High school band members criteria for evaluating performed music a collective case study /

by Tutt, Kevin J.

The purpose of this research project was to discover the specific criteria used by high school band members to evaluate compositions they have rehearsed or performed. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that members of the target population had specific evaluative criteria that they applied to these compositions but no research has yet identified those criteria. The study was designed using a collective case study methodology based on the qualitative research tradition of grounded theory. The site was a high school band program in the eastern United States that met specific criteria for producing students with significant knowledge of music, as demonstrated by their performance ability. The student informants (N=4) were chosen using the typical case sampling method. Subjects were in the 11th grade, had at least three years of formal participation in school music ensembles, and demonstrated a typical level of musicianship for that program. I collected data through interviews with the subjects, their parents, and their high school band director. Interviews were conducted using interview guides and I analyzed the data using three coding methods. Additional data was gathered through email exchanges and observations of the subjects. Answers to the following research questions were sought: (a) What specific criteria do students use, (b) what are the broad categories of criteria, and (c) what influenced the students’ development and selection of criteria? Analysis of the data indicated that students evaluated compositions using criteria arranged in four categories: (a) the variety of musical components, (b) the technical challenge of the composition, (c) the complexity of the work, and (d) the students’ personal connection with the composition. iv Possible sources of criteria, based on a comparison of the students’ stated criteria and statements made by their parents and teachers, are offered. Additional findings and suggested directions for future research are also provided. v