The project was conducted within the framework of the University of Tasmania‘s Community Music Program located in Launceston, Tasmania. Formed in 1984 The University of Tasmania Community Music Program (UTCMP) was conceived as a university/community collaborative music making experiment (Mumford, 2000) as an educative and collaborative music performance ensemble program within the University‘s Centre for Performing Arts. Performance units were open to university students and community members alike. This meant that insufficient instrumentation caused by low music student numbers could be addressed by including suitable community musicians and non-music majors. This arrangement would also provide quality music making experiences for local music teachers and semi-professional musicians. Over the years the program has broken down social barriers between the Launceston music community and the University. This has become obvious, as traditional community music organizations have benefited from the program‘s output of players and conductors, while university
The program was designed to: provide a training ground for future music educators; stimulate instrumental music program growth in primary and secondary schools; provide enhanced performance ensembles for instrumental performance majors; and encourage community participation within a tertiary education climate. Importantly, a subsidiary aim was to prepare and train potential music performance and music education majors for the University. A further spin-off of the program was the provision of music activities, and elective units for non-music majors on campus.
The UTCMP has a strong commitment to sound pedagogical-based teaching and the pursuit of musical artistry and performance. It is committed to furthering its members‘ musical development through establishing an environment where quality teaching, stimulation, responsibility and encouragement are promoted. It also provides an excellent platform for music educators and music education students alike, gaining valuable training through the practical experience of active participation. University education students gain competency on a second instrument while observing effective music teaching in large ensemble contexts. UTCMP continues to present an inspiring model for local school and community music programs (Mumford, 2000).
The original ensemble, the University Concert Band, began its first rehearsal with 50 musicians. Today the program consists of six ‗graded‘ ensembles and caters for over 250 university and community members. The ensembles are: Beginning Band, Development Band, Intermediate Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Orchestra.
The targeted ensemble for this study was the University of Tasmania Symphonic Band, the fifth ensemble in the UTCMP‘s structure. This ensemble generally performs music which is ‗rated‘ as grades 2 – 4 in the North American band music grading system. The University of Tasmania Symphonic Band has been selected, as it is my ensemble. I have been the Musical Director of this ensemble for two years and have established a good relationship with its membership.
3.6.2 The Participants
The study participants consisted of two key groups of participants. The first group are all playing members of the Symphonic Band (ensemble members). These participants only involvement in the project was through their membership of the Symphonic Band and their normal participation in rehearsals and concert performances. The second group of participants was a subset of the ensemble members and were purposely chosen as key participants (ensemble participants).
The nine key participants were purposefully selected for this project as they are the people who can provide the greatest amount of insight into the phenomenon under investigation and to help provide deeper levels of understand (Stake, 1995). Patton (2002) also suggests that this approach, referred to as purposive sampling (Stake, 1995), is commonly used in qualitative research projects as the participants are not randomly selected, but are people who are able to provide the necessary insight to help understand the phenomenon being studied. It was thought that the people who could provide the greatest amount of insight into the study were people who had been a member of the ensemble for at least one year and held a leadership role within their musical section. At the commencement of study the section leaders of the flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba and
the course of the study the number of ensemble participants reduced to five participants as four withdrew from the study. Reasons for their withdrawal were marriage break-downs, work commitments, moving interstate and one participant passed away.
As this study is autoethnographical my voice resonates quiet strongly throughout. As both the researcher and a participant it is necessary to recognise that I form a central role in this study, a living body whose subjective self must be recognised as a salient part of the research process. This includes all the social, historical implications I bring. As the central figure, and as I interact with others within this project, I become the subject as there is a blurring of the distinctions between the phenomenon being study and the person at the centre of the phenomenon (Spry, 2001).
All ethical requirements as mandated by the University of Tasmania Human Research Ethics Committee were adhered to and informed consent was obtained from all participants (see Appendices A-B).