College Activities and Their Effect on Postsecondary Instrumental Music Growth.

This paper examines the relationships between musical independence or MI (a reflection of the product rather than the process of musicianship), related academic courses, and other music/nonmusic activities at the postsecondary education level. The first purpose of the study is to examine the relationships between MI and Colwell's Musical Achievement Tests Nos. 3 and 4 (MAT3/MAT4) and to evaluate to what extent secondary music achievement tests are appropriate for postsecondary use. The paper presents the research methodology and the findings pertinent to answering five research questions: (1) At each institution, is the top instrumental ensemble more musically independent than the bottom ensemble? (2) Are MI outcomes influenced by the grade in which students started band, college grade point average, age, number of years students played their instrument, number of hours practiced per week, and number of hours studied per week? (3) What college courses and activities influence MI the most and the best? (4) What are the important course areas that influence student MI? and (5) Does the music faculty communicate to its students (through lectures, class assignments, and conversations) the things that are the most important in developing MI? Appendices include the instrumental college survey and statistical data from the study. Contains 10 references. (GLR)