Music Educator Views on String and/or Orchestral Participation in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to discover music educators’ views on string music education by surveying active NAfME members in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and to compare results based on teaching area: string/orchestra (SO) and non-string/orchestra (NSO). While statistically we cannot generalize results because of the response rate and numbers of SO and NSO teachers in our study, those who responded to our online survey support our hypothesis that fewer string/orchestra programs exist in our four focus states than other U.S. regions. Respondents agreed that string/orchestra programs would benefit overall music programs, allowing for more student participation. However, results suggest some NSO teachers choose program preservation over music program diversification, and ultimately student opportunities for music participation. The largest barriers to implementation of new programs were financial costs and administrative support, then scheduling, availability of qualified teachers, and lack of facilities. It is unclear if NSO teachers’ views represent an “unspoken” barrier. Additional research to determine reasons for fewer programs is needed to increase the numbers of string/orchestra programs and enrollment in existing programs.