Date

4-26-2024

Department

School of Music

Degree

Doctor of Music Education (DME)

Chair

Brian Stiffler

Keywords

recruiting, psychological needs, competence, relatedness, autonomy, orchestra

Disciplines

Education | Music

Abstract

Student recruitment and retention are paramount for music educators at the secondary level, where enrollment is often non-compulsory. It is difficult for directors to build and maintain successful programs without sufficient retention from middle to high school. Low enrollment can lead to the elimination of string teacher positions and put programs at risk. The academic and social demands on students today are great, and music educators must find creative ways to make their classes appealing to students while maintaining the rigor required for musical excellence. In recent years, researchers have used basic psychological needs theory, a subset of Self-Determination Theory, to examine the motivation of music students to continue enrollment in music classes. The research shows that students in a program that meets their psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence are more likely to remain enrolled year after year. However, few studies examine whether recruiting methods appeal to the satisfaction of these basic psychological needs. The primary research question addressed in this study is: how can orchestra directors improve their recruitment of high school orchestra students? This applied research study gathered data to answer this question using semi-structured interviews analyzed with qualitative coding, an online survey using quantitative, Likert-type questions, and the collection of recruiting documents for qualitative analysis. The study provides recommendations for improving recruiting methods based on appealing to students’ psychological needs.

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