Causes of Elementary Instrumental Music Dropouts

Abstract

thirty-three, the average number of years being sis. It was revealed, however, that 12 instrumental music teachers (21go) had only been teaching in the community for one year. Limited teaching ewerience in the community was not given as a cause for dropouts by the music educators theelves. It is reasonable to assume, however, that as a nun acquires more teaching experience his chances of reducing the mortality rate in his particular situation are greater. It was discovered that: 1. Two-fifths (40%o) of the mllsic educators teach vocal music in addition to instrumental music. 2. Nearlythree-fourths (71%0) have a band in each of the schools in which they teach. 3. Less than one-fourth ( 21 6X0 ) have axl orchestra in each of the schools in which they teach. 4. Less than two-fifths (39%0 ) give grades in instrumental music. 5. More than three-fifths (64to) provide instruction on pre-band instruments as a preparation for instrllction on a musical instrument. 6. Less than two-fifths (329) test a student for musical proficiency before instruction on a musical instrument. 7. Nearly everyone (98go) is teachillg in a community where students may rent a musical instrument if they so desire 8. More than four-fifths (86%) provide a summer band program in the communities in which they teach. WHY DO E L E M E N T A R Y students drop out of the instrumental music program in their school? Is there a relation between the percentage of dropouts and a child's choice of a musical mstrument? Does parental attitude affect a student's success with an instrument? A discussion of these and other questions will be found in the following article, which is based on a masterts degree project completed in January, 1963. Since dropout students represent hun^ dreds of lost man-hours of teaching, it was the purpose of this study to determine the causes of elementary instrumental music dropouts in Bergen County by (a) mailing questionnaires and opinionnaires to elementary instrumental music educators in Bergen County, (b) interviewing dildren who dropped out of the elementary instrumental music program during 1961-62 in two suburban communities in Bergen County, and (c) interviewing those parents whose children dropped out of the elementary instrumental music program.