The development of a keyboard theory curriculum utilizing a chronological, comprehensive approach to reinforce theory skills of first semester college music majors

This study developed and tested the first semester of a planned four-semester keyboard theory curriculum utilizing a chronological, comprehensive approach to reinforce theory skills of first-semester undergraduate music majors and minors. The new curriculum is designed to companion freshman core theory and history classes. This method followed a 7-step progressive taxonomy designed by the author of this dissertation who was also the Project instructor.;Of the twenty students involved in the study, eight students enrolled in an Introduction to Music Theory class (control group, n=12) participated in the Keyboard Theory Project class (experimental group, n=8) during a sixteen-week semester. Participation in the project was voluntary. Each student received one credit hour for satisfactory completion of the project class. Both groups took the Introduction to Music Theory class (N=20). Only the experimental group (n=8) took the Keyboard Theory Project class. A pretest and post-test was administered to the total population to determine the efficacy of the new curriculum in reinforcing the theory skills of the first semester music majors and minors.;There were three sections in the pre- and post-test. A t test was used to calculate the gain in each section and for total group scores (N=20). In all three sections, there was no statistical significance due to low numbers. In calculating improvement per individual student from pretest to posttest, the experimental group showed only a 3% increase per student over the control group.;Data for the total population that took both pretest and posttest and who were also music majors or minors (N=14) was calculated. A t test was used to calculate the gain in each section and for total group scores. In all three areas, there again was no statistical significance due to low numbers. However, in calculating improvement per individual student from pretest to posttest, results reveal a 45% improvement rate per individual student in the experimental group over the control group. It is concluded that great practical significance was gained in the study and also that the efficacy of this new keyboard curriculum was significantly successful when administered to its intended population.