Date
8-20-2026
Department
School of Music
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education (PhD)
Chair
Thomas Goddard
Keywords
historical effect, historical intersection, military bands, military experience, music education, pedagogical applications, school bands
Disciplines
Music
Recommended Citation
Stanton, Justin K., "The Impact of Military and School Band History and How It Affects National Guard Service Member Musician School Band Directors" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8793.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8793
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative narrative research was to explore the experiences of Missouri and Oklahoma National Guard service member musician school band directors regarding how the influence of military and school band history, past and present, affects their music education philosophy and pedagogical applications. Less research exists about relationships between military and school bands at the beginning of the twentieth century. The researcher addressed a gap in the literature related to military band activity and the school band movement at the turn of the twentieth century in different ways. However, the literature did not address the effects of their direct relationship or how it presently affects service member musician school band directors. The data collection method for this study included interviews with current Army National Guard service member-musician school band directors and a review of relevant documents. The participants took part in interviews regarding their experiences, the development of their philosophy for instructional delivery, the programming of fundamental training, the execution of logistics and operations, future planning for the preservation of the instrumental arts, and how the topic description of historical intersection significantly shapes those decisions. Six themes included school band history, school band experiences, military band history, military band experiences, military band resources, and military/school band intersections. According to the constructs of Gallie’s theory of historical understanding and Mink’s modes of comprehension, each of these themes relates to how school and military band history and experiences affect US Army National Guard musicians who serve as civilian school band directors.
