Research and practice in mentoring preservice music teachers and music teachers during their induction years has flourished in the past 10 years. Mentoring is also essential to the success of new music teacher educators; however, there is little extant research on mentoring of “preservice” and early career music teacher educators. Though not new members of the profession, new music teacher educators often face challenges similar to those of first-year music teachers. Mentoring can take many forms for new music teacher educators, one of which is peer mentoring. Peer mentoring can serve as an effective means to help new music teacher educators both cope with and succeed in their new professional environment. This article documents our peer-mentoring relationship from its genesis in doctoral studies through its evolution as we, two assistant professors, begin our careers as tenure-track faculty at two major research institutions.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the self-reported mental health state of US music majors. The participants ( n = 252) completed a researcher-designed online survey, including questions regarding mental health literacy and the DASS-21 (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale). The survey also included three open-ended questions about mental health as music majors. We analyzed quantitative data using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and factor analysis; we coded and qualitatively analyzed open-ended responses. Results suggested that (a) a majority of music major participants in this study reported mild to extreme levels of depression, anxiety, and stress; (b) factor analysis of the Mental Health Literacy scale developed for this survey suggested a two-factor solution of mental health literacy, differentiated by locus of control; and (c) the heavy workload and curricular obligations, as well as the emotional connection to music-making and critique, contributed to self-reported challenges.

The purpose of this research was to explore factors influencing musical play of preschool children in home and class settings through the use of video sharing by parents and teacher in an early childhood music course. Six families, all of whom had participated in at least one semester of prior research, attended a 45-minute music class each week for nine weeks and completed and documented assignments via a private online social network. Research questions explored musical play-enhancing and play-inhibiting factors as identified by parents, teacher, and outside observers, and how the behaviors varied across settings. Data included field notes, parent-written posts on the social network site, video footage of children in home and community settings, class video, and transcripts of exit interviews. Results of qualitative data analysis suggested that the expression of child's agency was a key element in play-enhancing behaviors; adult involvement fell into both categories, but was more often play-enhancing when paired with child agency.

In the field of music teacher preparation, the transition from teacher to teacher educator can be a time of uncertainty and anxiety. Knowing the potential for struggle during formation of a teacher educator identity, we investigated our personal development as music educators at two points: (a) preparing to enter academia and (b) mentoring a future teacher educator. The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to document the emergent identity of Vanessa, a graduate student transitioning to music teacher educator, working alongside Lisa, a professor transitioning to mentor and advisor. Through storying, we have identified several milestones in Vanessa's emergent identity as a teacher educator, concerns encountered by Vanessa in teaching her first major music education methods course, and types of interactions that were catalysts to Vanessa's development as a music teacher educator and Lisa's development as a mentor.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe children’s lived experience of enjoyment during musical play. Data sources included class video from 15 weeks of a 24-week extracurricular music class for 4- to 7-year-olds taught by the researcher, parent-filmed video of child participant music-making in home settings during the same period, and transcripts of exit interviews with parents and children. Participants included 12 children and 4 adults, all of whom had contributed to prior studies on children’s music-making in family settings. Phenomenological data analysis followed Moustakas’s approach. Five elements emerged as hallmarks of children’s musical enjoyment and provided the textural description of “what” occurred during musical enjoyment, including active musical engagement, signs of physical engagement, a balance of familiarity and novelty, inclusion of activities allowing for student control or choice, and a safe and playful environment. Structurally, participants’ enjoyment occurred in four ways: within a balance of structure and freedom, within a balance of community and individual expression, as a cycle between children’s musical enjoyment and participation, and as a springboard to musical risk-taking and musical agency. Implications for practice and research are discussed.