Measuring Music Reading: A Guide to Assessment Methods

Abstract

Music reading is a complex skill. In order to better understand the reading process and evaluate the effects of teaching intervention, it is essential to measure this skill. Research in the field of music pedagogy has provided a number of studies concerned with the measurement of music reading, using varying methods of assessment. However, the corpus of literature is lacking in organization and clarity, in part due to the fact that the assessment methods come from diverse disciplines and the studies themselves may present a number of inconsistencies. Using a research model based on systematic review, the objective of the thesis is to provide an organized synopsis of music reading assessment methods. The thesis has identified and compiled a corpus of 88 relevant studies, with an emphasis on experimental keyboard research in the Western, classical, tonal tradition, though studies with woodwind, brass, percussion, and vocal instrumentation are included as necessary. The assessment methods employed in the studies are classified according to one of three broad categories: test measurements, eye-tracking measurements, and neurological measurements. The purpose of this guide is to be a reference for researchers and educational practitioners, and includes comparison and summary charts and a concluding index.