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INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHORAL AND INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE LANSING, MICHIGAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS By Nancy Kay Stepp Wilucki A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of Music- 1995 UMI Number: 9619925 Copyright 1995 by Witucki, Nancy Kay Stepp All rights reserved. UMI Microform 9619925 Copyright 1996, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 ABSTRACT THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHORAL AND INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE LANSING, MICHIGAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS By Nancy Kay Stepp Witucki This study describes the growth and development of music education in the public schools of Lansing, Michigan, from the establishment of the first school in 1847 until the present. As the capital of one of the states carved from the “Old Northwest” Territory, Lansing is representative of many Midwest communities in the way music became part of the public school curriculum. Although Lansing’s music program had unique aspects, its development for the most part paralleled that of school music programs in other American cities. National trends in music education are compared to events in Lansing’s music education history. Primary sources were consulted in the preparation of this document, including one hundred and fifty years of minutes from school board meetings. Additional sources of information included music textbooks used in Lansing classrooms, articles from the local newspaper, documents prepared by the school system, personnel records maintained by Lansing Public Schools since 1847, and interviews with former district music supervisors. The primary conclusion of this study was that the growth of music education in the Lansing Public Schools was largely contingent on the financial status of the school system. When the school district was financially solvent, the music program flourished; during times of financial hardship, the music program was among the first areas to experience budget cuts. Lansing, Michigan, is a city that is dependent on the success of one industry, the automotive industry. Lansing is also primarily a working- class community. As such, the voters are reluctant to approve tax support for programs in the fine arts. Music groups such as marching bands and jazz bands have always enjoyed strong public support because these ensembles can demonstrate music learning through their performances. Unfortunately, the school district has never supported a comprehensive general music program, despite repeated efforts by the instructional staff and parents. And, yet, most experts agree the general music program should be the basis for any pcdagogically sound program of music education. Copyright by NANCY KAY STEPP WITUCKI 1995 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My appreciation is expressed to Dr. Robert Erbes, for guiding the preparation of my dissertation and for being the chairman of my committee. I would also like to thank Dr. Rosalie Schellhous for her kind assistance and reassurance during the writing of my thesis. A special thank you goes to committee members Dr. Bruce Campbell, Dr. Cynthia Taggart, Dr. Dale Bonge, and Dr. Heinz Dill for their direction in the final preparation of my dissertation. I would like to thank the following individuals for their invaluable help in locating resources for my study: JoAnne Jager, Local History Librarian for the Lansing Public Library; Judith Brown, Head of Information Services for Lansing Public Schools; Darleen Jones, Secretary for Lansing Board of Education; Anne Johnson, Consultant for Elementary Art, Music, and Physical Education; and Betty McGinnis, Secretary for Lansing Public Schools Art and Music Department. The writing of a doctoral dissertation becomes a family affair. Little did my mother, loan Stepp, know when she majored in English that she would some day be my editor. Thanks, Mom! Appreciation also goes to my father, Ken Stepp, for the many trips he made from Adrian so Mom could go over another chapter. To my children, David and Sarah, I promise to listen a little more and give directions concerning housework and laundry a little less. Special thanks is also due to Dr. Lisa Heller for listening to me complain and for her constant encouragement. v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER I. THE FOUNDING AND EARLY HISTORY OF LANSING PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO 1900 ................................................................. 3 II. THE GROWTH OF MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE LANSING PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM 1900 TO WORLD WAR I .................. 23 III. MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE LANSING PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM WORLD WAR I THROUGH WORLD WAR II .................. 40 IV. THE GROWTH OF MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE LANSING PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM THE END OF WORLD WAR II TO 1959 ... 60 V. MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE LANSING PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM 1960 TO 1969 81 VI. MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE LANSING PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM 1970 TO 1979 ............................................................................... 101 VII. MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE LANSING PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM 1980 TO 1985 ............................................................................... 126 VIII. MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE LANSING PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM 1986 TO 1990 ............................................................................... 161 IX. MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE LANSING PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM 1991 TO JUNE 1995 194 X. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................... 220 APPENDIX A. APPROVAL OF THE DISSERTATION PROPOSAL BY THE UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS .................................................................................. 230 B. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS........................................................................231 LIST OF REFERENCES................................................................................................. 232 vii INTRODUCTION The American philosopher Santayana wrote that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” His observation can be applied to historical accounts of the development of music curricula in the Lansing, Michigan Public Schools, which record a history of repeated struggles for academic recognition and financial support. To understand the events influencing that development, this study will trace the growth of choral and instrumental music in the Lansing Schools over a period of approximately one hundred and fifty years. Beginning in the first pioneer schools, music has always been an important part of the student’s day, and as this study will show, it has long been part of the Lansing School curriculum, often defying fluctuating educational trends and philosophies. In the 1800s life on the midwestem frontier was vastly different from life in the more cultured atmosphere of the East Coast. In these wilderness communities, the principles of hard work, dedication, and a fierce spirit of independence were put into practice in the struggle of daily living. The designers of the first public schools were influenced by these principles as were the founders of the Lansing Public Schools. Early schools offered a functional “3R’s” curriculum that reflected not only the influence of established Eastern school systems but also the practical frontier values. The settlers, however, treasured music in their lives, and even though it was not absolutely necessary for survival and economic progress, they insisted that it be included in their children’s lives and, eventually in their education. 1 2 Surprisingly, considering the early settlers' interest in education, they apparently were not equally concerned with recording the history of their schools, particularly in the specific area of this study. The only published history of the Lansing Public Schools is a four-volume set of condensations of minutes from Lansing School Board

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