A Study on Private Piano Curriculum Using Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory

This quantitative descriptive research study addresses the deficiencies in modern piano educational literature pertaining to aural development at the earliest stages of piano education. Contemporary piano methodologies often prioritize music notation over aural skill development during the initial stages of instruction. This study addresses this imbalance, offering insights into curriculum selection based on its influence on competition performance scores, music theory exam results, and student retention. The participants in this study are 329 piano students who began lessons between kindergarten and twelfth grade selected from five qualified piano teachers from 2010-2024. Data was collected by recording competition and festival scores, theory exam scores, and student retention into a spreadsheet and analyzing the results per this study's scope. The results of this study show that students who participated in the Music Learning Theory-supplemented curriculum scored within the top percentile in performance scores, theory exam scores, and student retention rate. After concluding this study, suggestions for future research include selecting a personalized curriculum on an individual student basis to maximize the results outlined in this study.