Attitudes toward repertoire and the band experience among participants in elite university wind band programs

The purpose of this study was to explore attitudes about university wind bands/ensembles among students in elite programs. Specifically, the researcher sought to examine the nature of those attitudes and to determine to what extent participants' attitudes toward the wind band/ensemble and its repertoire are related to academic major, career goals, and degree level. The subjects of the study (N = 456) were students in four elite programs whose directors agreed to participate: Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester (1 ensemble), Michigan State University (4 ensembles), University of Minnesota (3 ensembles), and University of North Texas (1 ensemble). Data regarding participants' attitudes toward the repertoire and the overall experience of the wind band/ensemble were collected via a researcher-designed survey instrument. Multiple analysis of variance tests and contrast analysis were utilized to test the null hypotheses. Significant differences were generally found between programs and between ensembles within programs. Although significant attitudinal differences were found between members of the four top ensembles, attitudes within each top ensemble did not differ significantly. In contrast, significant attitudinal differences were not found between the two second-tier ensembles, but academic major, career goals, and degree level were found to be significant factors within those ensembles. Degree level was the strongest predictor factor of attitudes toward repertoire, whereas academic major and career goals were the strongest factors regarding attitudes toward the overall wind band/ensemble experience. Although attitudes were generally positive among all groups, attitudes among music education majors and aspirational music teachers tended to be the most positive, while attitudes among performance majors and performance aspirants tended to be the least positive. Social factors were not rated highly. The lack of extant studies on collegiate wind bands/ensembles prompts further investigation, especially in consideration of the ambiguous status this medium continues to maintain in the art music culture.