Use of Musicological Context by Collegiate Chamber String Ensemble Coaches and Directors

Abstract

Musicological context always matters in a good, expressive performance. While many music education scholars and researchers have mentioned that the importance of understanding musicological context is helpful for ensemble playing, few have described how this can be implemented in pedagogical contexts. In order to find out the ways ensemble directors and coaches of chamber string ensembles incorporate musicological context in their work with players, I created an online survey that was sent out to collegiate level chamber string ensemble directors and coaches. The goal of this study was to investigate the pedagogical value of incorporating musicological context into chamber ensemble coaching processes.