Browsing by Author "Epstein, Marcia"

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    Hearing the Teaching Voice: Improving Instructional Communication
    (2015-05-13) Epstein, Marcia
    Post-secondary instruction is absorbing a variety of technological aids to learning, but it still depends to a large degree on lectures, which are in turn dependent on essential patterns of communication: a speaker conveys information by voice, and listeners receive and interpret what is said. While considerable attention is given to the design of university classrooms in terms of physical space and visual accessibility, far less is given to acoustics and to the realities of classroom soundscapes. Instructors in large classrooms routinely compete with the roar of ventilation systems and projectors, as well as the buzz of lights and flurries of clicking from student laptops. For those without skill in vocal projection, lecturing can lead to vocal fatigue; for students it can lead to frustration as important information is missed because ambient mechanical roars obscure the lecturer's voice. While audibility can be enhanced with mechanical amplification, it adds a sense of distance between speaker and listeners that may diminish student engagement. Thus, further attention to the impact of spoken communication in the classroom is warranted.
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    Intercultural Musical Creation Drawing on the Theory and Practice of Turkish Models
    (2023-01-25) Gjuka, Bahar; Sallis, Friedemann; Radford, Laurie; Squance, Rod; Markoff, Irene; Hynes, Laura; Epstein, Marcia; Beken, Munir N.
    This study creates a new collaborative space among diverse cultures, driven by Turkish music models, and using aspects of the related rule-based improvisatory genre and process known as taksim. My work draws on historical sources to introduce the theory and practice of Turkish makam music, while using a specific methodology to enable musical creation. By doing so, I present new knowledge about collaborative music-making and performance. This work benefits from the “research-creation” approach, which removes the traditional separation between the study of music (musicology, music education) and the practices of creating music (composition, performance). By combining educational and creative methodologies with research techniques, my project presents multidisciplinary content involving music education, performance, and folklore. The project allows musicians to exchange musical ideas, acquire new techniques, compose musical parts, and expand their musical vocabulary. I analyze the musical and creative outcomes of the data created by two research-based music ensembles. Both the Sofra Ensemble and Musiki Flow were composed of Turkish and North American musicians — the first in Calgary/AB and the latter in Newnan/GA, respectively. The collaborative musicians’ musical backgrounds were combined with new information about Turkish music and its practical methods The study had a significant cultural impact on certain North American communities, allowing musicians and audiences from different cultures to come together through public concerts. By choosing to perform contemporary arrangements of traditional musical pieces, some of which dealt with sensitive social issues, my research exhibits a strong commitment to human rights. Through responsible and thoughtful advocacy my project supported children's rights, women’s empowerment, equal opportunity, and respect for diverse communities.