Research Concerning Development of Music Reading Ability in Students at Teachers Colleges

1993 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 04451145
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Education on school subjects and activities
• Research Institution: Mie University
• Principal Investigator: NAKANISHI Satoko MIE UNIVERSITY,FACULTY OF EDUCATION,Assoiat Professor, 教育学部, 助教授 (20093122)
• Project Period (FY): 1992 – 1993
• Keywords: development of music reading ability / eye movements / reading a head / verfication of the results of cumulative training using scored music / silent reading / effective field of vision

Research Abstract

Given that it is necessary to develop music reading ability in students at teachers colleges (Specifically, in pre-school and primary edvcation), this experiment collected basic data on music reading training by studying the eye movement of students while reading music. This experiment assumes that there is a natural difference in each subject's musical training, due to a diversity of pre-college musical experimence. Accordingly, pnor to studying eye movements during piano performance, recordings were made of silent reading, humming, and written expression of music scores. Monitoring of eye movements was separated into three measurements : point of focus, stationary time, and direction of movement. The total experiment was condvcted as follows :
Experiment1 Verfication of the results of cumulative training using scored music (tone and rhythm training)
Experiment2 Investigation of changes during the training period in eye movement patterns while reading music.
Experiment3 Proof of a correl ation between eye movements and music reading ability, as seen in the performance of written music being read for the first time.
In the first experiment, each subject recorded their own required times for reading the test music. In the second and third experiments, an eye camera was used to monitor eye movement in each subject while reading the test music.
The results of this research found that (1) the ability to read notes instantaneously is a product of comulative training, (2) by examining eye movements, it is possible to understand the means by which each subject conceptualizes music during silent reading, (3) the ability to utilize all music symbols in the effective field of vision is directly related to musical experience, (4) subjects able to read ahead while playing are capable of conceptualzing music before it is playd, and (5) A difference in the ability to conceptualize written music appears, based on the subjects understanding of the rules of musical composition.
Based on the above findings, we can expect derelopment in music reading ability through reading and analysis experience at the college level. In conclvision, this experiment demenstrates the merits of music reading training in combination with harmonics theory and center-point method, and siggests its importance to the music education curriculum in teachers colleges.