Keeping Instruments Out of the Attic: The Concert Band Experiences ...

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Music Education Research International, Volume 5, 2011In an interview, a participant said band inhigh school filled an important niche, and that ifcampus band weren’t available to her a void wouldopen up:I would miss the opportunity to be able to play.Part of high school, playing the flute and beingin band made a world of difference in makingfriends and how my whole high school was.The flute was a part of my life all throughouthigh school, and it’s just been a part of me that Ireally enjoy. There would be somethingmissing.Community. Many participants voiced anappreciation or desire for the element of communitythey associate with playing in band, which oneparticipant described as “feeling the familyatmosphere.” Another wrote, “I love the atmospherein campus band. People keep the spirit of the bandalive.” Some participants cited existing friendshipsas a plus: “I enjoy being in an ensemble with myfriends.” Others stated their wish to meet otherpeople with similar interests: “it brings togetherpeople from all majors across campus to meet peoplethey may not have ever run into” and “[I like] thechance to play with other people who love music andenjoy playing it!” A more ineffable aspect ofcommunity, that of being a part of something biggerthan one individual, seemed to be verbalized byparticipants in responses like, “I just always enjoyperforming and just playing with a group of peers,”and those who looked forward to “playing new musicwith a new group of people,” “hearing the ensembledevelop as a whole,” and “just enjoying theensemble.”In an interview, one participant talked aboutmeeting people in campus band:It [knowing people in campus band] made itmore fun, and we could all relate to things.After the next semester, I had kids from campusband in one of my classes, so I knew them andthat was good.Desire to continue. As indicated in much ofthe data already described, many participants have asincere interest in continuing to play their instrumentafter leaving high school, but not commit to major inmusic in college. A total of 57 participants mentionedspecifically that their primary reason to play was to“continue to play [their] instrument.” This theme wasmore prevalent than any other that emerged duringthe coding process.27It was not uncommon for a participant towrite that not only do they wish to continue playingtheir instrument, but that they “miss having music inmy life,” “want to keep music in my life,” or “needmusic in my life.” These responses may suggest thatcampus band is the only opportunity for them to playtheir instrument and without campus band, they feelthey would lose music, as in, “I love playing, and Ireally didn’t want to have to give it up.” Otherexamples of these type of responses are: “I want tokeep making music and not lose touch with makingmusic,” “I love music and can’t see myself notcontinuing to play,” “I love to play the flute and needto keep music in my life,” and “I can’t imagine mylife without music.”Follow up interview data provided additionalinformation on this finding. One participant wrote onhis questionnaire, “Need an ensemble to play in. Imiss music in my life.” We asked him to explain, andhe talked about why music is important to him:I do not have the opportunity to play backhome. Being in band just helps me use otherparts of my brain. I think it balances me out androunds me out as a person. Playing in band isfun. It’s something I can do to relax.Another participant stated campus band was the onlyway she knew to keep up on her instrument:I think I enjoyed the most, just being able tokeep up with playing my instrument because if Ihadn’t done that [campus band] I wouldn’t havehad any other way to keep playing. And I’vebeen playing since 3rd grade.One participant said in an interview that heknew how to play in bands, and on trips home couldseek out the bands with which he formerly played,but had little additional outlets at college forperforming:I always have the opportunity to play with thegroups that I played with during high schoolwhen I’m at home. So I have a very similaropportunity for me at home, but definitely notany other opportunities like that for me atschool.DiscussionAnalyses from both the written responsesand follow up interviews provide evidence that thecampus band is indeed a special opportunity for themembers of this campus who wish to continueplaying their instruments. It is clear that the ensemble
Music Education Research International, Volume 5, 2011satisfies a variety of needs on both individual andcollective levels. These data also provide support forthe continued presence of ensembles for non-majorsin all college and university settings. Not only dostudents enjoy and benefit from participating in theensemble in a variety of ways, but the institution ofhigher education itself can also benefit by having aninclusive ensemble on campus as part of the cultureof the college experience. It is important to note thatthe participants in this study were not randomlypicked nor were they representative of all non-majorband members everywhere.Beyond the individual and institutionalbenefits of the campus band experience, we believetwo conclusions can be drawn from the data thathighlight some deeper issues in music education.The first arises from findings that illuminate thenature of competitive experiences in high school. Thesecond provides insight on the nature of lifelongparticipation in music—these students clearly wish tocontinue playing their instrument, but do they havethe desire or ability to play in musical settings outsideof the concert band?CompetitionAn apparent paradox emerged when weexamined the most memorable experiences of thecampus band members. We approach these findingswith the acknowledgment and understanding that“most memorable” did not always mean “favorite” or“most enjoyable.” Indeed, researchers have foundthat problematic experiences may be stronger andlonger lasting than positive ones (Riessman, 2008).On the one hand, membership in selective groupsand/or highly competitive environments appear toleave indelible impressions upon young musicians inschool and are often considered more unforgettablethan other musical experiences prior to college. Onthe other hand, the vast majority of students, eventhose nostalgic of their earlier years in band, do notwish to recreate those experiences that werecompetitive. Both the written response and theinterview data indicate the overwhelming majority ofparticipants sought an atmosphere that lacked thecompetitive environment they recalled so strongly.Furthermore, words like “stress-free,” “relaxed,” and“fun, noncompetitive atmosphere” which appearfrequently in questionnaire and interview data seemto be at odds with these competitive, high-pressureexperiences in the past, as does the sentiment thatmany participants wish to just “keep up their chops”and keep playing at a recreational level. We theorizethe absence of competition and a relaxed atmospherewere among the most attractive aspects of the campusband environment for these participants.28Regardless of the manner in which the term“memorable” is defined in this context, the paradoxseems noteworthy. If these were indeed favoritememories of the students, then it seems odd that,given the opportunity to participate in a similarensemble, participants would wish to avoid therecreation of, or a return to, these competitive andselective environments. Alternatively, if for some ofthe participants, “memorable” has a negativeconnotation, then this would be further evidence thatcompetitive environments can have a detrimentalimpact both in general terms (Kohn, 1986) and inmusic education programs (Austin, 1990).While it is possible of course that a healthyparadigm of competition for performer and educatoralike does exist (e.g., Gallops, 2005), there isresearch that highlights the negative impactcompetition can have in music education settings.Findings from a recent study of the perceptions ofvalues, competence, and interest in music study (inschool versus outside of school) among 3,037 musicstudents in the United States suggest that a narrowemphasis on performance and competition may limitthe accessibility and appeal of school music to somestudents (McPherson & Hendricks, 2010). Thecompetitive emphasis common in North Americanmusic education programs has also been shown tolead to restrictions in learned repertoire, limitedopportunities for an elite minority of students, and afocus on achievement-centered rather than studentcenteredinstruction (Radocy, 2001).Competition and Lifelong LearningDoes this interpretation of competition shedany light upon our understanding of lifelong learningand continued participation in instrumental music inparticular? At the very least, for the participants inthis study, we theorize that the absence ofcompetition and a supportive environment were keycomponents in their desire to continue to play theirinstrument, as in this interview quote:My high school band was very strict. We had toput in hours and hours into practicing, whichwas good because we produced a lot of goodmusic, but at the same time it almostdiscouraged me from playing more because itbecame so much of something that I had to do.Compared to campus band, I thought thatcampus band was a lot more fun.The participants in the campus band alsoexplained that they play their instruments, not forgrades or accolades, but for the simple joy that itbrings to their life. Not coincidentally, these
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