Overlooked: The Perception of Marching Band on Developing Effective Teacher Characteristics

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of music educators’ perceptions of ways in which marching band and college music education curricula connect. By examining the music educators’ perceptions, the study hoped to influence existing collegiate music education programs by providing possible avenues of interdisciplinary development through cross-training experiences of marching band and marching band methods. The guiding research questions for this study were: 1) What are the perceptions of music educators regarding connection between music education curriculum and marching band? 2) Do music educators feel marching band impacted their music teaching careers? 3) What experiences in marching band, if any, do music educators feel helped prepare them to become music educators? This study was designed to survey music educators in private and public institutions within the United States.