Thesis Critical Influences Affecting the Contemporary Brass Playing

Institute of Education University of London Thesis Critical influences affecting the contemporary brass playing community Doctor in Education January 2011 David Samuel Thomas Declaration of authenticity I hereby declare that, except where explicit attribution is made, the work presented in this thesis is entirely my own. Word count 51,287 Signed ~ · S ·~rN) Date OC~~ 'lO 'lO \ \ Critical influences affecting the contemporary brass playing community ABSTRACT Drawing upon information learned from the Institution Focused Study, Critical Influences Affecting the Contemporary Brass Playing Community is the result of a detailed enquiry into the learning of brass instruments. The thesis begins by contextual ising brass learning within the historical and sociological setting of the British Brass Band movement and considers factors which have contributed towards contemporary performance values. Intending to identify and investigate the factors which best anticipate successful brass teaching and learning, the thesis describes two main areas of research which were conducted between 2007 and 2009. The first of these focused upon a detailed questionnaire survey of the brass playing community within a secondary school in the North of England which has a highly successful brass tradition. The second area of research profiled, through a questionnaire and on-line interview forum, twenty four respondents from two championship section brass bands in contrasting areas of the United Kingdom. Using hypothesis drawn from biographical perceptions of successful learning and teaching, the thesis puts forward the notion that previously held concepts need updating within the context of contemporary lifestyles. These indicate that too much brass teaching and learning is focused upon the acquisition of a narrow range of musical skills and that the wider issue of music education for life is being neglected. The thesis concludes with the recommendation that if brass instruments are to retain their relevance and appeal to today's learners, brass teaching should take into account lessons learned from the wider world of educational research and initiative, using the 'TLRP ERSC Principles into practice' and the 2009 National Strategy 'Learning how to Learn' as examples of current thinking into the nature of learning. Word count 51,287 Index Page Chapter 1 1 1.1 The disappearing heritage rif brass tradition 1.2 The ancestry and birth rif the enquiry 3 1.3 The Institution Focused Stuqy as Informant and Enquirer 6 1.4 The Questions asked, and Methodology used 8 1.5 Deductions from the Institution Focused Stuqy, and Signposts for further enquiry 10 1.6 Personal interest as catalYst 12 Chapter 2 14 2.1 The Cultural Context rifBrass Learning and Petjormance 14 2.2 The Historical Context rifBrass Teaching, Learning and PetjOrmamoe 15 2.3 Learning within context 17 2.3.1 The apprenticeship model in action 17 2.3.2 The conseroatoire model rifprofessional training 20 2.3.3 The class model rifgroup tuition - a short comparative stuqy 22 2.3.4 Brass learning and social change 26 2.4 The Real Brassed Off 28 2.5 Challenging gender stereorypes 29 2.6 The learning musician. Biograpfy as riference 31 2. 7 Summary and Synthesis 34 Chapter 3 38 3.1 Framing the research questions 38 3.2 Statement oJReseart;h Proposal.· a rationale for enquiry 40 3.3 Theoretical Foundations underpinning the enquiry, and selected antecedents from comparable studies 42 3.4 The successful and the unsuccessful learner: lessons from the IFS research prqject 45 3.4.1 Hypotheses generated from Questionnaire A 45 3.4.2 Hypothesis generated from Questionnaire B 48 3.4.3 Semi-structured intet7Jiews with students who had given up a brass instrument 50 3.4.4 The concept oj 'mol' 51 3.4.5 The brass diary 52 3.4.6 Com-/usion 54 Chapter 4 Methodology 55 4.1 From Institution Focused Stuc!J to Thesis: the application oj successful enquiry 55 4.2 How questions for the school based sample were developed and piloted 57 4.3 School X: a briifintroduction 58 4.3.1 The preparation oj questionnaires for distribution to brass students oj SI·hool X (Appendix C) 59 4.4 A SUt7Jry oj adult petjormers in two championship section brass bands 62 4.4.1 How the questions for the adult sample were piloted and developed 62 4.4.2 Bands Band C. A brief introduction 66 4.4.3 The preparation and administration ofQuestionnaires for distribution to Band B, and subsequentlY Band C. (A.ppendix D) 67 4.4.4 An interoiew schedule for on-line dialogue with members of Band B and Band C 68 4.5 How the qualitative and quantitative data waJ tolluted 69 4.6 On-line dialogue with a selection of respondents from Bands Band C 69 4.7 The practit:al applit:ation ofthe reJearch methodologies 70 4.8 Ethical conJiderations 71 4.9 Summary and focus for the programme of research 71 Chapter 5 Presentation offindings 75 5.1 Presentation of data from queJtionnaire survry of twen(y five braJJ plcrying students from School X (A.ppendix E) 75 5.1.2 Introdudion 75 5.1.3 Getting started 75 5.1.4 My leJJons 77 5. 15 Kry influences 79 5.1.6 Pradice 81 5.1.7 How I feel about being a braJs plcryer 83 5.1.8 What I hope to achieve 86 5.1.9 Summary offindingsfor School X 88 5.2 Presentation offindings from Band B and Band C (Appendix F) 90 5.2.1 Biographital Information 91 5.2.2 Geographical Associations 92 5.2.3 FamilY Connedions to Music 94 5.2.4 Initial Brass Learning Experiences 96 5.2.5 Hurdles and Handicaps 98 5.2.6 Teaching and Learning 104 5.3 Presentation of data from the on-line discussion forum with six members of Bands BandC 105 5.3.1 Intef7)iew questions for on-line discussion forum 106 5.3.2 Brass peiformance within a contemporary context 107 5.3.3 The initial brass learning experience 110 5.3.4 Learning within the wider educational context 113 5.3.5 The future challenge for teaching and learning 118 Chapter 6 122 6.1 Synthesis offindings and connections with current research into wider initiatives in the stu4J of teaching and learning 122 6.2 Factors which influence the effedive learning of brass instruments 122 6.2.1 What are the factors that best anticipate the succesiful learning and teaching of brass instruments? 123 6.2.2 What are the autobiographicallY driven pen-eptions com;erning ideal factors which influence brass learning? 126 6.2.3 What are the implications of thzs research within the context of more generit' principles of successful pedagogical practice, sUt'h as the ERSC (2006) Ten Holistic Principles of Effective Teaching and Learning? 128 6.3 The limitations of the research 134 6.4 Implications for future action 135 References 138 Appendix A Appendix B AppendixC Appendix D Appendix E Statement of Professional relevance This statement of professional relevance formed the concluding strand of my doctoral programme activity at The Institute of Education, and was commenced with a combination of celebration and regret. Celebration, in the sense that I was about to conclude the period of study which had provided me with so much opportunity, and genuine regret that my period of registration was about to come to an end. It, therefore, offered me the opportunity to consider the impact of the research journey and also to reflect upon what will undoubtedly be an enduring legacy, in both personal and professional terms. The decision to begin the degree of Doctor in Education was not taken lightly. I had completed a Masters degree in Music Education in 1992 at the Institute of Education, when my professional life was still focused in London. Marriage and a move to the Midlands found me settled into a promoted position in a small secondary school in Lichfield, with the professional satisfaction of directing what soon became one of the best student big bands in the country. Ambivalent about the desire to proceed further to administrative positions in school, such as assistant or deputy head, I was, by 2000 entering a period of dilemma, as professional success within my immediate sphere of influence was failing to conceal an uncertainty about my future, and a growing sense of discontent. It was at this crossroads that I learned of the Ed. D through the Alumni association newsletter and was immediately attracted by the opportunity to engage with contemporary issues in education whilst being able to plan research around particular areas of professional interest. Despite the existence of other universities on my virtual doorstep offering Ed. D programmes, I was keen to resume my association with The Institute of Education, due to its reputation as a world class centre for music educational research and the unique element of the Institution Focused Study, which was to be an opportunity to engage with a substantial piece of research into school issues which were of real and immediate concern. The doctoral programme commenced with four taught courses. Foundations of Professionalism considered the concept of change within contrasting theories of professionalism and highlighted accountability as being a key feature of professional identity. This course was to provide me with the ethical and conceptual framework from which to plan and conduct all future research connected with the programme, embedding the notion of accountability towards the many respondents with whom I was to explore my research. Of equal importance were the two Methods of Enquiry courses, which aimed to integrate a strong theoretical knowledge of the sociology of educational research and thinking with a conceptual understanding of how these could be transferred to a practical research scenario.

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