The Relationship Between Rehearsal Structure and Contest Ratings for High School Bands

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if the rating received by the band at a state music contest can be predicted by examining the amount of rehearsal time high school band directors allocate to various rehearsal components. Secondly, the study sought to determine if the inclusion of specific warm-up activities can predict a band's contest rating. Lastly, the level of importance band directors place upon certain warm-up activities was compared to the frequency with which they include those warm-ups in regular rehearsals. For this study 47 high school band directors in Kansas completed the Rehearsal Structure Questionnaire (RSQ) via an internet based survey program. Survey responses were compared to the respondents' 2011 Kansas State High School Activities Association State Large Group Music Festival ratings. Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified three models that contributed to the variance in contest ratings. Years of experience and the inclusion of breathing exercises predicted higher contest ratings, while the number of courses taught and amount of time spent on non-musical tasks predicted lower contest ratings. Demographic attributes of the participant sample do not match the general population of band directors in Kansas. This combined with the relatively low sample size makes results difficult to generalize to all high school band settings. The findings, however, do show that rehearsal structure and choice of rehearsal activities do play a small role in ratings at music festivals. Further investigation into the effectiveness of rehearsal structure and various warm-up activities is warranted.