Breaking the Silence: The Phenomenology of the Female High School Band Director. (October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bovin, Amy J.
• Is Part Of: Update, applications of research in music education. Volume 38:Number 1(2019)
• Page Start: 34
• Page End: 45
• Publication Date: 2019-10
• Subjects: band director -- discrimination -- female -- gender -- high school band -- phenomenology -- women; Music -- Instruction and study -- Periodicals; Musicology -- Periodicals; 780.71
• DOI: 10.1177/8755123319841664
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 8755-1233

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenomenology of the female high school band director (FHSBD). In order to achieve a sample for regional maximum variation, one FHSBD from each county in the state of Connecticut was interviewed. After gathering data from a series of three interviews, I used Moustakas's modification of the Van Kaam method to analyze data to align with common phenomenological analysis techniques. I identified the following nine themes from relevant and validated invariant constituents: (1) support, (2) resistance and barriers, (3) loving the students and loving music, (4) discrimination, (5) motherhood and time consumption, (6) building or rebuilding a program, (7) gender clubs, (8) high school wasn't the goal, and (9) administrative and leadership degrees and certification. Based on results from the analyzed data, I determined the essence of the FHSBD is most succinctly described as persistence.