Watkins-Farnum Revisited: Application of Modern Test Theory to Music Performance Assessment

A study was proposed to determine to what extent a hierarchical structure exists in music and in tests used to measure music ability. The first research question was whether items in the Watkins-Farnum Performance Scale (J. Watkins and S. Farnum, 1954) (WFPS) form a hierarchy, so that early exercises (bars played) are generally easier than later ones. Another question was whether the items in the Clarinet Performance Rating Scale (CPRS) (H. Abeles, 1973) form a hierarchy of difficulty, and a third was the relationship between WFPS and CPRS scores. The application of the Rasch model to these measures of musical performance was explored. Rasch scaling would offer advantages in terms of ability estimates for music students taking the WFPS. Data from approximately 245 students for the WFPS, collected for another study, are to be used in the projected study, along with data from 50 clarinet players who will have scores on both the WFPS and the CPRS. In a pilot study involving 125 middle school students, Rasch analysis was applied to WFPS results, and data were, in general, a good fit to the model. These results suggest the suitability of the Rasch model for the proposed study. (Contains 4 figures and 12 references.) (SLD) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ********************************************************************************