Brian Miner, from Acushnet, Massachusetts, looks forward to a career in elementary music teaching after he receives his bachelor of music next December. His summer project taught him a lot about the research process: how to find resources in databases, how to think and read critically, and how to synthesize the information he found. “What I really enjoyed,” he said, “was writing my report and then editing it for Inquiry. I've always been interested in writing and in learning how to communicate my subject more effectively.” He found working with his mentor and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program staff very useful in developing his communication skills.
Dr. Susan Hatfield inspired many students when she was the elementary music education specialist at the University of New Hampshire from 2003 to 2005. In addition to Brian, she mentored Jessica West and Jessica Cawley through their research and resulting Inquiry articles in the 2005 and 2006 issues respectively. Dr. Hatfield is particularly interested in the informal environments and stimuli that best promote young children's music learning. Although she is now in New York City, she worked with Brian on his research project and writing his article. This long distance collaboration, which did at times present communication problems, succeeded because, she said, of “Brian's work ethic, enthusiasm and good thinking... He always accomplished what he said he would... and he writes well.” For Dr. Hatfield, the extra effort was worth it: “It was tremendously satisfying to listen to Brian's thinking and hear it become more and more refined as the project evolved. By now, his knowledge of the musical creativity research literature exceeds mine. I couldn't wish for more.”
Read Brian Miner's research article, Fostering Musical Creativity in the Elementary Classroom >>
