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Share thisFaculty Spotlight: Dina Alexander
Dina Alexander, RWC Professor of Music Education, will be presenting at the 7th International Self-Determination Theory Conference in the Netherlands this May. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is an organization founded on a theory of intrinsic motivation which emerged from Professors Richard Ryan and Edward Deci’s research in the early ‘80s. Their fascinating research began to displace the conventional behavioral theory of motivation which depends on a “carrot and stick philosophy,” as Dina puts it. “If you do this, you get that. If you do your homework, you get a gold star. If you misbehave, you get punished. This theory replaces that.”
According to the SDT, the three fundamental psychological needs of autonomy (the ability to make independent choices), competence (developed mastery in an area of learning), and relatedness (a communal sense of purpose) must be met in order for us to be intrinsically motivated to action. The degree to which these needs are met is directly correlated to a student’s level of motivation. “The carrot/stick approach can have short term results,” Dina added, “but it does damage in the long-term. If you reward Joey for practicing 30 minutes each day with watching the television, you’re telling Joey that practicing doesn’t have value. The only value is what you get because you practiced. This damages genuine long-term interest in any subject.”
Given Dina’s organic introduction to music, it’s no surprise that she identifies with this theory of intrinsic motivation. Growing up surrounded by music, her father (trombone) and mother (piano) often had Dixieland combo rehearsals in their home. “I was never pressured,” she said, “but it was always there.” One day, her brother’s friend discovered an old cornet in a pile of stuff in the basement and starting playing on it. ‘I imagine he probably wasn’t any good, but I was mesmerized from the very moment I saw and heard that instrument. It was like, “That’s the one! That’s what I want to play.”’ Her father, excited to have a trumpet player for his Dixieland band, wrote out a C scale in whole notes and drew fingerings underneath. ‘He said, “When you can play that, come back upstairs,” and that was my first lesson.’ He next wrote out melodies for “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “Jingle Bells.” When she returned from the basement with a C scale in her pocket, he said, “You know these songs, right?” “Yes.” “You now know these fingerings, right?” “Yes.” “When you can play these songs, you’re in the band.” Two weeks later, she played her first gig with the Alexander Family Band. The musical family performed at nursing homes, hospitals, and restaurants to entertain guests and patients alike. “After every performance, we went out and visited with everyone. It was such a great learning experience for me not to be afraid of people who were elderly or ill,” Dina reflected. “It was an enriching experience to give that to them.”
As a child, Dina dreamed of being a music teacher. As her performing skills matured, she was discouraged from the education track, so she began college as a performance major. By sophomore year, an unsettling feeling that she was on the wrong track prompted her to consider leaving music altogether. At her mother’s urging, she took a course in beginning instrumental music instruction from Richard Grunow at Eastman. “He introduced me to a way of teaching music that excited me about the idea of teaching,” she related. Grunow’s method of teaching by ear first allows students to develop the ability to sing in tune and move with a steady beat, which can lead to musical playing and the ability to play interesting literature early on. “Because of my background and how I learned to play, I was really excited by that. When kids sign up to play an instrument, they don’t choose to do that so they can play the kinds of materials in the beginnings of most methods books. They have to play whole notes and rests for weeks before they get to play anything that resembles a song! He had a completely different approach and ignited my desire to learn and understand it so that I could teach it.”
Dina went on to teach at the middle and high school levels, but she quickly realized that in order to fully discover what was possible with Grunow’s approach, she’d have to teach beginners. She dedicated most of her teaching career to elementary students, teaching skills by ear first and instruments second. “They soared,” she smiled, “with what they could do and understand. I wanted to teach them to understand what they were playing. They knew when they were in major or minor keys and understood how to sing through tonic, dominant, and subdominant harmonies. Some students even understood secondary dominants and passing chords. They improvised with understanding. It was amazing what they could do. And that was fun for me!”
In 2010, she decided it was time to live her other dream of teaching at the collegiate level. Enrolling in her third degree at Eastman, she was eager to learn as much as she could. “I was working harder than ever before,” she fondly recalled, “and I was happier than ever before.” It was there that she first crossed paths with Ryan and Deci. Her interest in their research stemmed from her days as an elementary school teacher. “My students were very motivated. They loved to practice. They loved to come in early and stay late. They were excited about music! I thought if I could understand that better, and what I was doing to support it, I could teach it to my future college students. I found out that nobody had connected SDT this way. It was time.” Dina made her entrance into the SDT field her with her dissertation, the first argument connecting SDT to the world of music education.
She has been involved in the last two conferences and is honored to present with her colleague Matt Doiron this spring. “I find it fascinating and extremely relevant,” she mused. “I’m constantly trying to learn what’s out there so I can inform myself in my own teaching and my students in theirs.” Matt and Dina’s presentation, “An Examination of Collegiate Music Students’ Motivation for Practice,” will reveal the results of a survey they are sending to eight major schools of music in the United States (including Roberts). Using SDT as their model, they are the first to research the topic in the U.S.
Located near Amsterdam on the North Sea coast of Holland, this conference is not Dina’s first time presenting abroad. Her journey of presenting around the world began in 2009, when her elementary instrumental music program piqued the interest of an Italian organization of music educators. Dina fondly reminisced, ‘I got this phone call saying, “Would you be interested in flying over and teaching some teachers for a few days?” I was thinking, “Are you kidding?! Yes, I’d be interested!” So, I told my husband, “We’re going to Italy.” It was my first time doing something like that.’
Her successful presentation opened the door for her to return the following year for a longer workshop. She was soon giving sessions throughout Italy (including Tuscany, Milan, Como, and Rome), as well as in Switzerland and Spain. Turkey will likely be her next destination, and the expanding interest is reaching Germany. When asked about her favorite place, “Italy!” immediately burst from her smile. “It’s spectacular,” she explained. “The country is beautiful, the food is spectacular, and the people are spectacular. I love the connections I have with the Italians I’ve met. They’re so passionate, loving, kind, and fun. It’s a special place in my heart, for sure. I consider many of them good friends, and I’d like to have them come here. There’s a lot they can offer.”
As much as Dina loves traveling, she’s always happy to return to Roberts. “I’m enjoying working here with the incredible students, faculty, and staff. It’s magical here. It’s a unique group of people that work very well together, all for the glory of God and benefit of the students. It’s an honor. There isn’t a day I wake up that I don’t want to go. Never.” With 25 years of teaching experience, she enriches the Department of Music and Performing Arts by helping future teachers with her uniquely qualified, challenging, and fun manner. Her goal: “To give them what I’ve learned so they can start from that point and go further – which is every teacher’s dream, to have their students succeed them.”
To read more about the conference, visit www.sdt2019.org.
Written by Emily Hutchinson, 2.15.19
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