https://ojs.upsi.edu.my/index.php/MJM <p style="text-align: justify;">The <strong>Malaysian Journal of Music (MJM) [ISSN 2600-9366 e-ISSN 2600-9331] </strong>previously known as the Malaysian Music Journal (MMJ) (2012-2017, ISSN : 2232-1020 e-ISSN : 0128-2158 ), is a double-blind peer-reviewed academic journal that highlights music research and scholarship. It is a forum for music scholars to critically discuss issues related to music. Whilst the journal is based in Malaysia, articles from any region with theoretically robust and empirically engaging content are welcomed. We invite submissions of original articles from a wide spectrum of research areas including musicology, ethnomusicology, music education, performance, composition, music technology, popular music, music therapy and music business. Multidisciplinary research that includes music is also welcomed. Our journal publishes articles in Malay and English bi-annually.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><img src="https://ejournal.upsi.edu.my/public/site/images/admin/412px-scopus-logo.svg-2-.png" alt="" width="130" height="40" /> <img src="https://ejournal.upsi.edu.my/public/site/images/admin/esci-d0538677d5207120e35313b3e5bb404f.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="57" /> <img src="https://ejournal.upsi.edu.my/public/site/images/admin/my-cite138-15e498be3cf6e2cfdd36124c1a49bb17.png" alt="" width="130" height="33" /> <img src="https://ejournal.upsi.edu.my/public/site/images/admin/aci-logo8-94ffe193071582b08ce7d5dafe95a6af.png" alt="" width="130" height="52" /> <img src="https://ejournal.upsi.edu.my/public/site/images/admin/logo2-d5966321cdea8c314b36d3084cc4ad2c-2774d3c738b0854e1a79105e7dcab9ef.png" alt="" width="110" height="43" /></p> Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris Press en-US Malaysian Journal of Music 2600-9366 https://ojs.upsi.edu.my/index.php/MJM/article/view/10040 <p>This study aims to determine the competencies essential for elementary music teachers by exploring effective practices and insights of experts in music education. Using a three-round Delphi method with twelve music education experts, the study collected and refined competencies across three stages. In Round 1, qualitative data were thematically analysed to identify competency domains. In Round 2, participants ranked these domains and competencies by importance, with agreement levels assessed using Kendall’s W. Round 3 sought consensus by allowing participants to review collective rankings and explanations. Results revealed seven key domains, with Musical Skills emerging as the most essential, with the ability to play an instrument being the most important competency.</p> Benjie M. Manila Honey Bert G. Dayanan Gloria S. Santos Samuel A. Quiroz Copyright (c) 2024 Benjie M. Manila, Honey Bert G. Dayanan, Gloria S. Santos, Samuel A. Quiroz http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2024-11-17 2024-11-17 13 2 1 21 10.37134/mjm.vol13.2.1.2024 https://ojs.upsi.edu.my/index.php/MJM/article/view/9808 <p>Topic theory in musicology examines how musical elements and structures convey emotions or topics in music. Despite its potential to provide a framework for understanding musical expression, topic theory has rarely been applied to piano pedagogy. This study aimed to explore participants’ perceptions of Raymond Monelle’s topic theory, specifically the hunt, military, and pastoral topics, in piano interpretation and teaching. Participants included six music lecturers from Chinese universities and nine university music students from Bulgaria, China, France, Germany, and the United States. Data was collected through a listening survey and semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The listening survey used excerpts from Dussek’s <em>La Chasse</em>, <em>C.146</em>, Beethoven’s <em>Piano Sonata in A Major</em>, <em>Op. 101</em>, <em>Second Movement</em>, and Liszt’s <em>Années de Pèlerinage</em>, <em>Première année - Suisse</em>, <em>No. 3</em>, <em>Pastorale.</em> The results showed that more than half of the participants matched the selected topics with the musical excerpts, with some confusion between the hunt and military topics. All participants agreed that topic theory enriches the interpretation of piano pieces and provides a complementary method in piano pedagogy. Two main themes emerged regarding the application of topic theory in piano interpretation: enhanced expression and imagination. Participants also believed that topic theory could serve as an analytical framework for interpreting musical works and increase the musical knowledge of both teachers and students.</p> Ding Jin Chiew Hwa Poon Feng-Hsu Lee Copyright (c) 2024 Ding Jin, Chiew Hwa Poon, Feng-Hsu Lee http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2024-11-18 2024-11-18 13 2 22 43 10.37134//mjm.vol13.2.2.2024