Date

12-19-2024

Department

School of Music

Degree

Master of Arts in Music Education (MA)

Chair

Jessica Frerich

Keywords

adolescent boys, academic self-confidence, large school choral ensembles, music participation, engagement

Disciplines

Music

Abstract

Realizing the cognitive and social benefits of choral participation in early adolescent boys may be critical in understanding their academic self-confidence. This qualitative research study examines large public school choral ensemble participation and the academic self-confidence of boys between the ages of twelve and fourteen. Previous studies on formal music education in children suggest that active music participation has academic and social benefits. However, research has not addressed the effects of early music exposure on adolescent boys who sing in a large public school choral ensemble. The research illustrates the experiences of approximately 20 twelve-to-fourteen-year-old male choral ensemble members within Macon, Georgia. The researcher will interview participants through semi-structured questions and open-ended focus groups in their local school chorus setting. The research will manually collect data through verbal responses regarding their lived choral participation experiences and how they feel those factors affect their academic confidence. Sources will highlight viable reasons for reluctance in early adolescent male experiences when deciding whether to participate in large school choral ensembles. The research will conduct organized data and thematic analysis along with a description of demographic elements to determine the research's validity through triangulation. This study on childhood music education and musical value may address unanswered questions about boys participating in large school choral ensembles and their self-confidence in academic studies.

Included in

Music Commons

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