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Middle school drum ensemble: anunlikely experience in classroomdemocracyJames Barbre aa Graduate Programs in Education, School of Education , IndianaUniversity East , Richmond , IN , USAPublished online: 20 Feb 2013.

To cite this article: James Barbre (2013) Middle school drum ensemble: an unlikely experience inclassroom democracy, Ethnography and Education, 8:1, 77-88, DOI: 10.1080/17457823.2013.766435

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Middle school drum ensemble: an unlikely experience in classroomdemocracy

James Barbre*

Graduate Programs in Education, School of Education, Indiana University East, Richmond, IN,USA

Though music has a long and successful history within education, it is often oneof the first sacrificial lambs when school budgets tighten. Over the course of anacademic year, a documentary film sought to tell the story of an American middleschool drum ensemble. The context of this group provided an ideal way toexamine the nature of student participation in extra-curricular activities and howthose activities provide the kinds of challenges and experiences that lead tosatisfaction and self-efficacy in students. Most of these students have never playedan instrument, and the group represents a cross section for every type of socialgroup within this school setting. The tone taken by the teacher is one ofdemocratic equalities. Students know and experience this, and it is one of manyreasons why the group has continually grown over the short time it has been atthis school.

Keywords: democracy; music; classroom; middle school; drums and percussion

Introduction

Though the purpose of improving the outlook or capability of the individual resides

at the heart of the educational enterprise, there is no shortage of disagreement as to

the best way to achieve this end. For this and still other reasons, the process and

product of a person from their experience with getting an education is dichotomous

in nature. There are many voices in this long-running conversation, but a basic

dualism can be summed up as the product of an argument between two individuals:

John Dewey and Robert Hutchins. Dewey (1938) argues for the utility of education

and asserts that the progress of the individuals being educated depends on how they

are able to take that knowledge and best use it in their immediate lives and in society.

Therefore, the interdependent nature of social experience with education is critical as

they both continually inform one another. Hutchins (1972) argues that there are

perennial truths and ideas to be examined and that without the development of a

broad and informed lens through which to view the world, ideas that guide

individuals and society are fleeting and subject to change at a whim. The whim is

decided by whoever may be in a position of power or influence at the time: be it

socially, politically, economically or otherwise. So in order to cultivate an individual

that is forward thinking and motivated to participate to change things for the best,

they must have the ability to be set apart from arbitrary outside influence. The

relevance of this dichotomy lies in how and what the student takes from their

*Email: jbarbre@iue.edu

Ethnography and Education, 2013

Vol. 8, No. 1, 77�88, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17457823.2013.766435

# 2013 Taylor & Francis

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experiences in school, regardless of the context of participation. As the principal

stated in the final interview, ‘they have to take those skills and use them in the real

world’. The question of worth comes to the fore in this: should the material learned

in school have practical application on many different intellectual, emotional and

psychological levels for the student, or should their worth be demonstrable through

the use of some form of assessment?The purpose of this study was not to rectify these arguments or the question for

what constitutes a proper education. Rather, it was to inquire about the experiences

education offers when it comes in democratic forms and when the outcome of

particular school activity is focused solely towards the community. In this sense, they

may be students in school, but as noted by the principal of this particular middle

school and the district superintendent, ‘they become ambassadors to the commu-

nity’. In this way, a synthesis of the duality in education occurs. The documentary

film entitled ‘Ensemble’ is a story of how this duality is resolved.

The notion of democratic forms became important through the course of this

study. I use the term to refer to shared forms of input and ownership. It is seldom an

occurrence where students have input into how a performance works or how a song is

to be written. This is useful for the contextual situation in that its presence increases

the investment by everyone involved and serves as a teaching tool for working as a

group and in being creative.

Filming a documentary in order to investigate this required a large investment of

time. There are nuanced understandings that require patience in order to observe.For this reason, I conducted a year-long ethnographic study at the middle school

level. This included interviewing numerous individuals including students, teachers,

administrators, parents and members of the community in order to better under-

stand their perception and the value they place in activities like this. This approach

was necessary since gathering the kind of data that would yield any tangible insights

could not be derived from isolated interviews of different individuals. While

interviews were certainly used, they were partly informed by events that unfolded

through the observations conducted.

At the outset, there were stereotypes that came into play. These stereotypes

involve drums and drummers. There is an old joke that goes, ‘what do you call a

person that hangs out with musicians? A drummer’. I am a percussionist and former

middle schoolteacher myself. I have seen all points and forms of student involvement

and apathy in public school settings. I have also seen what the power and experience

of music can deliver first hand. This was the reason for this study.

In a medium-sized community in eastern Indiana, there is a middle school thathas an African drum ensemble as a part of the extra-curricular activities offered. It is,

in the experience of this researcher, an anomaly to encounter a programme such as

this, especially at these grade levels. This drum ensemble is composed of students in

grades 6�8 and has grown in membership and notoriety with each passing year.

While the students move on to higher grades and different schools each year, the

membership of the ensemble has continued to grow. Most students had never played

an instrument before and did not read music, yet they are stars in their own right.

The teacher in charge of the programme uses no sheet music, but instead instructs

them according to the traditional ways of West African drummers. Through the

course of the 2009�2010 school year, following them with a video camera helped me

to better understand the nature of what makes a group such as this stand out to such

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a degree. There are several reasons why the drum ensemble stands out in the way that

it does. Part of it lies in the originality of the group itself. Another part lies in the fact

that most have never played an instrument before. Yet another lies in that they are

interactive with the audiences they play to. Finally, the manner of responsibility and

conduct by students within this group is held to a high standard. Throughout the

filming, people would frequently make reference to how impressed they were with

how the students conducted themselves.The purpose of this ethnography began with mostly a single question in mind: in

what ways does a programme such as this impact the academic success and

motivation for students who participate? There have been numerous studies that

illustrate the benefits that musical education holds for students at all levels. Hallam

(2010) describes the effects on intellectual development, perceptual and literacy skills

by the inclusion of music education. Going further, Blasi and Foley (2006) assert that

music opportunities motivate students to become more invested in their own

academic engagement and subsequent achievement. In the area of academic

achievement as measured through standardised testing, Gouzouasis, Guhn, and

Kishor (2007) established that students who receive some form of musical instruction

show higher scores in standardised testing, particularly in the area of mathematics.

Wallick (1998) reported that music students tend to earn higher grades in core

academic subjects and exhibit stronger leadership among their peers. My initial

assertion was that through the exposure to music, students would do better in their

classes by virtue of the natural benefits that music presents. While this was notentirely inaccurate, I discovered nuances through the course of the year that, though

subtle, were very important. This greatly altered the question that originally guided

the study. Through a re-examination of the assumptions guiding the study, I

discovered that the perspective held by the students was one that was much more

process-oriented. Academic achievement was certainly an area of focus, but a

primary part of the process paid attention to was their participation in this ensemble.

This is to say that by asking questions that were focused on the means of a process

(academic engagement), I inadvertently focused too much on the end (academic

achievement). Re-evaluating the process by observing the students involved helped to

build an understanding that was much deeper and more enriched. Through the

course of this study, the connective tissue that binds students to the arts in schools

was shown to not always be what we think it is. This surprise was, and continues to

be, one that continually unfolds each year, only in slightly dissimilar ways. These

‘slightly dissimilar ways’ have led to a group whose contribution to the community

has led them to perform around the state, at national conventions and even for the

President of the USA.The use of percussion as an educational tool is multifaceted in itself. It has been

shown to have many qualities that do not strictly reside within the realm of musical

learning. The critical component of this is the experience that is offered. Being

present and immersed in these moments directs a person to become acutely aware of

what their strengths are and, more importantly, what they need to work on or

towards. Bittman, Dickson, and Coddington (2009) assert that creative musical

expression has been shown to serve as a catalyst for overall quality of life

improvement. They further show that the ability of people, regardless of age or

background, to come together and work towards a common goal elicits a sense of

community and group empowerment. This has a direct effect on the individual. This

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sense of group identity and the self-efficacy experienced from it is one that goes from

one setting and context to another. When a person has experienced success, they take

it with them. This is the effect that lasts.

Percussion has therapeutic uses with people of all ages in developing self-esteem

and a greater awareness for their inherent worth. It has the very real feature of being

a team-building mechanism. Research has demonstrated that people can build a

greater sense of organisational cohesion through the use of percussive exercises and

drumming. Ho, Tsao, Bloch, and Zeltzer (2010) show that drum groups and drum

circles have a welcoming dimension to them that naturally encourage participation

and healthy risk-taking. This has been shown to have positive benefits for children

from low-income backgrounds. In essence, this allows for an even playing field, and it

does not matter who you are. Hope (2006) argues that access to musical

opportunities represent a mechanism for the engagement or re-engagement of youth

in schools.

As a former middle schoolteacher myself, I have had students play in my

drumming group who were labelled as being gifted, learning disabled and even

having Asperger’s syndrome. There are organisations that also take this medium to

populations of individuals that range from childhood through adulthood. Put aptly,

drumming is not something that only a small number of people do. It is for everyone.

The benefits it brings about depend on the manner of its execution. Moore and Ryan

(2006) present the argument that this sort of experiential learning has application in

numerous fields, including academic and vocational, and at many different ages.

Methods

As this was part of filming for a documentary, the students and adults involved in

this music programme were all included. Table 1 shows the breakdown of how many

from each group were involved. Students who participated in the percussion

ensemble through the course of the academic year, parents who agreed to be

interviewed, teachers and administrators made up the population.

Through the structure of this study, I chose narrative structural analysis as the

primary means for examining both responses to interviews and observations taken.

In order to better understand the nature of the experiences and what the respondents

often had to say, the fundamental relationships between teacher and student become

quite important. The structure of formality within this kind of relationship is

approached differently by different people. I observed the rapport between the

teacher and his/her students to be one of the pivotally important factors for success

within the group. This became important as I looked at what many educators might

Table 1. Participants in documentary.

Participants Number

Administrators 3

Teachers 3

Parents 6

Students 42

Total 54

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view as the traditional teacher�student relationship being turned on its head. Put

bluntly, many teachers are uncomfortable with certain levels of informality, while

others use it as a mechanism to foster trust and camaraderie. Elbow (1986) asserts

that within narrative inquiry, it is fundamentally necessary that participants within a

situation have a voice in the exchange of information and experience. In this setting,

all students had a voice. This makes for a two-fold advantage: The experience of the

participant is believable, and they in turn believe that the researcher is listening.

Elbow (1986) further states that ‘. . . the believing game . . . is essentially cooperative

and collaborative. The central event is the act of affirming or entering into someone’s

thinking or perceiving’ (289). From that point of view, the democratic manner this

teacher approached his students re-framed this study into a narrative ethnography

(Tedlock 1991). There would be no way to ask any student, parent or teacher what

exactly it was that made this ensemble what it was. There were too many subtle

influences. By looking more directly at the narrative(s) that each offered, a more

complete picture could be pieced together.

My observation and participation in this group occurred during the times

following school when they would meet for practice and include performances they

put on out in the community. There were a few performances where the organisers of

a particular event did not allow filming, but a majority of their performance activities

were filmed. Through the use of the equipment I had, it was possible to film from a

distance and still capture the essence of what transpired in each situation. Effectively

gathering the sound recordings was part of what made this possible. In this way, the

presence of the camera was not something that was intrusive. Students took a short

time to get used to it being around, but warmed to being filmed very quickly.

With over seventy hours of footage collected, a video journal took shape that,

with continuous analysis, told a story more detailed and nuanced than occurred

when I was in the heat of any particular situation. Developing a greater under-

standing for these important nuances also required that the observations and

interviews approach the teacher with a different set of question and suppositions

than, being the individual who initially formed the group, from a biographical

perspective. Berk (1980) shows that the use of autobiographical and biographical

approaches to education was among the first methods used to study teaching

pedagogy. The utility of taking more time to approach the participants, especially the

teacher, in the study and develop a necessary and trusting relationship with became

central to better understanding the particular pedagogy he/she used. Citing

Noddings (1986) and Hogan (1988), Connelly and Clandinin (1991) argue that the

relationship developed in a study such as this is one that takes time and needs to be

better understood by all involved in order to best understand the dynamics that drive

the educational or other activity. It was apparent to me following the initial class

sessions that time would be required to understand what really needed to be

understood here.

The interviews were all video recorded for additional analysis as the study

progressed. An additional reason for this was so that, as additional interviews

became necessary, they could be focused in ways that made them more productive.

Following the interviews, membership categorisation was utilised in order to better

organise the data and understand themes that emerged through the gathering of the

data.

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One issue relating to internal validity is that there was only one researcher

collecting the data and filming the practices and performances of the drum ensemble.

The advantage to this is that one person becomes acutely familiar with the workings

of the situation and context they are studying. There is the possibility that oneresearcher may not view or record what is happening in the situation with enough

detail to formulate the thick description desirable for this kind of study. A means I

sought to control for this was to interview a number of different people in order to

gain the broadest possible understanding of what was going on. By recording this on

film, I was able to look at it many times and notice different events/interactions in

ways that I had originally missed. The advantage to this was that I gained a more in-

depth understanding and not simply a snapshot from the heat of a particular

moment. Repeatedly looking at the footage and compiling notes from it were utilisedfor membership categorisation. Emergent themes and the notes taken from them

guided future observations and interviews. Erlandsen, Harris, Skipper, and Allen’s

(1993) approach to member checking was also utilised through a variety of informal

conversations with the stakeholders within, around and in support of this group. This

included the teachers, administrators and parents.

Findings

As practice starts each day after school, students file in and mill around in ways that

mirror breaks or passing times between classes. Cell phones are produced and texting

takes place alongside a cacophony of low-level conversations. Before beginning

practice, the teacher called them to the front of the room for a meeting. This is thetime when upcoming performances were discussed, or any other relevant informa-

tion. Looking around the room, it first appeared that some of the kids were not

paying any real attention to what he/she was saying. This did not change his/her

countenance or the tone of his/her voice. Looking at this from an external

perspective first illustrated a general lack of attention or respect, but, as the days

went along, continuous patterns of behaviour emerged. When the kids would talk, it

was focused and directed. Not the sort where the teacher is being ignored. If

comments were being made to a friend or anyone else, it was done quickly andwithout disturbing those around. The student then went back to listening. The same

held true for cell phones and text messaging. While it did occur, it was unobtrusive.

This was one of the many patterns of behaviour observed that was illustrative of a

different sort of rapport between the teacher and students with regard to teaching,

learning and the tasks set before them. Through this study, the successful nature of

the democratic experience through music pedagogy was illustrated within different

themes. These themes were quite varied, but included common strands woven

throughout the very nature of the experience. This included relaxed authority,framework of expectations, mutual respect, blurring the distinctiveness of social

boundaries, self-regulation, having something to work towards, informal formality

and flattened hierarchies.

Relaxed authority

Seeing this pattern repeat itself again and again revealed the proclivity that this

particular teacher had to not feel threatened, as teachers sometimes are, by a low

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level of noise and observable autonomy on the part of students. This autonomy

within the students to speak quickly or text or get up and move around the room at

will revealed more of a sense of relaxed self-efficacy than strict adherence to

behavioural standards. Looking around the room reveals a form of multi-taskingthat is left to the students. Background noise is accompanied by texting or subdued

conversations. A raising of the teacher’s hand or the slap of a drum was an informal

call to attention and kids responded to it. The relaxed manner of this environment is

not one where people are un-engaged in what is going on. Rather, the autonomy they

have is left to their own sense of responsibility. As a result, the group self-checks and

when people are asked to be quiet, they do not respond as if to an insult, but instead

to admonishment for reasons that everyone recognises as being for the entire point of

the enterprise. This was also apparent in the manner of verbal interaction betweenteacher and students. He/she did not speak to them in ways that were even slightly

condescending. Talking about upcoming parades and the like, the tone was one that

was relaxed.

Framework of expectations

Interviewing the teachers and administrators, everyone stated the same general

beliefs. These followed the course of believing in this programme, but not using rules

as a means to keep out particular individuals. In this way, when questions would be

asked as to how the ensemble worked or what made it attractive, teachers,

administrators and parents would many times become enthusiastic as they discussed

it. This did not take the form of rules that a person in a position of authority had tocover, rather someone talking about something positive that made sense to them and

they were glad that they could talk about it. Expectations for this programme were

naturally embedded within the informal rules of membership. Kids were expected to

be there for all practices and performances. If they could not, it was expected that

they contact the teacher first. The teacher held the same standard for himself and did

not throw surprises at any of the students.

Mutual respect

The sense of mutual respect was palpable throughout the year. As different pieces of

music were taught to members of the ensemble, the students were put in positions to

have to listen not only to their parts, but also to others within the group. Severalstudents did this in different, but increasingly predictable ways. A group of students

sitting in the back could be seen talking and moving their hands to the parts they

were to play, sometimes playing on their legs. Other times, some students could be

seen deeply listening to their particular parts by staring at the drum in front of them

or at the ground. Still other times, they would simply be looking at the teacher. There

was not a singular way of taking in the information. As quickly as a student would be

listening for and learning their part, they would often switch to the role of playing

that part so that another group or individual could learn another part of the samesong. In this way, the position between learner and teaching assistant was often fluid

and changed rapidly. Zerull (2006) refers to this as creative listening. Citing Reimer

(2003) Zerull argues that all participants within a musical setting build a greater sense

of appreciation and competence for music within their lives when they are the most

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engaged. This approach works because it is structured so that everyone is engaged

and listening, since they are the ones that are creating the music.

Blurring the distinctiveness of social boundaries

Outside the teacher, there was not really any single group of students who were in

charge. In extra-curricular activities or situations, it is normal to see cliques of some

sort materialise, with some being higher and lower in terms of influence over theirpeers. Normatively speaking, larger groups of people are self-organising like this. In

this context, that did not occur. It could be seen daily that different students would

cross social boundaries that school peer groups often impose on them. While this

sense of liberation did not manifest itself in ways that were readily observable, time

spent with the group revealed these nuances. Interviewing the teachers and

administrators revealed a similar pattern. With this communal sense between

different members of the group, there was a sense of mutual ownership and

leadership. One student remarked that, ‘there isn’t really one group here, there’s awhole bunch of everybody’. Going further, the assistant principal of the school

observed that by ‘walking into the classroom, you couldn’t tell who was who. You

can’t tell the difference between the higher ability kids or those on IEPs

(Individualised Education Plans)’.

Further interviews with the teacher and administrators revealed that there was a

range of different backgrounds within this ensemble. The diversity represented

occurred not only along the lines of ethnicity, but also socio-economic backgrounds,

peer group affiliation, kids with learning disabilities and/or gifted and talentedstudents, and the like. One administrator remarked that it does not matter who is in

this. There are basic expectations that they must meet. If they meet them, then they

are welcome. The teacher concurred with this. His particular interpretation, when

asked what is most important, is that kids know how to listen to each other and work

together. That was the most important component. While some may clamour for the

spotlight in a situation like this, that tendency was discouraged.

Self-regulation

The sense of self-regulation was apparent in numerous ways. In band or orchestra,

there may only be a single instrument that you play. If you are in the percussion

section, you may play more than that. Within the ensemble, there are numerousinstruments to play. In playing these, there is not what one would call forma

instruction. The method of instruction employed by this teacher is one of tradition.

Having studied the ways that drummers are taught in West African traditions, he

first attempted the use of sheet music, but soon abandoned it. The use of rote

memorisation through teaching percussion may strike the individual teacher as

misplaced or even reprehensible, given the variety of teaching methods utilised across

different disciplines. In this setting, however, it was obvious through observation

that, though they were learning somewhat isolated parts to a song, they were alsolearning to listen to one another. At the beginning of the year, students could be

observed looking directly at the teacher waiting for him/her to tell them what to do.

As time progressed, however, they could be observed looking at one another and,

more specifically, at the rhythms being played by their peers. This was a notable

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feature in their developing the ability to listen to one another and work together

(Zerull 2006). Listening to each other also yielded the observation that students were

becoming open to far greater kinds of music through the fact that they were playing

them. In this sense, we can refer back to the original dichotomy posed by Dewey andHutchins. The practical application of learning to work together and listen to each

other serves the end of developing greater teamwork and esprit de corps. While this

does not mean that the perennial examination of truths endorsed by Hutchins is not

accurate, they are not the sole measure of learning or community. In order to live a

moment, people must be engaged in it fully and literally ‘grokking’ the moment

(Erlandson, Harris, Skipper, and Allen 1993, 109). Graham (2009) argues that music

often represents a cultural commodity to be consumed. In this context, the

consumption occurs through the playing of the music. The parents interviewedalso offered this observation for the appreciation of different cultural music.

Through the course of the year, the continual act of playing together and listening

to one another yielded a cohesion that was readily observable.

Something to work towards

Interviewing the parents yielded similar sentiments. All of the parents interviewed

held a very high opinion for what the teacher was able to accomplish. While they

readily acknowledged that there are sometimes dynamics to teenagers that cause

teachers to be ‘understandably strict’, they were very pleased with the fact that this

teacher did not need to do that. ‘Giving them something to work for’ was seen as a

consistent dynamic that fostered the very best efforts from everyone in the ensemble.Teachers within the school were also interviewed and attested to the same belief

that the kids needed something to be able to belong to and a way to express

themselves. They, too, were also thankful that this came with the expectations of

better behaviour and grades. One math teacher remarked that ‘this gives them

something to work for and so they want to keep their grades up and not get in

trouble’. A second math teacher commented early in the year that kids need

something more. ‘They need to feel like what they do matters. They don’t want to feel

like they’re going to come to school and get burned down by all these tests. If theydo, then we’ve done a huge disservice’.

As the students are taught different songs through the course of the year, they

learn them piece-by-piece. This group works by memorisation. The teacher in charge

of this ensemble writes his/her own songs. An interesting dimension emerges as this

happens repeatedly. The teacher will stop and call on students who have ideas about

a particular rhythm that should be put in the song. This kind of input is implicitly

and explicitly encouraged. The songs and the performances are mutual constructions

on the part of teacher and student. While not every song is open to revision by thestudents, it is readily observable that they feel confident in offering an opinion.

Informal formality

In this setting, there is a palpable level of informal formality. The teacher has

purposefully structured the drum ensemble in a way that the students feel welcomed

and empowered to share their ideas. As this is an ensemble that goes out into the

community and performs, what each of the students contributes amounts to a unique

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contribution that they alone are capable of making. This builds a sense of cohesion

and community within this group of middle school students that all of them have

stated to be very rewarding. One student remarked that he thought that the teacher is

a great musician and when he values what we think, that is pretty cool.

Flattened hierarchies

Through the course of conducting this study, there were numerous times when Ineeded to speak with the teacher about one matter or another. Perhaps the most

important feature I learned of this ensemble was that being another adult in the

room did not allow for the interruption of what was going on. It has always been my

experience that when one teacher walks into a room, they carry with them an

implied ‘interruption card’. This means that the teacher whose class is being taught

will wind down what they are doing quickly so that they can answer or address

whatever issue the other teacher brings in. The unintended consequence of this

dynamic is that students are left with the impression that they come second toadults. This can act as a governor on the amount of participation or input they offer.

The significant observation to make here is that the setting is not truly democratic.

In this instance, the teacher does not let another adult interrupt what is going on.

The fact that he/she accepts and encourages the level of input that he/she does from

his/her students states explicitly his/her beliefs on the worth and merit of what they

have to say.

It is an extension of the dynamic of their input to songs. The students know what

is expected of them in order to participate in this ensemble. They also know that partof the worth of this programme lies in the value places on participation and ideas.

This dimension does not attend to age and rank. Knowing this, it was readily

apparent that the kids both appreciated and revelled in this newfound sense of

efficacy. This was part of what attracted them to this group in the first place.

Each person interviewed for this documentary attested to the progressive nature

of the programme itself. Parents were happy that their kids were looking forward to

participating in this programme. While some of the behaviours observed were

certainly commensurate with middle school students (i.e. joking, laughing, etc.), theytook this ensemble very seriously, but without being too serious about it. I observed

that the teacher built within the students a sense of responsibility through the

delegation of options and encouraging their input. With this, the ensemble

continually rebuilds and re-invents itself each year.

Discussion

The administrators of the school were interviewed on two separate occasions and

offered the greatest insight into the worth of this programme. Their focus on the

‘whole child’ provided the basis for this ensemble to be developed and continually

supported. The current emphasis on standardised testing in public education only

goes so far. Part of the child is lost when the only emphasis they get through theirschool day is that they have to know this and that, so they will get a good grade in

class and/or on the test. This state of thinking robs education of a great part of the

value it holds for helping students realise strengths they did not know they had. The

strength of this group also lies in the fact that anyone can be involved in it. To play a

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drum is, for many, an instinctual experience. We are all born with rhythm to some

degree. Realising more of it in an open-ended way promotes the confidence of the

individual in ways that grades do not always accomplish. Coupling this with the

realisation that your perspective is valued on a fundamental level yields even more

confidence. Both administrators and the teachers believe that developing academic

skills is certainly important, but also agree that the accomplishments that could

happen will not be realised if school is all skill-and-drill. The fact that a teacher will

not allow another to walk in and trump what is going on or what a student is saying

is another form of saying the same thing. In this way, the medium of music inclusion

and instruction provides the vehicle through which students experience vibrant

participation involved in the creation of something that is larger than themselves.

Offering opportunities that include these kinds of vehicles encompass the

development of the very traits that education seeks to groom in the younger

generation. It helps a person realise something more about themselves than they

would have otherwise known. As two of the students remarked, ‘You might be a

really great artist or musician, but you’ll never know that if you don’t have things like

this in school to find that out’. The pedagogy and ensemble in this school are

testaments to community, participation, drive and confidence; both realised and

continually realising.

The argument is made by the research, by parents, administrators, teachers and

the students themselves. A functional feature of the schooling experience should be

one that is open-ended and aesthetic. If it is not, students are learning different ways

to look at the world around them, but not having anything to look at or think about.

Limitations and future research

Due to the nature of the programme and the population of students represented,

gathering the required parental consent proved impractical from a logistical point of

view. The time required for interviewing so many students went into after-school

hours, and so this was not possible to primarily to the schedules of the parents. While

there were several students that consented to be interviewed, a large percentage did

not. Thus, the information gathered for students is that of general observation. The

interviewing of teachers, administrators and parents provided the greatest degree of

insight. These were key individuals in positions of direct observation of the ensemble

on a daily basis. I attended practices and performances and gathered a number of

observations that contribute to the writing of this ethnography. For this reason, the

observations were focused around the students, teachers, administrators and parents.

The interviews focused around the experience(s) of both teacher and students

through the course of the year.

Were this study to be conducted again, having a greater degree of scheduling

flexibility would certainly be an asset. Also, having two researchers would

substantially lower the time required to gather this information. Since the ensemble

did not meet for the entirety of the year and most of the students went on to the high

school the following school year, I would consider this study somewhat limited in

scope. I say this primarily because the students would have offered much more

information if I had the opportunity to interview all of them.

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