University Students Reflections on School Music

Diane Stjern
School of Music North Dakota State University
Abstract: Many factors contribute to student attrition in school music programs. This study surveyed sixty-seven students from North Dakota State University on their involvement in music throughout middle and high school. Those who indicated they dropped out of their schools music program were questioned further to reveal their individual reasoning. Results indicate that the majority of students left their schools music program because of the following reasons: scheduling and time conflicts, perceived lack of ability, dislike for their music teacher, and loss of interest. The results are compared against previous research to illustrate the most common factors that cause student attrition in school music programs. Implications for music educators are discussed.

Introduction

For most music educators, the biggest issue is how to provide the highest quality music experience for all of their students. However, because music classes such as band, choir, and orchestra are beyond the general music curriculum and are not required for students to graduate, some music educators struggle just to keep students in their programs. Student attrition in school music programs has become a large issue among music educators. Several common factors that cause student attrition in school music programs have been identified within previous research and will be explained in this article. First, however, the importance of music education will be discussed to give an underlying purpose to this study.

Benefits of Music Education Music education offers several benefits for students. Within the existing research, these include: higher academic achievement, social benefits, and personal benefits. First, multiple studies have shown that students who participate in music find success in other subject areas, even outperforming non-music students on standardized tests. For example, Grade 12 students who had participated in music in Grade 11 outperformed their non-music peers on standardized achievement tests in biology and mathematics (Gouzouasis, Gugn & Kishor, 2007). The work of Gouzouasis et al provides two rationalizations of music education: (1) participation in music does not hinder achievement in other subjects, and (2) there is an association between students music participation and success in other subjects as compared to their non-music peers. Gouzouasis et al state, our results imply that music participation benefits students in ways that are directly or indirectly linked to higher academic achievement in general, and specifically in regard to mathematics and biology (2007). School music classes also help students to foster important relationships with their peers. Relationships are integral to students lives as noted in a case study of young people in secondary school (Gristy, 2012). Music classes, especially ensembles (which include band, choir, orchestra, and other musical groups), provide positive social environments to fulfill students social needs. Morrison theorizes the social dimension of music participation and argues that music ensembles are a separate culture within schools. He states that because students commit large amounts of time to music ensembles, students develop social relationships with other music students. Morrison also argues that these relationships continue outside of music classes to include activities such as eating lunch together and spending time together outside of school (2001). Morrisons theory is affirmed by the case study of Adderley, Kennedy, and Berz, who found that music students often congregated together outside of music-related activities (2003). 2

Music students also experience personal benefits. A study of piano students illustrates how students felt an increase in self-esteem after three years of music instruction (Costa-Giomi, 2004). Students also feel a sense of belonging through participation in music. Within a school context, students who participate in music ensembles feel that one is a part of something much greater than what the individual could produce alone (Adderley, Kennedy & Berz, 2003). This sense of belonging comes from the teamwork that is essential to create a successful ensemble. Each student is integral to the success of the entire ensemble. Therefore, participation in a music ensemble satisfies each students personal need to belong to a group as theorized by Maslow (1954). These benefits of music education, while briefly discussed, give a basic framework and an underlying purpose to this study. Music educators already know these benefits, but students are not always consciously aware of how music affects their lives until they look back upon their music experiences. This study hopes that the use of university students as study participants will provide accurate data truly reflective of their school music experiences (or absence of music experiences) because the students have had time since their music participation to reflect and make judgments. However, one cannot say that all participants looked upon their school music participation as a positive experience. Some participants chose to drop out of music which contributed to student attrition in their schools music program. The next section will explore what previous research has found as the most common factors that cause student attrition in school music programs.

Student Attrition in School Music Student attrition, or a decrease in number of students in a school music program, is a concern among many music educators. In most secondary schools, music ensembles are not required classes for students. Therefore, music educators do everything they can to keep students in their programs for as long as possible. Teachers need students in order to teach, and within music ensembles, music educators need students to play certain instruments or sing certain voice parts. The following literature discusses several common factors that cause student attrition in school music programs. As noted in the research, the first and most prevalent reason that causes students to drop out of school music is a loss of interest (Duerksen, 1972). Tates research of the factors that most influenced students to drop out of school music in Omaha, Nebraska echoes this finding (Tate, 1962). A loss of interest can happen when instruction or music is not varied enough to keep students interested (Sandene, 1994). Students may become bored if they constantly practice out of the same method book or play the same style of music. Secondly, students may drop out of school music if they feel they cannot succeed at a quick enough pace. To begin a new activity such as music is exciting. However, after this initial excitement, students may experience frustration (Sandene, 1994). Student interest may begin to decrease when extra patience is required to advance their music ability. In a study of new piano students, those who had overly high expectations of how much practice they would undertake were more likely to quit participating in music than those who had realistic expectations for their amount of practice time (McPherson & Davidson, 2002). Unrealistic expectations do not always allow for student success, especially in the early learning stages.

Another factor that influences students to drop out of school music is the lack of desire to practice. In order to advance in ability, regular practice is necessary. However, many students do not like to practice, and therefore do not practice regularly. Many children describe practice as boring or a chore and similar to homework which gives the act of practicing a negative connotation (McPherson & Davidson, 2002). The lack of steady practice may reduce the students chances of successful progression on their instrument. This can decrease their feelings of success in music, and soon the student may drop from the music program. More specific issues that cause a lack of student achievement can also attribute to a desire to quit school music. For example, students sometimes cannot find success with a particular instrument. One study states, 69 percent of elementary school students who had dropped instrumental music indicated their instruments were difficult to play, and 34 percent said they had dropped out because of this reason (Duerksen, 1972). Lack of achievement in music classes can also be caused by a difficulty to read music notation. Allen found, Students reported that their problems with music reading were a critical factor in their decision to withdraw from the orchestra program (1981). The relationship between music classes and other activities was also considered an influential factor for students to drop out from music. From a summary of 800 middle school student responses collected from all over the United States, the four main reasons that caused students to drop out of band included that band was too time consuming, it conflicted with participation in sports, conflicted with other school activities, and students had a fear of failure (Brown, 1985).

The Proposed Study This study examines university students reflections on their school music experiences. More specifically, this study closely examines the responses of participants who chose to drop out of their schools music program. The study will answer the following question:

What factors caused university students to drop out of their schools music program?

In response to this question, this study hopes to illustrate how these factors compare with the previous research about student attrition in school music programs. Implications for music educators will also be discussed.

Limitations and Ideas for Future Research This study was very limited in the number of study participants. The number of participants could be expanded to create a broader base of experiences from which to draw conclusions. Also, because this study was constructed in a manner to allow participants to answer very freely about their music experiences, a very large set of data resulted, and trends were difficult to identify. Future studies could use a narrower set of options to direct participants responses so that trends could be more reliably identified.

Methods

After I contacted and obtained permission from each of the professors of the three participating classes, I attended each class either at the beginning or very end of the lecture. I presented a basic outline of the research to the study participants, and requested their participation in a survey. It was explained to them that they had the opportunity to refuse to take the survey. They were told the research would explore and analyze their reflections of school music. The research purposes were minimally discussed in order to obtain answers from the participants that were candid and uninfluenced by the nature of the research. Finally, the participants were shown how to complete the survey before the surveys were given.

Study Participants The study participants were 66 undergraduate students and one graduate student from North Dakota State University. The participants were students in three different general education classes that help fulfill the Fine Arts credits required for graduation: Music Appreciation, Fundamentals of Music, and Roots of American Popular Music. The students in these classes were chosen to participate in this study because, between all of the students, there is a large range of previous music knowledge. Previous music experience is not a prerequisite of any of the three courses, but I hypothesized that some of the students in these classes may have participated in music sometime in school because of their decision to take an unrequired music course in college. The participants were also chosen out of convenience.

Instruments A survey was the sole instrument for data collection. The survey was designed to split the study participants into two groups: those who had participated in school music and those who had not. School music experiences were explicitly defined by the survey as participation in music classes during elementary, middle, or high school. For the purposes of this study, participation in required general music classes was not defined as a school music experience. The survey sought to distinguish between the students who chose to participate in school music and those who had chosen not to participate at all in music outside of required general music classes. The study participants were first asked to provide two identifiers: their status in school (i.e. freshman, sophomore, etc.) and their focus of study in order to briefly understand the study participants as a whole. The identifiers were kept to a minimum in order to keep each students answers anonymous. The study participants were next directed to answer yes or no to an initial question, Did you ever participate in music in elementary, middle, or high school (which includes classes such as band, choir, orchestra, music theory, but DOES NOT INCLUDE required general music classes)? Their response directed them to answer one set of questions continued on the first page or the other set of questions listed on the back page. Both groups of study participants, those who had participated in school music and those who had not, had access to all questions, but were directed to only answer the questions which corresponded with their answer to the initial question. This study sought to collect as much information as possible from all study participants about their school music experiences. Therefore, this is why study participants who had not participated in music were also asked to complete the survey. For the study participants who

indicated they had participated in school music, the open-ended questions served as prompts to direct their responses about school music. These questions reflected three main ideas: (1) when and in which music classes they participated, (2) if they did not continue to participate in school music through high school graduation, why they chose to quit, and (3) whether they enjoyed their school music participation. The participants who had not participated in school music answered questions about why they chose not to participate and in what other activities (schoolrelated or not) they chose to participate instead.

Data Analysis Each survey was initially analyzed to understand the overall structure of the study participant population. Each students status and focus of study was noted to better understand the diversity of the study participants but was not used to make any correlations with their previous involvement in school music. The results of the initial yes or no question about school music participation were recorded to understand the amount of participants who did or did not participate in school music. The surveys were then split into three groups: study participants who had participated in music but dropped out sometime before high school graduation (now referred to as dropouts), those who chose not to participate at all in school music (now referred to as non-participants), and those who participated in music throughout the entirety of school (now referred to as continued participants). Each group of surveys was analyzed as a collective unit. The results from each respective group were analyzed and put into generalized categories which corresponded with their intent. The answers from dropouts were first analyzed to understand when they chose to drop out and in which music classes they participated before they dropped out. The dropouts

answers were put into generalized categories to show any trends among the reasons that caused them to drop out of school music. The dropouts responses often included more than one reason, so their responses were split up to fit into several categories. Likewise, the answers from nonparticipants were categorized to show any trends among the reasons why they did not join school music. Lastly, the surveys of continued participants were analyzed and categorized to show any trends among the reasons why participation in music was or was not enjoyable. The surveys were kept for reference and clarification about specific school music experiences.

Results

Overall The majority of study participants (79%) had participated in music sometime in school. Therefore, only 21% of total study participants had not participated in music anytime during school. Of the study participants who had participated in music sometime in school, more than half (58%) stated they had dropped out of music while the other 42% continued in school music through high school graduation.

Quantitative Analysis of Dropouts Dropouts were first asked to state when they dropped out of school music. Results indicate that the majority (61%) dropped out of music in middle school. The next highest group (35%) indicated they dropped out during high school, and just one participant stated they dropped out of music in elementary school.

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Dropouts were also asked to state which music classes they dropped out of when they stopped participating. Results show that 48% indicated they dropped out of band. The second largest groups (19% each) included those who dropped out of choir and those who dropped out of both band and choir. Three other participants stated they dropped out of orchestra (10%). Finally, just one participant dropped from an unspecified music class which was not band, choir, or orchestra.

Qualitative Analysis of Dropouts Study participants reasons for dropping out of school music were analyzed next, and a definite theme emerged: dropouts often cited more than one reason that caused them to quit the music program. The reasons that caused them to drop out of school music often overlapped. However, the reasons fit into several different categories. One category of reasons that caused participants to drop out of school music reigned above all: scheduling and time conflicts. The next most cited reasons included: perceived lack of musical ability, problems with the teacher, and a general loss of interest in music. Scheduling conflicts or a lack of time was the most common reason that study participants dropped out of school music. Dropouts often said they were involved in other school activities or needed the school time to take required classes. One dropout said, When I stopped after my sophomore year in high school, it was because I got too busy to take the elective. There were other classes I needed. Several other dropouts cited reasons very similar to this. Another noted, I was involved in other extra-curricular [activities] and I was getting too busy. One dropout even said, I was not succeeding in classes so I dropped to get a study hall,

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and the result was my grades rose. However, several dropouts did not cite scheduling conflicts and merely said that to participate in music was too large of a time commitment. A perceived lack of ability was the next most common response from dropouts. One dropout did not feel that they played well enough to play with the rest of the ensemble: I realized I wasnt able to play on the level I needed to keep up with the rest of the band. Another quit simply because they thought they were not successful in music: I wasnt the best at reading music so I usually didnt do well on the written tests. One dropout who quit after two years of saxophone mentioned how his current ability to play influenced his decision: Well, I didnt expect to be the next Kenny G, so I didnt see any pragmatism behind learning to play anymore. Another frequently cited reason was a dislike of the teacher. One dropout who quit after just one year said, I didnt like the music teachers or the program. Conversely, a dropout who played in orchestra for five years said simply, Didnt want to do it anymore and the teacher sucked. Likewise, a dropout who played in band and sang in choir for six years, and who also noted they liked to participate in music, stated, The teachers made it less fun and more of work, so I ended it. The last most common reason that caused participants to drop out was a general loss of interest in school music. Several dropouts listed other reasons which made them lose interest in school music. One dropout explained, Wasnt excited about it both my older sisters did the same and I wanted to be different. Others simply didnt want to participate any longer and gave responses such as: I just wasnt interested in it, and I did not want to participate anymore. Three dropouts gave responses which corresponded to both a perceived lack of achievement and loss of interest in school music. One dropout who quit after just one year in band said, It wasnt really my thing. I didnt practice enough, so I wasnt that good. Another

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noted, Really just wasnt interested enough in it. My passion was in sports. Plus I wasnt very good. Lastly, an orchestra member for six years, said, I never practiced, due to a partial loss in interest. As the music got more complex and I never progressed, I became less interested and less engaged. I hit my natural talent level. Only a handful of dropouts cited other factors which influenced their decision to drop out of school music. These factors included a dislike for practicing, a dislike for their instrument or music they played in school, the belief that music took too much effort, and other reasons that were considered out of the students control.

Non-Participants of Music The responses from non-participants of school music for why they chose not to participate fell into four categories listed in order of prevalence: lack of interest in school music, participation in other activities, perceived lack of talent, and lack of parental or peer guidance. There was much overlap between these categories as participants often cited more than one reason which caused them not to join school music. If non-participants chose to give just one reason for not participating, it was that they had no interest in school music. More specifically, several non-participants did not enjoy the music played in their schools music program. However, a theme became apparent among the reasons why non-participants did not join school music: non-participants involvement in other activities such as sports or non school-related activities was often coupled with a lack of interest in school music. Several non-participants felt too busy with other activities to pursue music in school.

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Continued Participants As noted in the methods sections, study participants who participated in music throughout school were asked to state why they enjoyed their participation. Responses were quite varied, so it seems that the continued participants enjoyment of music was unique to each individual. However, a general liking of the music teacher was a common response from continued participants. Responses such as, My teacher was outstanding, and I had a great teacher were frequent. Other reasons for continued music participation included that it was enjoyable to meet new people, it was fun to make music, and that continued participants felt they were successful at music.

Discussion

This study sought to explore university students reflections on school music, and more specifically, sought to explore the reasons why those who dropped out chose to quit school music. The findings of this study will be compared to those discussed in the previous research and will seek to show music educators the current reasons students drop out from music.

Return to the Research Question What factors caused university students to drop out of their schools music program? The results indicate several common factors that influenced participants to drop out. The first and most common reason was a scheduling conflict or a lack of time. Dropouts who cited time conflicts with music participation were often too busy with other activities such as sports or other

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school-sponsored activities. The next most common reasons included: a perceived lack of musical ability, problems with the teacher, and a general loss of interest in music.

Connections to Previous Research When compared to all of the varied research presented at the beginning of this article, the results of this study correlate with some but not all of the previous research. The findings in this study correlate closely with Brown who reported the following most common reasons students drop out of music: it is too time-consuming, conflicts with participation in sports, conflicts with other school activities, and student have a fear of failure (1985). The results of this study also correlate well with Duerksens review of literature on student attrition in school music programs. In Duerksens review, he states that a lack of interest in music was the main factor that influenced students to drop out of music (1972). Likewise, the results of this study indicate that a loss of interest (in combination with other additional factors) influenced many study participants to drop out of school music. This finding presents difficulties for educators as they work to keep students in their programs and will be discussed later in the section labeled Implications for Music Educators. However, the majority of this studys participants did not cite issues with their instrument as a reason to drop out of music as Duerksen previously found. The few participants within this study who had issues with their instrument stated that they simply didnt like playing the instrument they were given. Another important correlation between this study and previous research is that a perceived lack of achievement is a factor that influences students to drop out of school music. In this study, two factors contributed to a perceived lack of achievement: difficulty in music reading and a lack of desire to practice. These findings echo the work of Allen and McPherson et al

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respectively. The dropouts who found limited success at music reading presumably became less motivated in music classes and became more inclined to drop out of music. Similarly, a lack of desire to practice probably caused dropouts to fall behind their peers and believe they were not successful enough to continue to participate in music. In this study, one factor found to influence dropouts which did not correlate to previous research was a dislike for the music teacher. Several participants in this study stated that they dropped out of music solely because of their teacher. The shocking results were the dropouts who said they participated in music for five or six years before they suddenly dropped out of music because of a problem with their teacher.

Other Important Results An important result is when the dropouts stopped their music participation. The majority of dropouts (61%) stopped their music participation in middle school after only a few years of involvement. In the early stages of music instruction, students are vulnerable to frustration if they feel they cannot be successful. This frustration can cause students to drop out of school music early in their musical lives, possibly before they truly understand how they feel about participation in music. As stated earlier, encouragement and realistic expectations are both helpful ways to keep students optimistic about their ability to be successful at music.

Implications for Music Educators Because the results of this study confirm findings in previous research, music educators need to be aware of the following reasons that influence students to drop out of music: scheduling conflicts or a lack of time, perceived lack of achievement, loss of interest, and

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problems with their teacher. Two other areas, difficulties with particular instruments and the early dropout rate among participants in this study are also examined. Each area is described below with implications for music educators. It is sometimes difficult for music educators to accept that a scheduling conflict is the reason a student drops out of music. However, educators need to realize that students today are involved in many school-related and other activities, and each activity (including school music) contains a time commitment. It should be noted that most students who truly wish to continue in music will find a way to stay involved. However, when an educator must negotiate with a student who wishes to remain in music even with a time conflict, the educator must follow their own philosophy to decide how (if at all) to allow the student to continue part-time in music. Compromises can be made on the music side of the conflict as long they do not hinder the other students possibilities for success. For example, a student may realize they can only participate in a music ensemble every other rehearsal because of a scheduling conflict. Before the educator can allow the student to participate in the ensemble part-time, the educator must assure themselves that the student will not inhibit the possible success of the rest of the ensemble. The educator can choose to meet individually with the student to make sure they can keep up with the rest of the ensemble even with less time in rehearsal. When students decide to drop out of music because of a time conflict, it is likely the student does not wish to participate anymore. In this case, the educator can choose to meet individually with the student to determine if there are any other underlying causes that are influencing the students decision. Ultimately, the educator will find it difficult to change the mind of a student determined to quit the music program, but a oneon-one conference is helpful to understand the students reasoning. Again, most students who truly wish to continue in music will find a way to stay involved.

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The correlation between perceived lack of achievement and loss of interest in music should alert music educators that students who feel successful are more likely to continue to pursue music. In order to encourage success, educators can establish a positive student-teacher relationship to try to understand what can be done to help each individual student achieve success. Also, to increase students ability to feel successful in music, educators should encourage students to set realistic goals for the amount of practice they will undertake. From the previously mentioned research, we understand that students can become too ambitious too early and can burn themselves out (see McPherson & Davidson, 2002). Realistic expectations set by the teacher and the students can alleviate the burnout factor cited by McPherson and Davidsons research. Achievable goals allow students to be successful. As noted in previous research, music educators should be open to talk with students who dislike or are experiencing difficulty with a particular instrument. Many students who cannot feel successful with a particular instrument simply need to reevaluate why they began to play that instrument in the first place. If the previous rationales no longer allow the student to be successful, the student should try a different instrument. Music educators should not be afraid to allow students to experiment with different instruments if the current instrument does not make sense for the student and the students needs. Lastly, music educators need to be aware of the impact they can have upon their students lives. Child psychologist Paula Bernstein notes that "musical ability is developed in a relationship, in a succession of relationships musical self in relation to musical selves (1990). Music educators have a great opportunity to be a positive influence on each student, both personally and musically. Sandene reinforces this idea with a strong statement about how to keep students in music. He says, The most important factor in reducing student attrition is

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building healthy relationships with students (1994). This small bit of advice is the perfect foundation to help music educators keep students in their programs.

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References

Adderley, C., Kennedy, M., & Berz, W. (2003). "A home away from home": The world of the high school music classroom. Journal of research in music education, 51(3), 190-205. Allen, B. (1981). Student dropout in orchestra programs in three school systems in the state of Arkansas (Doctoral dissertation, Northeast Louisiana University). Dissertation Abstracts International, 42A, 3405. Bernstein, P.P. "On breaking 100 in music," in Frank Wilson and Franz Roehmann (eds.), Music and Child Development: Proceedings of the 1987 Denver Conference (St. Louis: MMB Music, 1990), 400-19. Brown, J.D. (1985). The Gemeinhardt report 2. Elkhart, IN: Gemeinhardt Company, Inc. Costa-Giomi, Eugenia. (2004) Effects of three years of piano instruction on children's academic achievement, school performance and self-esteem. Psychology of Music, 32(2), 139-152. Duerksen, G.L. (1972). Teaching instrumental music. Washington, D.C.: Music Educators National Conference. Gouzouasis, P., Guhn, M., & Kishor, N. (2007). The predictive relationship between achievement and participation in music and achievement in core grade 12 academic subjects. Music education research, 9(1), 81-92. Gristy, C. (2012). The central importance of peer relationships for student engagement and wellbeing in a rural secondary school. Pastoral care in education: An international journal of personal, social, and emotional development, 30(3), 225-240. Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and personality. (3 ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins.

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McPherson, G. E., & Davidson, J. W. (2002). Musical practice: Mother and child interactions during the first year of learning an instrument. Music education research, 4(1). Morrison, S. J. (2001). The school ensemble. Music educators journal, 88(2), 24. Sandene, B. A. (1994). Going beyong recruiting fighting attrition. Music educators journal, 81(1), 32. Tate, E. C. (1962). A study to determine the factors that influence the drop outs in the instrumental music program in selected elementary schools in Omaha, Nebraska. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation), Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

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