Effectiveness of iconic based rhythmic instruction on middle school instrumentalists' ability to read rhythms at sight

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of iconic-based rhythmic instruction on middle school instrumentalists' ability to read rhythms at sight in the preparation of music for sight-reading. One hundred thirty-one middle school students from 12 randomly assigned bands in the Midwestern United States provided data for a pretest-posttest control-group design. Of the 12 participating middle schools, four schools served as the control group (n= 42), four schools delivered rhythmic instruction using iconic-based methods (n= 42), and four schools delivered isolated rhythmic training using symbolic-based methods (n= 47).Using adjusted pretest scores from a researcher-constructed rhythm test (Rhythm Sight-Reading Performance Ability), the Musical Aptitude Profile (1995), and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (1999), results of an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that no group obtained a significant difference on the posttest mean scores from the rhythmic performance test (F= 1.940, df= 1, 107, p= .149). Because results from individual schools showed considerable variation, other variables were observed to see if they were significant. Findings from an ANCOVA revealed that the individual school was significant (F= 3.141, df= 9, 107, p= .002).To verify the relationship found between the individual school and the posttest measurement, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was run with the pretest and posttest scores serving as repeated measures. The results indicate that a significant interaction between the individual school and the pretest to posttest measurement exists. In light of these findings, it is speculated that the key to improving a student's rhythm-reading ability may be dependent not only on the method, but also on the quality of instructional delivery.School of MusicThesis (D.A.