The purpose of this study was to examine the assigned ratings, interrater reliability, and possible influences of school level and instrumentation on adjudicators' evaluations of orchestra performances at a national-level adjudicated music festival. Data consisted of the overall ratings assigned to orchestra performances (N = 55) at the 2017,…

This study, a replication and extension of work by Norris (2004), examined sight-reading requirements at middle and high school large-group band festivals across the United States. As in the earlier investigation, answers to the following questions were solicited from all 50 states: (1) Are there ratings-based large-group band festivals? (2) Is…

The dissertation builds on the research literature studying conductor training and the musical attributes requisite for adequate conducting skill and musical performance. The study also provides evidence that effective tools for evaluation of band and orchestra conductors are prevalent throughout the music education literature. Public school…

Background: Educational guidelines and reforms focused on literacy, including No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), have contributed to a music education culture and climate focused on language literacy rather than on the core content literacies inherent in music itself. Purpose: The purpose of this…

This study focuses on responses from a questionnaire surveying the personal, educational, and musical backgrounds of the all-state instrumentalists participating in the Florida Music Educators Association In-Service Concert. Subjects were 882 students in the nine instrumental ensembles surveyed. There were three groups for middle/junior high level…