the potential adult music-maker today. Meaningful interaction with music can be drawn from such disparate venues including karaoke performances, or participation in a more traditional community-based performing ensemble. Adults who engage in music making are exposed to an array of potential benefits from these activities. The potential benefits of adult musical engagement have only recently been investigated in the research literature. Much of the literature on musical engagement in the adult years shows clear physical, social, and educational benefits to these activities. In a 2006 study of adult piano students and the benefits of their studies in music, Peter Jutras discovered that the students reported growth in areas such as fulfilling their dream, a sense of accomplishment, and escape from routine (Jutras, 2006). In 2011, Jutras found much of the same results from a survey of New Horizons band members (Jutras, 2011). William Dabback (2008), also uncovered a sense of identity-building for many participants in the Rochester area New Horizons band. Carol Shansky (2010) conducted a similar study on participants in the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in New Jersey. Shansky found that the subjects expressed a drive to continued activity in music making on their instrument, and that many of the participants viewed their participation in the orchestra as a “continuation of their life’s work.” Deborah Sheldon (1998) discovered that music held deep meaning for participants in community and company bands in Japan. When asked why these adults, whose professions range from doctor to businessman, participated in their ensembles, their answers revealed that music added depth and meaning to their lives that would not be there otherwise. Kevin Olson (2005) found five common themes shared by participants in community music ensembles in interviews about their experiences. The participants found that by participating in community music ensembles, they were able to explore musical ways of knowing, preserve cultural continuity within the community, build cross-cultural empathy through their music, and promote


collective consciousness and social action through music. Darrin Thornton (2010) conducted a phenomenological study of three adult engagers in music to discover the inspiring forces behind their continued activity in music. The study posited a number of possible influences factors or forces, and compared them across the lifespan of the participants. Thornton found that, although each individual’s experience varied, none of the participants indicated that traditional music schooling had a significant impact on their musical lives past adolescence. Although all three participants engaged music differently, teach self-identified music as an important aspect of their lives. Further research discussing the skills and abilities musical non-engagers do not possess or feel that they do not possess would be a invaluable indicator to music education professionals of where our teaching should focus, if we wish our students to truly become lifelong learners and makers of music.


Factors Affecting First-Generation Minority Students’ Decision To Enter Post-Secondary Music Education Programs In the United States


Sommer H. Forrester, The University Of Michigan


Education in the United States continues to be a topic du jour in newspapers and academic journals across the country. Student test scores, teacher assessment and pedagogy continue to be discussed, critiqued and debated in an ongoing quest to improve the system and provide accessible and quality education to children across the country. Central to these discussions is the fact that the landscape of American schools continues to change rapidly with the ever-increasing flow of immigrants. The institution of school has felt the effect of this change more so than any other institution in the nation (Ruiz-de- Velasco, Fix, & Chu Clewell, 2000). And it is this very institution that will arguably have the greatest impact on these students’ integration and success in the United States (Ruiz- de-Velasco, Fix, & Chu Clewell, 2000).


The myriad of challenges and variables impacting these students are as varied as their backgrounds. These variables range from socio-economic status (SES), language and literacy skills, to access and barriers that impact participation in non- core curricular subjects (Ruiz-de-Velasco, Fix, & Chu Clewell, 2000). While the landscape of the classroom has changed dramatically, the teaching force remains predominately White (Bennett, 2002). Data indicate that in 2004 an estimated 83% of teachers were White (Abril, 2009). While the dialogue about diversity in the classroom and the need for further diversification of teachers is ongoing, the parameters of the discussion are limiting. Demographics are often divided into the narrow categories of: White, African American, Hispanic, Asian and other.


The purpose of this review is to identify the factors affecting first-generation minority students’ [children of immigrant parent(s)] decision to enter post- secondary music education programs in the United States. Identifying who comprises the category of ‘other’, and how their voices contribute to the dialogue is a necessary step in becoming more aware of and responsive to the needs of minorities. In reviewing the literature on the topics surrounding participation and recruitment in K-12 music and music education at the post-secondary level, I have divided the focus of my research into three categories: ethnic diversity in higher education: recruitment of minorities and minority experience in higher education, recruitment and retention in music education (K-12), minority and race recruitment in music education. When examining the ethnic diversity in higher education, the literature contends that first-generation students are vastly diverse and bring a myriad of variable to the table in terms of how they experience college and make meaning throughout the process. Representation of minority groups is by all accounts low compared to the population ratio in society. The impact of mentorship on student motivation is strong, thus exemplifying the need for greater diversity across the board.


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