergraduate and graduate students from the Faculty of Education and across the university, faculty members, and community members the opportunity to be engaged in an experiential educational practice and to learn first hand how teaching and learning occur in an Indigenous world. This paper provides an in-depth description of the course followed by a commentary section where the views of the writer, another faculty member, two students, and one of the artists-in-residence are discussed. The final section looks to the future, offering implications for music education both locally and globally.

Editorial

Ilari, B. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:44:07 PST

Teaching evaluations and comments of pre-service music teachers regarding expert and novice choral conductors

Johnson, C. M., Price, H. E., Schroeder, L. K. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:44:07 PST

The purpose of the present study was to determine if pre-service music educators could discriminate between novice and expert choral directors irrespective of the proficiency of the choral ensemble. A secondary purpose was to compare study results elicited in the USA with those from participants in Europe, South America and Asia. Previous research has indicated that teaching proficiency can be evaluated by people who are not speakers of the language of the lesson, but these evaluations have always occurred with participants in a natural environment, i.e., good teachers teaching students who perform well and deficient teachers in front of students who are struggling. This study was conducted to see if good teaching could still be identified, irrespective of student proficiency. Participants viewed videotapes of four different choral conductors from the USA. Two conductors were proficient and experienced, and two were novices. Participants viewed these conductors in the following counterbalanced settings: (1) an accomplished conductor conducting a fine choral ensemble; (2) an accomplished conductor conducting a poor choral ensemble; (3) a novice conductor conducting a fine choral ensemble; and (4) a novice conductor conducting a poor choral ensemble. Participants wrote observational comments and gave each teacher an evaluative numeric rating. Results of the quantitative data analysis indicated that participants evaluated the skills of the teacher and not the proficiency of the ensembles. Furthermore, results of the qualitative data analysis indicated that there were not only differences between participants from different continents, but also vast differences regarding the topics on which the participants commented, dependent upon the level of the conductor being observed.

Multicultural and popular music content in an American music teacher education program

Wang, J.-C., Humphreys, J. T. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:44:07 PST

The teaching of multicultural music, and to a lesser extent popular music, has been the stated goal of music education policy makers for many decades. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to estimate the amount and percentage of time music education majors in a university teacher education program spent on 13 styles of music in history, theory and performance courses during a four-year program, both in and out of class. Subjects were the entire population of undergraduate pre-service music teachers from one large university music school in the southwestern United States (N = 80). Estimates were provided by the course instructors. Subjects spent widely disparate amounts of time on musics of the western art (92.83%), western non-art (6.94%), and non-western (.23%) traditions, with little time (.54%) devoted to popular music. The discussion centers on solutions sometimes proffered for musically unbalanced music teacher education programs, implications relative to accreditation and national music standards in the USA, and changes implemented by the institution under study.

Effects of a music programme on kindergartners' phonological awareness skills 1

Bolduc, J. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:44:07 PST

This research examines the effect of a music training programme on the development of phonological awareness among 104 Franco-Canadian kindergarten children. The experimental group ( N = 51) participated in an adapted version of the Standley and Hughes music training programme, while the control group (N = 53) took part in the Ministère de l'Éducation du Quebec music programme. The analysis of our data shows that both music programmes contributed similarly to the development of tonal and rhythmic perceptive skills. However, the experimental music training programme proved to be more effective when it came to developing phonological awareness skills. In conclusion, this article argues that auditory perception, phonological memory and metacognitive abilities play an essential role in the development of musical and linguistic skills.

Effect of aural and visual presentation modes on Argentine and US musicians' evaluations of conducting and choral performance

Madsen, K. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:44:07 PST

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of presentation modes on evaluations of conducting and choral ensemble performance. Participants (N = 36) were graduate music students with conducting and teaching experience studying in Argentina (n = 18) or the USA (n = 18). The participants viewed and evaluated a stimulus videotape that presented a director conducting two different choral performances in three different presentation modes (aural-only, visual-only, and aural—visual). The conductor alternated between good and bad conducting in each of the two performances. While the good conducting remained consistent, the bad conducting changed in style from performance 1 to performance 2. A four-way ANOVA with repeated measures indicated significant differences as a result of performer (director and choir) and excerpt (performance 1 and performance 2). No significant differences were indicated as a result of presentation mode or culture. Results indicated that experienced teachers may be more critical of a director's performance than a choir's, that different styles of conducting behavior may influence perceptions and that poor conducting may influence evaluative ratings more so than good conducting.

The effect of computer-assisted instruction and field independence on the development of rhythm sight-reading skills of middle school instrumental students

Smith, K. H. — Mon, 01 Jan 1996 00:00:00 PST

This study investigated how the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) to teach rhythm reading skills may be influenced by subjects' level of field dependence/independence. The subjects for the study consisted of 120 middle school instrumental music students divided into four groups based on scores from the Group Embedded Figures Test. Each was randomly divided in half. Half were assigned to the experimental group receiving CAI using Music Ace 2 software, and the control group received no CAI treatment. This CAI was administered half an hour a week for eight weeks. A pre- and post-test of subjects' abilities to read and perform rhythms were measured using the Rhythm Performance Scale. No significant difference was found between test score improvements of the experimental and control groups. However, significant findings were found to show that field-independent subjects overall performed better on the rhythm performance test than field dependent subjects.

Place and role of music education in the planned Curriculum for Kindergartens

Denac, O. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:44:07 PST

This article presents the results of a research study involving 159 preschool teachers from across Slovenia. The goal of the first phase of the research, the results of which were obtained through a questionnaire sent to preschool teachers, was to establish the difficulties preschool teachers face during curricular planning. The results of the first phase of the research show that the majority of teachers face problems in planning concrete music goals. The goal of the second phase of the research, the results of which were obtained through the analysis of lesson plans (i.e., the planned curriculum) over a period of three months, was to determine the extent to which preschool teachers took into account the prin-ciples of professional justification, horizontal integration and the development-process approach defined by the Slovene Kurikulum za vrtce (Curriculum for Kindergartens) in the planning of music lessons. The lesson plans of all the preschool teachers participating in the research were analysed in terms of structure, activity, goals, principles, content, teaching strategies and instructional media. The results show that the Curriculum for Kindergartens does not give preschool teachers sufficient support for successful planning of music lessons and that music education is losing professional autonomy within arts education.