The Day the Music Died: A Formal Ecological Examination of a Community Surrounding a Terminated High School Band Program

• In Event: Music Education Looking Outside the Classroom

Abstract

The purpose of this collective case study was to examine community members viewpoints concerning the cancellation of a high school band program in the southern United States. More specifically, this paper explores the discontinuation of a band program from the perspective of four community members: a recently graduated band member, high school English teacher, former high school band director, and superintendent of schools. Working within an ecological framework and utilizing participative inquiry, the four community members’ perspectives concerning the band program and its eventual termination were investigated.

Author

• Bruce Allen Carter, National Council for the Arts