Mental models in the learning and teaching of music theory concepts

Published ArticleA retired physicist attempting to master elements of music theory in a short time found the Mental Model of the keyboard layout invaluable in overcoming some of the related learning challenges and this has been followed up in collaboration with a professor of Music Education. Possible cognitive mechanisms for his response are discussed and it is concluded that his engrained learning habits, which emphasise models as found in physics, are potentially of wider applicability. A survey of the use of Mental Models among competent young musicians indicated that although various models are widely used, this is largely subconscious. The practical question of whether exposure of students to the keyboard would assist them in mastering music theory remains unresolved

TB/HIV Integration at Primary Care Level: A Quantitative Assessment at Three Clinics in Johannesburg, South Africa

Objective: In 2004 the WHO released the Interim Policy on Collaborative TB/HIV activities. For People living with HIV (PLWH), activities include intensified case finding, isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) and infection control. For TB patients, activities include HIV counseling and testing (HCT), prevention messages, and cotrimoxazole preventive therapy (CPT); care and support, and antiretroviral treatment (ART) for those with HIV-associated TB. Implementation of collaborative activities in South Africa and globally remains sub-optimal. We aimed to quantify TB/HIV integration at three primary health care clinics in Johannesburg, South Africa. Methods: Routinely collected TB and HIV data from the HCT register, TB suspect register, TB treatment register, clinic file and HIV electronic database collected over a period of three months was reviewed. Results: Of 1104 people receiving HCT, 306 (28%) were HIV positive, only 57% of these had a CD4 count, few were screened for TB or offered IPT. Among all clinic encounters with PLWH, 921 (15%) had documented TB symptoms, but only 10% were assessed by smear microscopy, and few asymptomatic PLWH were offered IPT. Infection control was poorly documented and implemented. Among 208 TB patients, 155 (75%) had documented HIV status, of which 90% were HIV positive and 88% had a documented CD4 count. Provision of CPT and ART was poorly documented. Conclusion: Coverage of most TB/HIV collaborative activities was below global plan targets. The lack of standardized recording tools and incomplete documentation impeded assessment at facility level, and limits the accuracy of data compiled at district level.Master of Public Healt

‘Oh joy, oh rapture’ : the Oily Chart Opera Company reflects the enduring charm of Gilbert and Sullivan in South Africa

For over four decades ‘The Oily Chart Opera Company’ have annually produced and performed a Gilbert and Sullivan Savoy opera in Pretoria, South Africa. In this strictly amateur group, designed to allow busy people to participate over six to seven weeks, members undertake all the roles on stage as well as making costumes and stage sets. Unique to the group is a single music ‘coach and accompanist’ having served for 45 years and many of the current members having performed in all of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas more than once. Data was gathered in a survey forming part of a research project Spirituality and Well-being: Music in the community. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to code the data into four broad themes: Joining, Learning and Leadership, Benefits of Community Music, Connections to Well-being and Spiritual Connections. The findings show the typical benefits experienced by those who perform regularly in groups, although this group draws special joy from their strict focus on Gilbert and Sullivan's operas. They also understand the spiritual connection to their music in the familiar dual categories of religious and secular spirituality. This particular group of performers is keeping Savoy operas alive in modern-day sub-Saharan Africa.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rcij202019-02-07hj2018Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS

‘Oh joy, oh rapture’ : the Oily Chart Opera Company reflects the enduring charm of Gilbert and Sullivan in South Africa

For over four decades ‘The Oily Chart Opera Company’ have annually produced and performed a Gilbert and Sullivan Savoy opera in Pretoria, South Africa. In this strictly amateur group, designed to allow busy people to participate over six to seven weeks, members undertake all the roles on stage as well as making costumes and stage sets. Unique to the group is a single music ‘coach and accompanist’ having served for 45 years and many of the current members having performed in all of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas more than once. Data was gathered in a survey forming part of a research project Spirituality and Well-being: Music in the community. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to code the data into four broad themes: Joining, Learning and Leadership, Benefits of Community Music, Connections to Well-being and Spiritual Connections. The findings show the typical benefits experienced by those who perform regularly in groups, although this group draws special joy from their strict focus on Gilbert and Sullivan's operas. They also understand the spiritual connection to their music in the familiar dual categories of religious and secular spirituality. This particular group of performers is keeping Savoy operas alive in modern-day sub-Saharan Africa.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rcij202019-02-07hj2018Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS

Learning music theory en passant : a study in an internationally recognised South African university student choir

While mastery of aspects of music theory is relevant to rapid learning and understanding of a new choral part, many choirs comprise members with no formal education in music theory. Also, the language of music theory is not intuitive, with many terms having meanings different from those in common use, which can present obstacles for mature learners. The authors hypothesised that students joining an internationally recognised university choir might master aspects of music theory as a by-product of rehearsals. This was tested by having new admissions to such a choir complete a music theory test at the commencement and at the end of a year. The test evaluated the ability to name and write intervals and name notes and the duration of notes. Overall results did not reject the hypothesis. Subjects with no formal music training also showed most, and statistically significant, improvement in the questions related to intervals, which are arguably the most useful skills for choristers who do not sight-read. This appears to be a new finding: the literature shows occasional references to music theory skills, but their acquisition in a learning-by-doing style is not reported. Some insights into ways of enhancing choral performance are a by-product of the principal focus of the study.https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-music-educationhj2020MusicStatistic

TB/HIV integration at primary care level: A quantitative assessment at 3 clinics in Johannesburg, South Africa

Background. In 2004 the World Health Organization (WHO) released the Interim Policy on Collaborative TB/HIV activities. According to the policy, for people living with HIV (PLWH), activities include intensified case finding, isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) and infection control. For TB patients, activities included HIV counselling and testing (HCT), prevention messages, and cotrimoxazole preventive therapy (CPT), care and support, and antiretroviral therapy (ART) for those with HIV-associated TB. While important progress has been made in implementation, targets of the WHO Global Plan to Stop TB have not been reached. Objective. To quantify TB/HIV integration at 3 primary healthcare clinics in Johannesburg, South Africa. Methods. Routinely collected TB and HIV data from the HCT register, TB ‘suspect’ register, TB treatment register, clinic files and HIV electronic database, collected over a 3-month period, were reviewed. Results. Of 1 104 people receiving HCT: 306 (28%) were HIV-positive; a CD4 count was documented for 57%; and few received TB screening or IPT. In clinic encounters among PLWH, 921 (15%) had documented TB symptoms; only 10% were assessed by smear microscopy, and few asymptomatic PLWH were offered IPT. Infection control was poorly documented and implemented. HIV status was documented for 155 (75%) of the 208 TB patients; 90% were HIV-positive and 88% had a documented CD4 count. Provision of CPT and ART was poorly documented. Conclusion. The coverage of most TB/HIV collaborative activities was below Global Plan targets. The lack of standardised recording tools and incomplete documentation impeded assessment at facility level and limited the accuracy of compiled data

Directly observed antiretroviral therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Directly observed therapy has been recommended to improve adherence for patients with HIV infection who are on highly active antiretroviral therapy, but the benefit and cost-effectiveness of this approach has not been established conclusively. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials of directly observed versus self-administered antiretroviral treatment. METHODS: We did duplicate searches of databases (from inception to July 27, 2009), searchable websites of major HIV conferences (up to July, 2009), and lay publications and websites (March-July, 2009) to identify randomised trials assessing directly observed therapy to promote adherence to antiretroviral therapy in adults. Our primary outcome was virological suppression at study completion. We calculated relative risks (95% CIs), and pooled estimates using a random-effects method. FINDINGS: 12 studies met our inclusion criteria; four of these were done in groups that were judged to be at high risk of poor adherence (drug users and homeless people). Ten studies reported on the primary outcome (n=1862 participants); we calculated a pooled relative risk of 1.04 (95% CI 0.91-1.20, p=0.55), and noted moderate heterogeneity between the studies (I(2)= 53.8%, 95% CI 0-75.7, p=0.0247) for directly observed versus self-administered treatment. INTERPRETATION: Directly observed antiretroviral therapy seems to offer no benefit over self-administered treatment, which calls into question the use of such an approach to support adherence in the general patient population. FUNDING: None

False-positive rifampicin resistance on Xpert® MTB/RIF: case report and clinical implications [Technical note]

The World Health Organization had endorsed Xpert® MTB/RIF (Xpert) as the initial diagnostic for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) or TB suspects co-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. We investigated an unexpected case of rifampicin (RMP) resistance on Xpert using repeat Xpert, smear microscopy, MTBDRplus assay, culture, drug susceptibility testing, spoligotyping and rpoB gene sequencing. A false-positive result was most likely, given the wild type rpoB gene sequence and exclusion of both mixed infection and mixture of drug-susceptible and drug-resistant populations. When decentralising Xpert, test performance characteristics need to be understood by health care workers and methods of confirmation of RMP resistance need to be accessible

Implementation of Xpert MTB/RIF for routine point-of-care diagnosis of tuberculosis at the primary care level

Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) offers rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance. However, little is known about routine point-of-care (POC) use in high TB/HIV burden settings. We describe our experiences of launching Xpert as the POC, initial diagnostic for all TB suspects at a primary healthcare clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa. Noted important benefits of POC Xpert were fewer clinic visits, rapid detection of TB and rifampicin resistance, real-time assessment of accompanying household members of new TB cases, and increased staff motivation for TB screening. While Xpert results are available within 2 hours, actual turn-around time was longer for most patients because of sample preparation time and clinic congestion. Consequently, a GX4 instrument did not result in a 16-test capacity during an 8-hour working day, and some patients did not receive same-day results. Loss to follow-up was an unforeseen challenge, overcome by clinic flow changes, marking of clinic files, documenting patients' physical description and locating patients in the clinic by cell phone. Staff with high school education successfully performed the assay after minimal training. Human resource requirements were considerable, with a minimum of 2 staff needed to supervise sputum collection, process sputum, perform assays, and document results for an average of 15 TB suspects daily. POC placement of the instrument transferred logistical responsibilities to the clinic, including quality assurance, maintenance, stock control and cartridge disposal. POC use of Xpert is feasible at the primary healthcare level but must be accompanied by financial, operational and logistical support