• Sign In
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
American Choral Directors Association

American Choral Directors Association

The mission of ACDA is to inspire excellence and nurture lifelong involvement in choral music for everyone through education, performance, composition and advocacy.

  • Home
  • Conferences
    • 2023 National Conference
    • Region Conferences
    • State Chapter Events
    • National Webinars
    • Children’s Choir Conductor Retreat
    • Symposium for Research in Choral Singing
  • Repertoire
    • Repertoire
    • Children and Community Youth
    • Junior High / Middle School
    • Senior High School
    • College and University
    • Community
    • Music in Worship
    • Contemporary / Commercial
    • World Musics and Cultures
    • Men’s / TTBB
    • Vocal Jazz / Show Choir
    • Women’s / SSAA
  • Publications
    • Choral Journal
    • ChorTeach
    • International Journal of Research in Choral Singing
    • Hinshaw Music Series
  • Resources
    • Composer Resources
    • International Conductors Exchange Program
    • Advocacy
    • Pandemic-focused Resources
    • Career Center
    • ChoralNet
    • Mentoring
    • Fund for Tomorrow
    • K-12 Choral Educators
    • Students
    • Archive Collections
  • About
    • About ACDA
    • ACDA Careers
    • ACDA Bylaws
    • ACDA Leadership
    • Advertising & Exhibiting
    • ACDA Awards & Competitions
    • Chapters and Regions
    • History
    • Leadership Tools
    • National Office & Staff
  • Membership
    • #IamACDA
  • Donate
You are here: Home / IJRCS / (Re)building the Secondary School Choir Program: An Organizational Perspective

(Re)building the Secondary School Choir Program: An Organizational Perspective

Justin J. West and Jason P. Bowers
International Journal of Research in Choral Singing
Volume: 10, page(s): 19-44
Published 2022

The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to understand secondary school choir program (re)building through an organizational lens. Participants were two music teachers who respectively founded or restored middle school choir programs in the last 10 years. Primary data included individual teacher interviews and group interviews with selected students. Secondary data came from field observations and documents. Using instrumental case study methods, we analyzed the programs as voluntary associations, a type of organization in which members (in our case, students) participate by choice and for nonremunerative reasons. Findings showed that to (re)build, the teachers adopted philosophies of open access and cast their choirs as socially rich, emotionally safe, and musically challenging. Students’ motivations for persisting in choir were primarily affective and normative (e.g., to develop singing skills and to be with friends) rather than utilitarian (e.g., choir as an easy A). (Re)building was situated and phased, with school culture, policy, administrator relations, and program age emerging as salient factors. We advance teacher profiles, practical implications, and suggestions for further study.

Read Article

Search the Archives

Categories

  • Choral Journal
  • ChorTeach
  • IJRCS
  • Interest Session

Recent Posts

  • March/April 2023
  • IJRCS Volume 11
  • ChorTeach Winter 2023 (15.2)
  • February 2023
  • ChorTeach Fall 2022 (15.1)

Footer

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
AppStore Google Play Store

Privacy Policy

 
American Choral Directors Association

PO Box 1705
Oklahoma City, OK 73101-1705
(405)232-8161

© 2023 American Choral Directors Association · All Rights Reserved.