RESEARCH
During Casey's time as a student at the University of Denver and University of Alabama in Huntsville, she wrote many research papers and completed several projects. Below you will find a few of the final products from such research papers.
ADULT EDUCATION MOVMENTS IN THE U.S.: PAST AND CURRENT PARADIGMS THAT SHAPE ADULT PIANO STUDY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
The lyceum and chautauqua movements reveal how adults in the United States have been interested in continuing their education since 1826. These two general educational movements provided continuing education for adults in all walks of life. Developing an awareness of past and present paradigms in adult education can provide a road map for piano teachers to better relate to adult students who continuously desire the following benefits: accessibility to education, fulfilling musical experiences and improved mental and psycholgical health. While adults who enroll in group music lessons may not be traditional, adolescent students, they are an important part of today's educational demographics. This paper examines the lyceum and chautauqua movements and draws conclusions concerning the motivations behind adults of the past furthering their education and today's adults who are pursuing group music instruction. The information provided for group piano instruction is intended to equip music teachers with insight of current tools available to aid students in their piano studies. By studying these trends, keyboard teachers will gain clearer insight into the needs and desires of adult learners and engage with the often unreached market of adult students.
HOW YOUR EYES HELP YOU HEAR A PERFORMANCE
When people purely listen to a musical performance, they use their ears as their main source of intake for the music. How about when people watch a performance live? Do the ears have as big of an influence as visual cues? If a performer can play all of their notes accurately but has no body movement then does that performer truly intrigue their audience? I argue that body movement and facial expressions made by pianists help audiences hear how to interpret the music, and often have more influence than the listeners’ ears.
THE IMPACT OF STANDARDIZED MUSIC TESTS ON YOUNG MUSICIANS
While standardized tests in music aren’t common in America, they are central in other nations’ education systems. Countries such as Cuba, China and Taiwan see standardized testing as motivating to students and help teachers provide a high-quality education. However, they also have a negative connotation due to the idea that they don’t allow freedom in the learning process. Differing learning approaches affect students’ long-term decisions and pursuit of a lifelong relationship with music. Some teachers prefer to teach with a grade (performance) orientation while others like to teach with a learning (mastery) orientation. Based on these two opposing viewpoints, I examine how musical standardized testing affects musicians who are pursuing a career in music.
CAN MUSIC TEACHERS LEARN FROM POP STARS? A STUDY ON BRANDING STRATEGIES
Pop culture has many types of people who enter and leave the spotlight. Sometimes these people remain in the spotlight for many decades while others rise just to quickly “fall off the map.” Often, these pop culture stars include musicians. These music stars may have grown up in the spotlight while others have created their own path in the music industry. During the rise to fame, how does one ensure that they will not be the next artist that “falls off the map?” Through various types of branding, musicians can ensure a place in the music industry that will last longer than others. What can music teachers learn from these various branding strategies? Through interviewing music students, music teachers and studying pop culture branding, I argue that music teachers can learn from pop music stars of the past to determine successful branding techniques for their own careers in the music industry. I will compare the branding techniques used in pop culture by risky artists such as Britney Spears or more conservative artists such as Taylor Swift to music teachers and how they can brand themselves as a risky or conservative music teacher. Through this comparison, music teachers will be able to better understand the music branding business to determine the mindset required when understanding the logistics behind branding oneself in the music industry.