This research studied prevalence, manifestation, and associated factors of Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) in school band directors. Band directors (N = 625) who were members of the National Association of Music Education (NAfME) completed the survey which included the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI) and demographic questions.…

The visibility and popularity of marching bands at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) represents a multi-generational tradition of marching and musical excellence. With performances that reach national and international audiences through large viewership, HBCU marching band culture is elevated to artistic prominence with each…

The purpose of this multiple explanatory case study was to investigate the preparation of underserved school band programs for a Music Performance Assessment (MPA). Specifically, I examined racial, economic, and social inequalities, which are well documented in the research literature, and the related achievement gaps of underserved public school…

Wind band has a deep and long-lasting connection to folk-song sources. Societal expectations around music choices and sources are changing, including calls to diversify repertoire and eliminate traditional songs that include offensive language and stereotypes. Concerns about music usage in relation to cultural appropriation are also being…

Starting a career in music education is difficult; there are many challenges that first-year band directors face. These challenges can include praxis shock, isolation, stress, and high workloads. First-year band directors may need mentoring support as they transition into the profession. There are different types of mentor programs that a school…

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between high school concert band directors' self-efficacy for classroom management, efficacious sources, and classroom management behaviors. Participants (N = 271) completed the Band Director Self-Efficacy for Classroom Management scale and responded to items about their demographic and school…

The purpose of this multiple case study was to investigate engagement in the collegiate concert band setting. Research questions were: (1) How do collegiate band students describe their engagement in large ensemble rehearsals? (2) How do collegiate band directors describe engagement in large ensemble rehearsals? and (3) What does rehearsal…

This dissertation consists of three projects that I designed to examine high school band directors' and collegiate musicians' experiences and perceptions of democratic educational processes within concert band rehearsals. The first investigation is a review of literature about democratic educational principles and their application in non-music…

The purpose of this study was to examine democratic practice in a large ensemble setting. A large (N = 63) auditioned concert band served as the case study for the present investigation. A series of self-guided rehearsals provided the opportunity for the ensemble members to engage in democratic musical governance without a conductor. Mixed-method…

This descriptive study examined professional conductors' use of rehearsal time in sequential pattern components, discussing task presentation targets, and using verbal imagery and modeling techniques. Commercially available videos of 15 professional conductors rehearsing prominent orchestras were scripted, coded, and timed for selected teaching…

As the music education profession continues to adapt to the needs of an increasingly pluralistic society, scholars and practitioners have begun to concern themselves with issues of social justice (e.g., equity, diversity, inclusion, or access). For band directors, one way to address such topics is through the purposeful programming of music by…

Graduate wind conducting programs prepare students to teach collegiate band and conducting techniques through musical curricular content and apprenticeship in administrative tasks. Despite their important role, there is little research examining the structure of these programs beyond a few studies of their course requirements. The purpose of this…

Latest studies point out the importance of emotional competencies in young people's education. Music is closely linked to people's personal development and the evidence suggests that there are differences in young people who participate in group music-making activities and young people who do not. In the present study we analysed the…

The purpose of this study was to investigate undergraduate instrumental music education majors' score study practices as they related to the effectiveness of their simulated conducting. Participants (N = 30) were video recorded in two sessions in which they completed a 20-min score study session and a simulated conducting performance. In the first…

Jazz band directors tend to face a lot of time constraints in readying their ensembles for performance. Sometimes the race to the stage can result in suboptimal playing, a rhythm section that does not quite gel, or soloists who "blow and hope"--that is, fail to put in the appropriate amount of thought before and during their…