Reading strategy differences between college choral, band, and jazz musicians: Evidence for musical multiliteracies

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to determine reading strategy differences in completing a notation memorization task between three ensemble music traditions: jazz, choral, and band. The secondary purpose of this study was to assess possible relationships between ensemble affiliation, memorization strategies, and participants’ memorization accuracy. Participants (N = 81) had 75 s to memorize short melody while studying silently, singing, or playing on a keyboard. Participants then notated the each melody using staff notation. After completion of the task, participants ranked reading strategies employed. A Kruskal–Wallis test revealed participants in the three ensemble groups approached the memorization task using significantly different cognitive strategies: the choral group used solfege labeling more than the jazz group, the choral group used whole repetition more than the band group, and the jazz group used harmonic analysis more than the choral group. A Spearman rank correlation revealed significant relationships between stated strategies and memorization accuracy. A significant positive relationship was found between identification of patterns and accuracy on the memorization task. Group differences reveal how the forms of music literacy constructed through different ensemble affiliations may create different approaches to understanding staff notation.