“Failing in spite of wonderfulness”: High-stakes ensemble adjudication in low-income schools

Abstract

The culture of competition in music education is pervasive, reflecting the overall growth in standardization and accountability measures in education. With this study, I addressed the intersection of two underexamined topics in music education: teachers’ experience with competitive ensemble events and the structural challenges of working in a low-income, student of color (SOC) majority campus. In this basic qualitative study, I examined how instrumental music teachers navigate the high-stakes policy of an adjudicated large-ensemble contest within and beyond their classrooms. Research questions include the following: (a) What do teachers perceive to be the unique challenges they face in preparing for and participating in ensemble adjudication as a result of their context in a low-income, SOC-majority campus? (b) How does preparation and participation ensemble adjudication influence teaching and learning in instrumental music classrooms? (c) What do teachers perceive to be the function and justification for compulsory ensemble adjudication? Findings suggest that teachers working in these contexts experience unique challenges in preparing for and succeeding in adjudication events due to the intersection of campus-based challenges and policy. In addition, music teachers experience similar narrowing of content and heightened stress as their general education counterparts within accountability structures.