In this article, David Forrest probes Ahmad Sarmast (Founder and Director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, Ministry of Education, Afghanistan) about the development of the Institute, its sponsorship, the range of local musicians and music educators that work there, and the student population.

Suggests ways to solve problems resulting from imbalanced instrumentation in school concert bands. Identifies sources of imbalance. Encourages band directors to plan for correct instrumentation, to match students' characteristics and abilities to instruments, and to recruit students to play needed instruments. Discusses the benefits of balanced…

Summarizes a study where 668 students were given the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The questionnaire measures four features of personality: tough-mindedness, extraversion, emotionality, and lying. The study correlated personality traits to decisions regarding instrumental music study and choice of instrument. Includes tabular data on…