Dichotomous Musical Worlds: Interactions between the Musical Lives of Adolescents and School ...

283 Pages·2015·1.31 MB·English

Georgia State University
ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University
Department of Middle-Secondary Education and
Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional
Instructional Technology (no new uploads as of Jan.
Technology Dissertations
2015)
12-7-2009
Dichotomous Musical Worlds: Interactions
between the Musical Lives of Adolescents and
School Music-Learning Culture
Todd Edwin Snead
Georgia State University
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Learning Culture." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2009.
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ACCEPTANCE

This dissertation, DICHOTOMOUS MUSICAL WORLDS: INTERACTIONS
BETWEEN THE MUSICAL LIVES OF ADOLESCENTS AND SCHOOL MUSIC-
LEARNING CULTURE, by TODD EDWIN SNEAD, was prepared under the direction
of the candidate’s Dissertation Advisory Committee. It is accepted by the committee
members in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in
the College of Education, Georgia State University.

The Dissertation Advisory Committee and the student’s Department Chair, as
representatives of the faculty, certify that this dissertation has met all standards of
excellence and scholarship as determined by the faculty. The Dean of the College of
Education concurs.

______________________________ ______________________________
David E. Myers, Ph.D. Dana L. Fox, Ph.D.
Committee Co-Chair Committee Co-Chair

______________________________ ______________________________
Joyce E. Many, Ph.D. Jodi Kaufmann, Ph.D.
Committee Member Committee Member

______________________________
Date

______________________________
Dana L. Fox, Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology

______________________________
R.W. Kamphaus, Ph.D.
Dean and Distinguished Research Professor
College of Education
AUTHOR’S STATEMENT

By presenting this dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
advanced degree from Georgia State University, I agree that the library of Georgia State
University shall make it available for inspection and circulation in accordance with its
regulations governing materials of this type. I agree that permission to quote, to copy
from, or to publish this dissertation may be granted by the professor under whose
direction it was written, by the College of Education’s director of graduate studies and
research, or by me. Such quoting, copying, or publishing must be solely for scholarly
purposes and will not involve potential financial gain. It is understood that any copying
from this publication of this dissertation which involves potential financial gain will not
be allowed without my written permission.

_____________________________________
Todd Edwin Snead
NOTICE TO BORROWERS

All dissertations deposited in the Georgia State University library must be used in
accordance with the stipulations prescribed by the author in the preceding statement. The
author of this dissertation is:

Todd Edwin Snead
533 Greenwood Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30308

The director of this dissertation is:

Dr. Dana L. Fox
Department of Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology
College of Education
Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA 30302-3980
VITA

Todd Edwin Snead

ADDRESS: 533 Greenwood Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30308

EDUCATION:
Ph.D. 2010 Georgia State University
Teaching and Learning: Music Education
M.M. 2005 Arizona State University
Music Education
B.M. 1999 Texas Tech University
Music Education

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2009-2010 Assistant Professor, Music Education
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
2006-2009 Graduate Teaching Assistant
Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
st
2003-2005 21 Century Community Learning Centers Program Coordinator
Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix, AZ
2001-2003 Cast Member
Blast! First National Tour, Bloomington, IN
1999-2001 Assistant Band Director
Judson High School, Converse, TX

PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS:
Snead, T. E. (2009). Adolescents’ and Secondary Music Teachers’ Perspectives
on Music Participation and Learning. Presentation at the annual in-service
conference of the Georgia Music Educators Association, Savannah, GA

Snead, T. E. (2008). [Review of the book Music, informal learning and the
school: A new classroom pedagogy]. Music Educators Journal, 95(1), 21.

Waymire, M. D., & Snead, T. E. (2007). From good to great: 9 tips for motivating
your band. Teaching Music, 15(1), 28-32.

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS:
Music Educators National Conference
College Music Society
ABSTRACT

DICHOTOMOUS MUSICAL WORLDS: INTERACTIONS BETWEEN
THE MUSICAL LIVES OF ADOLESCENTS AND
SCHOOL MUSIC-LEARNING CULTURE
by
Todd Edwin Snead

This ethnographic study investigated the interactions between the musical lives of
adolescents and school music-learning culture in a suburban high school. Participants
included two music teachers and seven adolescents. Framed within a symbolic
interactionist perspective (Blumer, 1969), data were collected via methods consistent
with qualitative inquiry, including an innovative data collection technique utilizing music
elicitation interviews with adolescents. Findings emerged from the data via thematic
analysis (Grbich, 2007).
Findings indicate limited interactions between the musical lives of adolescents
and school music-learning culture because participants portrayed and experienced a
dichotomy between the musical assumptions and practices inside and outside of school.
Interactions occurred when participants engaged in sharing musical capital that overcame
segmentation among music learning, out-of-school experience, and elective participation
in secondary school music programs.
Supporting findings indicate that the school music-learning culture derived from
teachers' negotiating between two major influences: 1) their own musical values, which
were based on their musical backgrounds and the long-established professional tradition
of formal performance emphases in school music programs; and 2) the musical values of
their students. Adolescents self-defined their musical lives as largely informal musical
activities commonly experienced outside of school. They expressed a wealth of personal
musical knowledge and described their affinity for music across four dimensions: 1)
expression and feeling, 2) relevance, 3) quality in artistry and craftsmanship, and 4)
diversity. Three themes describe how adolescents’ personal relationships with music
influenced their beliefs and choices regarding music participation and learning: 1)
musical roots: nurturing personal and social connections with music, 2) motivated
learning: seeking relevance and challenge, and 3) finding a voice: striving toward musical
independence.
Findings indicate that music teachers may enhance interactions between
adolescents’ musical lives and school music-learning culture by acknowledging students’
musical engagement outside of school, honoring their personal musical knowledge and
interests, and making them collaborators in developing music-learning models rooted in
their affinity for, and personal relationships with, music.
DICHOTOMOUS MUSICAL WORLDS: INTERACTIONS BETWEEN
THE MUSICAL LIVES OF ADOLESCENTS AND
SCHOOL MUSIC-LEARNING CULTURE
by
Todd Edwin Snead

A Dissertation

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the
Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in
Teaching and Learning: Music Education
in
the Department of Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology
in
the College of Education
Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA
2010
Copyright by
Todd Edwin Snead
2010
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my extreme gratitude to the adolescents and music
teachers who welcomed me into their lives and classrooms, and thank them for their
willingness to participate cooperatively and enthusiastically throughout this investigation.
I would also like to extend special appreciation to Dr. David Myers for overseeing this
dissertation, providing thoughtful reflection, and continually motivating me to “dig
deeper” into the data. His thoughtful mentorship and guidance are unmatched and to him
I am eternally grateful. I would also like the thank the members of my committee, Dr.
Dana Fox, Dr. Joyce Many, Dr. Jodi Kaufmann, and Dr. Dennis Thompson, for their
advice and suggestions, and Carla Woods from the Office of Academic Assistance in the
College of Education for her assistance in navigating the defense process.
I was privileged to have had such wonderful friends and colleagues in the doctoral
program at Georgia State University. David, Michelle, Elise, and Bernadette were
constant beacons of support both personally and professionally throughout my studies
and this dissertation process – I am forever thankful for their friendship. I would like to
thank Dr. Kristin Lyman for editing my work and encouraging me throughout the final
preparations of this document. I also want to thank all my friends and family for their
understanding and encouragement over the years, without which I would not be where I
am today.
This dissertation is dedicated to Troy. Thank you for teaching me the
most important lessons in life: patience, determination, and love.
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