CREATING EFFECTIVE CHORAL CONDUCTORS: A COMPARISON OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF MUSIC STANDARDS WITH RESEARCH-BASED QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE CHORAL CONDUCTORS

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which the 2016-2017 National Association of Schools of Music Handbook adequately promotes the instruction of research-based behaviors demonstrated to improve effectiveness in choral conducting. A review of the Bachelor of Music Education, Master of Music in Choral Conducting, and Master of Music Education degrees will be presented identifying which standards and expectations are currently being promoted by NASM. The seven areas of teacher behaviors identified by the research focusing on effectiveness in choral conducting will be introduced and compared with those NASM standards and expectations. Following the comparison, potential solutions for missing behaviors will be presented. Based on the research, less separation of specializations between research-oriented and practice-oriented curricula could provide the opportunity for a more comprehensive education. This may include instruction in educational methods for the MM in Choral Conducting and more practical application of teaching methods in the MME