Literature review : chamber music in K-12 music education
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"Within the past two decades, research has begun to emerge on the topic of instrumental chamber music in K-12 education. There are several ideas that have become widespread in education at large that play major roles in the study of this field, and that may provide insight into the implications of chamber music in American public schools. Chamber music, usually characterized as a group of two to eight musicians with one player to a part, without the presence of a conductor, has been an integral part of musical expression for centuries (Carmody, 1988). However, chamber music is not always included in music education for a variety of reasons. Some educators may feel the curriculum is already too packed as they prepare for concerts, or they may feel the large ensemble experience is more valuable. One survey of string teachers indicated that the teachers expressed the least interest in adding chamber music classes when compared to other nontraditional ensemble options, with only 2.4% indicating that they would consider adding this to their curriculum (Savage & Harry, 2023). Notably, none of the teachers participating in the study indicated that they had existing chamber music programs. The purpose of this literature review was to understand existing practices regarding chamber music education in schools and the benefits, downsides, and methodologies of incorporating chamber music into instrumental music education curriculae. With this review I sought to address what literature exists on the topic and identify supporting arguments for the inclusion of chamber music in music education. Personally, I became interested in this topic as I reflected on the chamber music unit I worked on with my orchestra director as part of my independent study in my final year of high school. The students seemed to really enjoy the unit, and I wondered what research existed on best practices for teaching chamber music. The goal of this review is to highlight what best teaching practices are based on research, with the secondary purpose of informing fellow researchers on areas that could use further study. In this review, three key points about the nature of instrumental chamber music in the K--12 public school system will be discussed: how chamber music can affect student behavior development, how chamber music can affect the development of student musical ability and attitudes towards music, and how chamber music can be effectively incorporated into public schools." -- Introduction