research
Belonging in School Music Programs Tobin Shucha, WMEA State Chair, Research
“Belonging” might not be the first thing one thinks about when considering the “sunny side” of school music pro- grams. However, many students do find a sense of be- longing within their
music programs, and it’s not unimportant. Carol Goodenow found that a sense of belonging within their school was im- portant to students’ academic motivation and achievement (1993). William Glasser went so far as to call a sense of belonging one of only five basic human needs (1986). However, at least one source suggests that many adolescents do not readily find a sense of belonging anywhere in their lives (Academic Innovations, 1997, p. 3). This article will explore what research tells us about belonging in school music programs, and how that information can help music educators.
My own research (Shucha, 2019) looked at the social induction process for students as they began their high school band ex- perience, and through which a model of belonging in performance organizations was constructed. Byron Graves (2019) also examined belonging in high school bands, but through a quantitative lens, showing the relationships between various factors related to belongingness, including a positive correlation between teacher sup- port for relatedness and increased quality of music practice. Brian Sullivan (2017) examines welcoming and hospitality in a middle school band program, and finds that even music educators that are actively working to create a welcoming environ- ment may still have certain disconnects between what they think they are provid- ing and what students are receiving.
Research on belonging in school music groups is not limited to bands. Elizabeth Cassidy Parker (2010) examined student
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perceptions of belonging within their ur- ban high school choir program. Mahima Kumara (2020) writes on the potential for community within high school choir programs, and ways in which ignoring the cultures of our students can keep that potential unmet. Finally, Adderly, Ken- nedy and Merz (2016) interviewed high school students from band, choir and orchestra to gather their perceptions on their respective programs, and found that the social climate within these groups was a pervasive element in the study.
Belonging isn’t just a nice side benefit Some may be skeptical of the need for research into what might be considered a tangential benefit of music classes. Some might argue – reasonably – that the raison d’être of a music class is to teach music. Added bonuses are nice, but not essential, they might say. I would argue that, based on my own research as well as that of oth- ers, a sense of belonging is not just a side benefit of music classes, but is instead a crucial element for success, especially at the high school level.
Even if one subscribes to the belief that the academic learning of music should be above all other considerations in the music classroom, I would still argue that belong- ing needs to be a consideration for every music teacher, if for no other reason than this: according to my research, students who do not find (and hold on to!) a sense of belonging within their high school music program will leave that program. More specifically, it suggests that students who do not feel like they are “in” with their high school music program within the first one-and-a-half school years will leave before their third year.
Logically, then: if what matters most is teaching music, then we need to find ways to keep students in our classes. If, as re- search suggests, a sense of belonging is a
critical factor in keeping students in music classes, it is thus also a critical factor in teaching music.
What can music educators do to help students find a sense of belonging within their programs? It doesn’t take research results for most music educators to know that creating a welcoming environment in their program is something that would help in this pro- cess. My findings suggest, however, that a welcoming environment alone isn’t enough to help students find a true sense of belonging: members need to feel that they are adequately contributing to the success of their group in order to truly feel that they belong.
Widely held paradigms would suggest that the most obvious means to do so are through musical contributions, but not all students will be able to feel that they are contributing adequately; it’s impossible for every student to be above average performers within their programs. Thus, it is incumbent upon music educators to find ways in which to create opportunities for each student to feel that they have an important role in contributing to the suc- cess of the group.
How do we do this? Even though he was talking about football, I was struck by how closely Aaron Rodgers’ recent words matched up with what I have discovered about creating belonging in music programs:
When you give a (person)…a specific role, you watch and you see the confidence grow. Buy-in to what we’re doing increases, the leadership opportunities increase for that person, focus increases. I think there’s just something so powerful about that, as a leader… understanding (that) when you give somebody…a role, you can often inspire (them) to (perform)
January 2021
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