Date

4-7-2026

Department

School of Music

Degree

Doctor of Music Education (DME)

Chair

Nathan Street

Keywords

youth orchestra, middle school music education, musical skill development, teacher perceptions, extracurricular music ensembles

Disciplines

Music

Abstract

Despite research demonstrating a significant correlation between social and academic development with participation in a youth orchestra, few studies have examined whether participation directly affects students’ note-reading skills, the accuracy of pitch production, and musical expression. This information matters because students often join a youth orchestra to develop these and other playing skills beyond what school programs and private lessons teach. This applied research study examined youth orchestra participation by comparing teachers’ perceptions with demonstrated performance outcomes on middle school students’ development in note-reading, pitch production accuracy, and musical expression. This study analyzed rubric-scored student performance recordings alongside teacher survey responses to examine patterns of musical development associated with youth orchestra participation. Although analyses did not yield statistically significant differences between performance measures, descriptive trends drawn from teacher observations suggested positive relationships between sustained youth orchestra involvement and musical growth. While focused on specific aspects of musical learning, the findings highlight how extracurricular music ensemble activities can contribute to students’ broader musical growth. These findings also underscore the need for additional research on the instructional elements that contribute to successful extracurricular ensembles, the range of benefits these programs may offer, and the potential long-term effects of sustained participation.

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