Birch P Browning

Biography

"Dr. Birch Browning is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Cleveland State University. He is also Music Director of the Cleveland Winds, a professional-quality wind band based at CSU, which was awarded The American Prize in the Band/Wind Ensemble Performance-community & school division, 2015. Dr. Browning taught high school band and orchestra in Florida prior to earning a Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in Wind Conducting at Florida State University. Dr. Browning serves as Associate Editor of OMEA's research journal, Contributions to Music Education, is a member of the College Band Director's National Association Research Committee, and is on the editorial review board of the Journal of Band Research. Dr. Browning has given clinics, conducted wind bands, and presented his research findings at numerous state, national, and international venues, including Russia, and Brazil. In July 2016, Dr. Browning will lead a panel discussion on the future of large music ensemble pedagogy at the International Society for Music Education International Symposium in Glasgow, Scotland. Dr. Browning's forthcoming book, Becoming a Musician-Educator: An Orientation to Musical Pedagogy, will be published by Oxford University Press."

Research Interest

"Book in Progress: Becoming a Musician-Educator: An Orientation to Musical Pedagogy. A textbook for graduate and undergraduate introductory music education courses. The final product is under contract for publication with Oxford University Press (OUP). The initial complete draft has been submitted to OUP and is out for external review. Research in Progress: Solving the problem of the large ensemble by creating community: A roundtable dialog on the future of large ensemble pedagogy. In 2008, a noted music education philosopher outlined a perceived problem with the band and, by extension, all traditional large-ensembles: the pervasiveness of dictatorial instructional methodology that promotes compliance rather than artistry from the ensemble members. Published responses to the first article, along with personal experiences by members of the panel, indicate that the dialog initiated by the first article has devolved into defensiveness and personal invective. The purpose of this round-table discussion is to initiate an international dialogue on the future of the large ensembles and to create a community to break the intransigence that has developed. Submitted for review to the International Society for Music Education for presentation at the ISME 2016 International Symposium for Music Education, Glasgow, Scotland. Pilot study of professional music ensemble performer expertise. The purpose of this pilot study is examine professional instrumental ensemble member's perceptions of the factors that mediate their own ensemble performance expertise. Other research on professional music performers have examined their motivation for becoming a professional musician, their perceptions of their dispositions that enabled their career success, and social factors involved in ensemble music-making. There has been very little examination, however, of individual ensemble performance factors that enable professional ensemble musicians to perform at a world-class level, their ""thought-in-action"" that mediates those performances, and their perceptions of what differentiates their abilities from less-capable musicians. Spring 2016. Uncovering music performance majors' assumptions about music learning and pedagogy. Using a narrative analysis methodology, the purpose of this study is to discern the effect of knowledge of instruction and experience on music performance majors' understandings of music learning and pedagogy. Prior to and after instruction on music performance, music cognition, and musical pedagogy, and teaching six half-hour applied lessons, the subjects respond to narrative prompts. Subsequent analysis should uncover changes in their understandings of music learning and pedagogy as a consequence of their acquired understandings and their instructional experience. Spring 2016."