Authentic membership: The experiences of two students with hearing loss in instrumental music

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of two students with hearing loss participating in instrumental music. Four orienting questions guided the inquiry: (a) What factors contribute to these students’ motivation to continue participating in instrumental music?; (b) How is hearing loss affecting each student’s music participation and what strategies are accommodating for their hearing loss?; (c) How are students with hearing loss experiencing inclusion in the secondary instrumental classroom?; and (d) What can school music teachers learn from the experiences of these students? Two participants were identified through email solicitation of a large instrumental music teacher organization and snowball sampling with audiologists in the medical community. Data was gleaned in the two cases through analysis of documents, interviews with the two principal informants, their parents and music teachers, and observations of the two students with hearing loss in large ensemble settings, as well as, private lessons or sectionals. Analysis and interpretation of the data revealed (a) multiple factors affected motivation for continued participation, many similar to typically hearing students; (b) intonation is the most challenging aspect of music performance and that is being accommodated for in a number of ways, primarily through peer modeling and attention to visual and vibrotactile input; and (c) the two students have gone beyond simple inclusion to being authentic members of their school instrumental ensemble. The study concludes with implications for music teachers, parents, and researchers of students with hearing loss.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2012

Author dc:creator

• Burdett, John

Contributors dc:contributor

• Harwood, Eve E.
• Bresler, Liora
• Moorhouse, Linda
• Nichols, Jeananne B.

• deaf
• hearing loss
• instrumental music

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2012 John Burdett

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/34283

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/34283