appropriate form of notation determined by the educator. Brophy provided examples of

appropriate parameters for elementary student compositions as well as assessment

strategies for evaluating the students' progress. Brophy concluded that the result of the

guided composition process is "a positive hands-on learning experience that gives your

students the opportunity to become personally involved with music notation in a

satisfying and successful manner" (Brophy, 1996, p. 18).

                                 Research Studies

          Rogers (1996) investigated the relationship of colored notation on students'

ability to read rhythms. In Rogers study, though rhythmic values of varying notes were

not consistently notated in the same color, students who received instruction using

colored notes read rhythms with greater accuracy than students who did not learn with

colored notes. Rogers concluded that such colors may have increased student interest

in the process itself. In a similar study, Rogers (1991), researched the use of color as an

instructional tool and learning aid and found statistically significant results. He noted that

students trained with color-coded notation may have associated particular colors to

corresponding pitches, but may also have become dependent on the color when sight-

reading new music.

     According to Rogers (1996, pg .15), there is a considerable body of educational

research outside music suggesting that the use of color in instructional materials can

improve student performance and retention. Hebb's theories and a hypothesis by Peters

(1981) suggest a plausible explanation for the efficacy of multisensory teaching

approaches in general and the use of color-coded instructional materials in particular

(Rogers, 1991, pg. 64). Stimuli received through several senses excite more neurons in

several localized areas of the cortex, thereby reinforcing the learning process and