This paper explores the question: what courses and activities contribute to the music major's musical growth (musicianship), and which do not? Musical independence (MI) is the key indicator of student outcome in music. The study makes a subtle difference between MI and musical achievement, the mastery of any academic skill related to music,…

Using identified factors that affect students' musical outcomes, this research study examined how instrumental music students attending "good" rural Appalachian high schools compared to other instrumental students. "Good" refers to those 12 Appalachian rural school districts identified as the best out of 46 rural county school…

This study analyzed the relationship between MI (musical independence) and placement in college instrumental ensembles, the influence of instrument family and gender on the development of MI in postsecondary students, and identification of those outstanding MI students most at risk of dropping music as their college major. Instrumentalists (N=354)…

This paper examines the relationships between musical independence or MI (a reflection of the product rather than the process of musicianship), related academic courses, and other music/nonmusic activities at the postsecondary education level. The first purpose of the study is to examine the relationships between MI and Colwell's Musical…

This study evaluated the relationship between musical independence and: students' gender; home environment; high school and college academic and musical experiences; and college instrumental organization, major, and instrument. The study also evaluated students' opinions regarding attrition in music education and evaluated the spectrum of musical…