Research-to-Resource: Persistence and Recruitment in Elective Choral Music During the Pandemic Recovery

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted music education worldwide with a particular impact on choral music. The purpose of this research-to-resource article is to provide music educators with research-based strategies for recruitment and persistence in choral music during the pandemic recovery. Using the theoretical frameworks of self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017) and expectancy-value theory (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000), I identified the themes of (a) value, (b) competence, (c) relatedness, (d) autonomy, and (e) costs as contributing factors to participation and persistence in elective music. As we recover from the pandemic, choir teachers and those who support them may benefit from the use of student-centered instruction, inclusive teaching practices, and aligning choral program values with that of the community in which a program exists.