The effect of using microtonal-functioned workstation keyboard in teaching Turkish music maqam series

This research was carried out to investigate the effect of using microtonal function workstation keyboard in the teaching of Turkish music maqam series on students' level of reading performance. The study groups of the research consist of all 2nd and 3rd undergraduates taking the MHRW lesson at Division of Music Teachin, Department of Fine Arts Education, Kazım Karabekir Faculty of Education, Atatürk University in the spring term of 2018-2019 academic year. In this context, the research was conducted with a total of 58 students, including 22 sophomores and 36 juniors. In the research, within the framework of Hüseyni and Karcığar, which are the majors of the 2nd grade in MHRW lesson, and Hüzzam and Saba for the 3rd grade in MHRW lesson, the study programs were prepared separately for the students for 10 hours a week for two weeks for the teaching of modal practice applications with the microtonal function Workstation Keyboard, and it was analyzed whether there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the students before and after the application. Mixed method research design was used in the research since it consists of two dimensions as quantitative and qualitative. Since the qualitative method was used as a supportive and the quantitative method was in a dominant state, the research was conducted within the framework of the "embedded design", one of the mixed method patterns. In the quantitative dimension of the research, it was analyzed whether there is a significant difference between the pretest-posttest scores of the students using the one-group pretest-posttest design, and in the qualitative dimension, a semi-structured interview protocol was applied to the students and their opinions about the experimental process applied with the microtonal function workstation keyboard were determined within the framework of Case study. In the research, the "General Information Protocol", which was prepared by the researcher by examining the relevant literature and taking expert opinions, was used to obtain information about the demographic characteristics of the students, "Scale and Tune Reading Performance Rating Forms for Hüseyni, Karcığar, Hüzzam and Saba Maqams" to measure the effects of the experimental process, and "Student Interview Form for Maqam Studies with Microtonal Function Workstation Keyboard" to get the opinions of students about the experimental process. In the analysis of the data, firstly, "Shapiro-Wilks" and "Kolmogorow-Smirnov" normality tests were done and the values of "Skewness" and "Kurtosis" were examined in order to determine whether the scores obtained from the study groups' pretest and posttest scores show a normal distribution, and after determining that the data showed normal distribution, the data were analyzed with SPSS 22.0 software by using "Dependent Sample t-Test", which is one of the parametric tests, to compare the pretest-posttest scores. The qualitative data obtained as a result of the interviews with the students were analyzed using the "Descriptive analysis" and "Content analysis" method. When the quantitative and qualitative findings obtained at the end of the research are examined together, as a result of the experimental process, and it was seen that the use of microtonal-function workstation keyboard is effective in the teaching of Hüseyni, Karcığar, Hüzzam and Saba maqams, the posttest scores of students related to simple, intermediate and advanced mode series reading prepared in these maqam series are higher than pretest scores, and there is a significant difference in favor of posttest. As a result of the interviews, it was also determined that the vocal training with the microtonal-function workstation keyboard provided benefits to the students. Based on this point, it has been concluded that the microtonal-function workstation keyboard used in teaching Turkish music scales has a positive effect on students' makam reading (makam series and reading mode series) performances. Keywords: Turkish Music, Maqam, Musical Hearing Reading and Writing, Microtonal-Functioned Workstation Keyboard, Mikrotonal