Musical Thinking as Exemplified in Music Criticism

The purpose of this study was to consider the thought processes involved in the formulation of written music criticism. Using John Dewey's definition of thinking as a basis, the works of metacritics Francis Sparshott, Theodore M. Greene, and D. W. Gotshalk and critics Virgil Thomson and M. D. Calvocoressi were surveyed, and their outlines of the critical process were used to develop a paradigm for the thought process involved in the formulation of music criticism. Thirty pieces of written music criticism from the work of six music critics were randomly seclected and the critic's statements were categorized according to the proposed paradigm. The statements from a stream of consciousness narrative produced by a music critic while listening to an orchestral concert were then categorized according to the paradigm, and a comparison was made between the thought process revealed by the written criticism and the stream of consciousness narrative.

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

2014

Author dc:creator

• Richardson, Carol Peterson

Contributors dc:contributor

• Colwell, Richard J.

• Education, Music

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8823233

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/70864