Demographic Predictors of High School Music Students, Music Majors, and Professional Musicians

• In Event: Race, Racism, and Representation in Music Education

Abstract

Drawing from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, a nationally representative sample of over 25,000 high school students, this study identified students indicating collegiate and professional ambitions in musical fields. With data points taken from the freshman, junior, and senior years, this data set provided the opportunity to trace the development and curricular choices of intended musicians both participating in and choosing not to participate in the “traditional” pathway to achieving professional musicianship. By comparing demographic variables and school music enrollment among these aspirant young musicians, this study highlights racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic imbalances within the field of music education.

Author

• Adam Grisé, University of Maryland - College Park