A Case Study of Herriman High School’s Advanced Treble Choir, Vivace

Abstract
The ensemble structure within a choral program can influence singers’ musical identities, motivation, and self-worth. The hierarchical organization of a choral program can also influence students’ experiences in choir. For example, students in treble choirs may develop musical skills, self-confidence, interpersonal skills, and group cohesion. However, traditional choral structures that position mixed choirs as the top-level ensemble can also diminish the importance of treble choir experiences. Due to a lack of top-level treble choirs in U.S. high schools, research on singers’ experiences in these ensembles remains limited. Therefore, the purpose of this case study was to examine the experiences of an Advanced Treble Choir, Vivace, through the lens of Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT). We examined the experiences of twenty-four student participants using multiple data sources, including focus groups, twenty-four individual interviews, and fourteen weeks of researchers’ observation notes. Using the SEVT framework, we report on singers’ perceptions of Vivace’s attainment value, intrinsic value, and cost of participation. An additional salient theme—Vivace in relation to mixed-voice choirs—emerged outside of the SEVT framework. Based on these findings, conductors might consider the musical and social needs of their singers when designing ensemble structures and hierarchies within their choral programs to maximize benefits for singers.

Keywords: case study, choral hierarchies, situated expectancy-value theory, treble choir, women’s choir