String quartet playing is widely recognized as central to the development of ensemble skills and interpretive awareness; yet, it remains underutilized within South African university music education. This qualitative action research study, situated within an interpretivist–constructivist paradigm, investigated the potential benefits of structured string quartet instruction for university-level violin students in South Africa. Over 3 months, data were generated through field notes, video-recorded observations, and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis of the results indicated that structured string quartet instruction substantially enhanced the technical, interpretive, collaborative, and performance-related psychological development of student violinists. Furthermore, participation within the string quartet environment fostered performance confidence and emotional regulation among the participants. Although limited in scope, the findings provided evidence that structured string quartet instruction offered a pedagogically rich framework for developing technical, interpretive, and performance-related psychological skills in university violinists. It is recommended that structured string quartet instruction be included as a core component of university violin curricula in South Africa.
Portamento use by classical singers and string players in recordings of Ave Maria by Schubert from two different time periods (1906–1931 and 1999–2020) is examined in this study to compare the presence of voice-mimicking characteristics in performances by cellists and violinists. Furthermore, an additional detailed analysis of the main motive inquired into alternative expressive strategies by modern string players that mirror vocal expressivity. Findings included clear evidence of voice-mimicking portamento by string players from the beginning of the century but hardly any by modern performers. The second analysis showed clear divergence between the expressive strategies of string musicians and singers, but also several instances of similarities that point to the possibility of modern string musicians emulating vocal expressivity through alternative means (dynamic phrasing, timbre, and vibrato).
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of bow tilt on string performers’ perceptions of timbre. Participants ( N = 41) performed a short melody using two bow conditions: flat hair and tilted hair. After each condition, participants rated their tone on six semantic differential scales and described their tone in free-response questions. Participants rated the overall tone quality, fullness, loudness, and resonance of the flat bow condition higher than the tilted bow condition. When describing the tone quality of the flat and tilted hair performances, participants’ responses aligned with the following coding categories: (a) sensory codes, (b) mass codes, (c) playing perception codes, and (d) tone as a musical element. Participants identified which performance they preferred (flat hair, tilted hair, or no preference), and they rated the flat hair condition significantly higher than no preference, but no other significant differences were found. Bow tilt appears to be an important variable for stringed instrumental timbre. Additional implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Professional development is essential for practicing teachers throughout their careers, and string teachers require specific professional development due to the constantly changing nature and pedagogical demands of their profession. The purpose of this multiple case study was to describe best practices in string teaching by examining the careers and teaching practices of four Elizabeth A. H. Green Award winners. Research questions included: (a) What are the teacher’s goals for students? (b) How does the teacher prepare for teaching? and (c) What best practices has the teacher developed for teaching school orchestra classes? Data consisted of semi-structured interviews with Denice Haney, Scott Laird, Alison Mayes, Jim Palmer, and 15 of their alumni; materials these teachers created for their students; and other documents written by or about these expert teachers. We coded the data and identified five emergent themes: relationships, leadership, musicianship, core philosophies, and systems. We hope that by sharing best practices of outstanding string pedagogues, we can contribute to the professional development of string teachers and offer ideas for implementing these practices in the classroom.
This exploratory study examined the effects of implicit bias on collegiate orchestral musicians’ perceptions of conductor competency and orchestral expressivity, looking specifically at whether conductors’ racial identity influenced participants’ perceptions of conductor competency. Participants ( N = 31) were collegiate musicians who viewed recordings of three conductors (one White, one Black, one Asian) conducting a collegiate string ensemble through an excerpt of Whitacre’s October. Conductors were matched on age, experience, dress, and level of expressivity, and each video featured a front-facing view of the conductor and was synchronized to an identical audio stimulus. Participants rated each conductor’s competence and the expressivity of the orchestra on a 10-point Likert-type scale. Participants also answered open-ended questions related to why they assigned conductor competence and expressivity scores to their lowest-rated conductor. Results revealed a significant main effect for conductor race with the Black conductor’s competence rated higher than the White conductor. Furthermore, both the Black and Asian conductors’ performances were rated higher in ensemble expressivity than the White conductor. Analysis of open-ended responses revealed that poor clarity of gesture and insufficient engagement with the ensemble due to perceived lack of score knowledge were the two most salient reasons.
