Rebecca Bowman MacLeod
Dr. Rebecca MacLeod is Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where she directs the string education program and conducts the UNCG Sinfonia. Author of Teaching Strings in Today’s Classroom, she is passionate about increasing access to string education to all students. Dr. MacLeod presents to educators and researchers nationally and internationally. She is also regularly sought after as a guest clinician and conductor throughout the United States.
Biography
Dr. Rebecca MacLeod is Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where she directs the string education program and conducts the UNCG Sinfonia. She is the author of Teaching Strings in Today’s Classroom and is published in Journal of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Music Education, Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, String Research Journal, Psychology of Music, The Strad, American String Teachers Journal, and various state music education journals. She has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Research in Music Education, the String Research Journal, and as guest reviewer for the International Journal of Research in Music Education. She is the recipient of the UNCG School of Music, Theatre and Dance Outstanding Teaching Award, the American String Teacher Association National Researcher Award, and the UNCG Junior Research Excellence Award.
A passionate advocate for increasing access to string education to all students, Dr. MacLeod directs two community partnership programs that provide string instruction to underserved students: the Lillian Rauch Beginning Strings Program and the Peck Alumni Leadership Program. Students of these programs have performed for Dr. Maya Angelou, Dr. Gloria Ladsen-Billings, and the Sphinx Virtuosi. Her research on working with underserved populations, vibrato technique, music teacher education, and music perception has been presented at the International Conference of Music Perception and Cognition (Thessoloniki, Greece), Music Research and Human Behavior International Conference (Barcelona, Spain), International Society for Music Education (Glasgow, Scotland), Music Educators National Conference, National Association for Music Education National Conference, American String Teachers National Conference, Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, Society for Music Teacher Education, and music educators state conferences.
Prior to joining the UNCG faculty, she taught elementary, middle, and high school orchestra in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania and was orchestra director and chair of music activities in Beaver, Pennsylvania. She was the assistant artistic director and conductor of the Tallahassee Symphony Youth Chamber Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra in Tallahassee, Florida. She has served on the American String Teachers Association National Board and is past president of the North Carolina ASTA chapter. She was a guest lecturer at Xi’an University and Shaoguan University (China) in summer 2016 and 2017.
Dr. MacLeod received her undergraduate degree from Duquesne University and her MME and PhD from Florida State University. She is a frequent guest conductor and clinician throughout the United States and abroad.
Education
-
Florida State University, PhD 2006
Areas of Research / Professional Expertise
-
Teaching Strings, String Education, String Pedagogy, Working with Underserved Populations, Music Teacher Education, Music Psychology
Personal Interests
-
Reading, Hiking, Dogs
Books
Articles
Vibrato: What's the Frequency?
Published: Jan 17, 2019 by The Strad
Authors: MacLeod and Geringer
Subjects:
Music
Vibrato is an integral component of a good string sound, and is ubiquitous in modern string playing. But what exactly do we hear when we listen to vibrato. Rebecca MacLeod and John Geringer look into the contentious subject of vibrato pitch centre, and present research findings that reveal the center of pitch.
A Step by Step Guide to Mastering Violin Vibrato
Published: Jan 17, 2019 by The Strad
Authors: Rebecca MacLeod
Subjects:
Music
This step by step guide outlines a sequencing for teaching and learning a violin vibrato.
A Comparison of Instructional Strategies Used by Experienced Band and Orchestra Teachers When Teaching a First-Year Class an Unfamiliar Music Excerpt
Published: Jan 17, 2019 by Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education
Authors: Rebecca B. MacLeod
This study compared instructional strategies used by experienced band and orchestra teachers when teaching a first-year class an unfamiliar music excerpt. Band teachers used verbal instruction, conducting, question and answer techniques, and student performance with greater frequency than orchestra teachers, while orchestra teachers used echoing technique, co-verbal instruction, modeling, modeling with instrument during student performance, and pedagogical touch with greater frequency.
Achieving an Artistic Violin Vibrato Applications of Research to the Classroom
Published: Jan 17, 2019 by American String Teachers Journal
Authors: Rebecca B. MacLeod
Subjects:
Music
Research can inform our views on teaching vibrato. This article outlines the research related to teaching vibrato. Tips for effective instruction are included.
Influences of Teacher Delivery, Student Engagement, and Observation Focus on Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching Effectiveness
Published: Jan 17, 2019 by Journal of Music Teacher Education
Authors: Jessica Napoles and Rebecca MacLeod
This study examined how teacher delivery, student engagement, and observation focus influenced preservice teachers’ ratings of teaching effectiveness. Lessons with high teacher delivery and high student engagement, with a view of the teacher, were rated as most effective, and lessons with low teacher delivery and low student engagement, with a view of the students, were rated as least effective.
Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching Effectiveness During Teaching Episodes With Positive and Negative Feedback
Published: Jan 17, 2019 by Journal of Music Teacher Education
Authors: Rebecca MacLeod and Jessica Napoles
Subjects:
Music
The purpose of this study was to examine preservice teachers’ perceptions of teaching effectiveness when viewing teaching episodes with positive and negative feedback. Participants rated positive teachers higher than negative teachers and females higher than males. Teacher delivery was the best predictor of perceptions of teaching effectiveness.
The Influences of Teacher Delivery and Student Progress on Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching Effectiveness.
Published: Jan 17, 2019 by Journal of Research in Music Education
Authors: Jessica Napoles and Rebecca MacLeod
Subjects:
Music
The purpose of this study was to examine how teacher delivery and student progress influenced preservice teachers’ perceptions of overall teaching effectiveness. Participants rated teachers with high delivery as more effective than teachers with low delivery, irrespective of student progress. Teacher delivery was the best predictor of perceptions of overall teaching effectiveness, followed closely by student progress.