Factors that predict participation in choral music for high-school students.

Siebenaler, Dennis James

Abstract

Why do so few students continue to participate in choral music through high school? How do home influences, peers, prior music experiences and teachers, self-perceptions of ability, and musical experiences outside of school contribute to decisions concerning participation in school music? This study attempted to identify some of the factors and influences that may predict continued participation in choral music for high school students.

The survey was conducted in Southern California at a large suburban high school in the spring of 2005. Of the 288 subjects who completed the survey, 176 were enrolled in vocal music courses and 112 were not. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the factors that predicted continued participation in choral music for these high school students were positive support and parental involvement at home, positive music experiences in elementary school and middle school, a positive self-concept in regard to music skills, and the support of peers.

Article and References

About the Author

Dennis Siebenaler holds a DMA in Music Education from the University of Texas at Austin, a MM in piano Performance from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and BM and BME degrees in Piano and Music Education (vocal, K-12) from Viterbo College in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Dr. Siebenaler has been a presenter at numerous state, national, and international conferences, and has articles published in Texas Music Education Research, Proceedings of the National Conference on Piano Pedagogy, Journal of Music Teacher Education, UPDATE: Applications of Research in Music Education, and Journal of Research in Music Education.

He has completed three levels of Kodaly pedagogy and studied Orff methodology as well as Dalcroze Eurhthymics. Dr. Siebenaler previously taught at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, the University of Texas, and at Zavala Elementary School in Austin, Texas. He currently teaches at California State University, Fullerton in the areas of music education, group piano, and musicianship. He has also worked as a church musician, studio piano teacher, and professional accompanist. His honors included memberships in Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda honor societies.

Dennis James Siebenaler

California State University, Fullerton

dsiebenaler@fullerton.edu