Describing Engagement in the Collegiate Concert Band Rehearsal

• In Event: Engagement and Self-Concept in Music Education

Abstract

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? (3) What does rehearsal engagement look like in action? Cross-case analysis suggested that student engagement is related to personal/temporal factors, the repertoire and instructional strategies, and interpersonal factors among students and between the student and director. Directors spoke of the responsibility and pressure they felt to encourage independence and the challenges of establishing a collaborative, agentic environment. Observation fieldnotes reflected variety in body language, liveliness and hands-on interactions, and technology distractions.

Authors

• Ryan D. Shaw, Michigan State University

• David M. Hedgecoth, The Ohio State University

• Andrew Bohn, Michigan State University

• Lorenzo Sánchez-Gatt, Boston University

• Emily Moler, Michigan State University

• Charles R. Oldenkamp, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Gentry Ragsdale, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Nathan Irby, The Ohio State University