The study described through content analysis the general music course in the secondary school as perceived in selected curricular sources from the 1960's and 1970's. As various writers of curricular sources developed their own content and methodologies, a vast amount of data became available which seemed unmanageable because of the particular philosophical goals chosen for the course. The study organized in a systematic manner the content and methodologies of the.course by means of eighteen categories. Categories of high frequency inclusion in the general music sources were shown to be the elements of music, music vocabulary as a specific area for learning, the predominant choice of classical Western/art music, the use of listening and creative activities and the discussion of psychological learning principles.

The specific problems investigated involved identifying and describing the characteristics of fundamental frequency, overall intensity, and spectral content in unaccompanied and ensemble performance settings. Additionally, comparisons and descriptions of the relationships among these acoustical parameters were made. Fifteen trombonists were used as research subjects. Each subject recorded a selected musical excerpt in the following performance modes: high register unaccompanied, harmonic, and unison ensemble; and low register unaccompanied and unison ensemble. Tape recordings of these subjects were used in conjunction with certain electronic apparatus to obtain data on frequency, intensity, and spectral content. Based on these data, descriptions of these acoustical parameters and comparisons of unaccompanied and ensemble performance settings were made.