Effects of a task analytic and a traditional approach to music instruction on musical performance and attitude of emtionally disturbed students

This study compared a task analytic versus a traditional approach to teaching a musical instrument to emotionally disturbed children. Students\u27 musical performance and attitude toward the instruction were compared between conditions. Six severely emotionally disturbed boys, 8-11 years of age, participated in the study. Each student learned to play a one, two, and three chord song accompaniment on an omnichord under the two experimental conditions. At the end of each condition and two weeks following the termination of the study, each student was asked to perform the three-chord songs. Their performances were videotaped for future analyses by two independent observers. In addition to the performance ratings, the students completed a questionnaire concerning their attitudes toward the instruction. This questionnaire also served as a dependent measure. No statistically significant differences were found among the performance ratings and student attitudes between conditions. Implications for music therapy practice and future research are given