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Guides to Info. Resources > Research Guides by Subject > Music > Music Education

Last revised: February 5, 2009

Music Education

Scope: This guide is intended to provide a selective list of reference tools for research into music education. It should be used in conjunction with the UM Libraries Basic Music Reference Guide. [http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/music-basic.html]
Email librarian Steve Henry (shenry@umd.edu) or call 301-405-9256 for more information.


A Good Place to Start

  • Colwell, Richard and Carol P. Richardson. The new handbook of research on music teaching and learning: A project of the Music educators national conference. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
    LOCATION: PA LIB REF
    CALL NUMBER: MT1.S44 2002
    Essays by leading scholars on various topics in research of music education, including references for further reading.

  • Phelps, Roger P. A guide to research in music education. 5th ed. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005.
    LOCATION: PA LIB REF
    CALL NUMBER: MT1.P5 2005
    Approaches and techniques to researching in music education.

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    Locating Sources

    A subject beginning with... or subject word/s search locates terms that appear in the subject headings of the catalog record. The following are subject headings that may be useful in the search for music education resources:

    • Music – Instruction and study
    • Music – Instruction and study – Bibliography
    • Music – Instruction and study – Dictionaries
    • Music – Instruction and study – Research
    • Music – Instruction and study – Philosophy
    • Music – Philosophy and aesthetics
    • Music – Psychological aspects
    • School music – Instruction and study
    • School music – Instruction and study – Directories
    • Music therapy – Indexes

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    Reference Works

    • Brookhart, Edward. Music in American higher education: an annotated bibliography. Warren, MI: Harmonie Park Press, 1988.
      LOCATION: PA LIB REF
      CALL NUMBER: ML120.U5 B77 1988
      A collection of resources organized by topic that focus on the history of music in American higher education.

    • Choksy, Lois. Teaching music in the twenty-first century. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001.
      LOCATION: PA LIB
      CALL NUMBER: MT1.T38 2001
      Textbook offering a comparison of the Dalcroze, Kodaly, Orff, and Comprehensive musicianship methods, as related to the MENC National standards.

    • Ely, Mark C. and Amy E. Rashkin. Dictionary of music education: a handbook of terminology. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2005.
      LOCATION: PA LIB REF
      CALL NUMBER: MT1.E49 2005
      Collection of terms related to music education, including people and organizations.

    • Harris, Ernest E. Music education: a guide to information sources. Gale information guide library, vol. 1. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1978.
      LOCATION: PA LIB REF
      CALL NUMBER: ML19.H37
      Bibliography of music education sources organized by topic.

    • Heller, George N. Historical research in music education: a bibliography. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas, 1995.
      LOCATION: PA LIB REF
      CALL NUMBER: ML128.I64 H44 1995
      Bibliography focusing on historical research organized by format.

    • Institute for Therapeutics Research (Denton, TX). Music psychology index. Denton, TX: Institute for Therapeutics Research, 1978.
      LOCATION: PA LIB REF
      CALL NUMBER: ML3920.M81 vol. 3
      Index of literature from over 400 journals pertaining to the art of science and music, organized by keyword.

    • Kantorski, Vincent J. A bibliography of source readings in music education. Warren, MI: Harmonie Park Press, 1997.
      LOCATION: PA LIB REF
      CALL NUMBER: ML128.I64 K36 1997
      Bibliography of suggested readings organized by topic.

    • Music Educators National Conference and Bonnie C. Kowall, ed. Perspectives in music education, source book III. 1966.
      LOCATION: PA LIB and SCPA
      CALL NUMBER: MT3.U5 M813
      A collection of selected essays and articles compiled from reports, investigations, and studies conducted by MENC. Useful for a historical perspective of music education in America. Source books I and II may also be consulted.

    • Price, Harry E., ed. Music education research: an anthology from the Journal of research in music education. Reston, VA: Music Educators National Conference, 1998.
      LOCATION: PA LIB SCPA
      CALL NUMBER: MT2.M87
      Articles selected from the JRME for their exemplary research. Organized by topics and methodology.

    • Rainbow, Edward L. and Hildegard C. Froehlich. Research in music education: an introduction to systematic inquiry. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
      LOCATION: PA LIB
      CALL NUMBER: MT1.R26 1987
      Introduction to systematic research skills and analyses with a focus on graduate students.

    • Reimer, Bennett. A philosophy of music education: advancing the vision. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003.
      LOCATION: PA LIB
      CALL NUMBER: MT1.R435 2003
      Explores the theoretical and philosophical principles of music education.

    • Sadie, Stanley. The new grove dictionary of music and musicians. New York: Macmillan, 1980, 2001.
      LOCATION: PA LIB REF
      CALL NUMBER: ML100.G887 v.6; ML100.N48 2000
      ONLINE: Oxford Music Online
      Although there is overlap between the two editions, there is information included that is unique to each which would make the review of both editions beneficial. The 1980 edition contains the article “Education in Music,” a history of music education with a breakdown by country as well as time period. The 2001 edition, in print and online, contains multiple articles that may be consulted: “Music education, classical,” “Conservatories,” “Schools,” and “Universities.”

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    Journals

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    Databases

    • Music Index
      An index of more than 800 international music periodicals, including citations for articles, dissertations, obituaries, and reviews.

    • RILM Music / Répertoire internationale de la litterature musique
      An international bibliography of nearly 500,000 scholarly writings on music and related disciplines in 140 languages. *HINT: When searching RILM, try limiting the Major Topics to “Pedagogy” to find relevant music education resources.

    • ERIC: Educational Resource Information Center
      ERIC provides full text of more than 2,200 digests along with references for additional information, citations and abstracts from over 1000 general education-related journals. This includes many articles specifically on music education topics.

    • PsycINFO
      Comprehensive index in psychology and related fields from 1,700 periodicals in over 30 languages.

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    Special Collections in Performing Arts

    The Special Collections in Performing Arts (SCPA) has an excellent representation of music education resources. In addition to the small sample listed below, SCPA houses the Organization of American Kodaly Educators Archives (OAKE), American String Teachers Association (ASTA), College Band Directors National Association, the International Society for Music Education Archives, and papers of Daniel Bonade, Asher Zlotnik, and manuscripts and workbooks of John Curwen, among many others. For a more comprehensive coverage of the special collections resources, please visit their Music education collections page or search ArchivesUM. You may also contact the curator for further information.

    Music Educators National Conference Historical Center
    SCPA is the repository for MENC: The National Association for Music Education. The MENC Historical Center collection includes administrative records, MENC publications, and papers of past presidents and other eminent music educators. The Contemporary Music Project Archives, including documents, scores, and recorded performances are also hosted by the MENC Historical Center.

    American Bandmasters Association Research Center
    The American Bandmasters Association Research Center includes the ABA archives, papers from important members, band scores, photographs and recordings.

    Charles B. Fowler
    SCPA is the repository for the professional and personal papers of Charles B. Fowler (1931-1995), a leader in arts education. The collection includes published and unpublished articles, reports, book chapters, correspondence, speeches, presentations, and photographs.

    Lowell Mason
    Lowell Mason (1792-1872) is known as the founder of American school music education, co-founder of the Boston Academy of Music, as well as a composer. The SCPA Lowell Mason collection includes compositions, correspondence, books, articles, musical programs, and memorabilia. There are also materials related to members of his family, including his son Henry Lowell Mason.

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    Professional Organizations

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    Miscellaneous Tools

    • Music Education Resource Base
      MERB is a free bibliographic database hosted by the University of Victoria in Canada. The database searches resources in music education from journals and other various sources from 1956 to present day.

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