Instrumental Music Education in Rural Mississippi: A Descriptive Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate secondary instrumental music education in rural Mississippi. This descriptive study investigated the experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions that rural instrumental music educators ( N = 58) held about their schools, students, and communities. Furthermore, we examined how participants defined success for their programs, what challenges and rewards they experienced in their positions, and what skills they considered most important for rural music educators. Results indicated that while rural music educators find the musical aspects of their positions rewarding, such as fostering a love of music in their students, they believe that non-musical skills related to teaching were more important than their own musical skills. The three greatest challenges named by participants were limited funding, lack of resources, and little support. Conversely, the most frequently reported reward was student personal growth. Implications for music teacher education are discussed.