The Experiences of First-Time Honor Band Clinicians: A Collective Case Study

Most middle school and high school band directors encourage their students to participate in an honor band at some point during their musical career (Stegman, 2009). Participation in honor bands can allow students to learn about their interests and impact future college decisions (Lien & Humphreys, 2001) and career choices (Rickels et al., 2013). In typical classroom settings, researchers have shown that student behaviors, attitudes, and opinions are associated with conductor effectiveness (Robinson, 1995). Additionally, in everyday music classrooms, conductors who were more intense and lively had better student performance, attitude, and attentiveness (Nápoles, 2006, 2007; Witt, 1986; Yarbrough, 1975). However, there is currently no formal type of training or certification required for honor band clinicians. Additionally, there are no guidelines for hosting an honor band, so the honor band experience can differ for the students and clinicians depending on each local context. Although many researchers have examined students’ experiences in honor ensembles and reasons for participation (e.g., Adderley et al., 2003; Silveira, 2013; Williams & Goff, 2019), there has been limited research focused on honor band clinicians. Worthy (2003) compared the time use of a conductor in a high school honor band and an intercollegiate honor band and found that there were differences in conductor talk and pacing between the two ensembles. Through examining the honor band experience of clinicians, instrumental music educators could learn how clinicians prepare for these events and what is needed to make these events successful for both the clinician and students. Therefore, the primary focus of this collective case study was to explore the experiences of first-time honor band clinicians. I used intensity sampling to select two participants (referenced by self-chosen pseudonyms) who had both served as an honor band clinician for the first time within the previous year. Using Glaser’s (1996) three-stage theory of expertise as a theoretical framework, I conducted individual semi-structured interviews (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Interviews focused on each participant’s reflections of their experience as an honor band guest clinician and were conducted with both of the participants via Zoom videoconferencing software. In the interviews, I asked participants about the positive and negative memories of their time as an honor band clinician, their prior preparation and training for honor bands, and any advice they had for other first-time honor band clinicians. I coded the interviews in two waves of coding. In the first wave of coding, I used an inductive content analysis with descriptive coding (Saldaña, 2009). During this phase, I read the transcripts multiple times to establish subcodes. In the second wave, I used a deductive framework analysis (Saldaña, 2009). During this round of elaborative coding, I read the interview transcripts and the subcodes from the first round of coding and categorized each of the subcodes into the three codes that corresponded with the theoretical framework. The codes for this study aligned with the three developmental stages outlined by Glaser’s theory of expertise: (a) external support, (b) transitional apprenticeship, and (c) self-regulatory stage (Glaser, 1994, 1996). In the first stage (external support), participants showed varying levels of external support. Both participants used various means of obtaining information and advice, such as calling mentors and doing research online. The second stage of transitional apprenticeship was mentioned least by the participants, perhaps because this is not very common for honor band clinicians. Neither participant had received any formal training or attended any professional development sessions related to honor bands prior to their first experience as an honor band clinician. At points in the interview, August mentioned feeling stressed, and Caryn stated that she felt “unprepared and underqualified” going into the experience. Both participants seemed to experience the majority of their first honor band experience in Glaser’s third stage (self-regulatory stage) with less-than-adequate preparation from the previous stages. They both mentioned that they had to plan, make adjustments, and self-reflect throughout their honor band to provide the best experience for students. Every honor band clinician experience is unique. Honor band involvements seemed to be shaped by the preparation of the clinician, as well as the support from those coordinating the experience. More research is needed to determine how experiences differ based on the experience of the clinician, location, grade level of students, and level of honor band. Honor band coordinators should continue to communicate schedules and expectations of the clinician in advance and try to keep those schedules and expectations as consistent as possible. The honor band coordinator seems to play a key role in the external support necessary for guest clinicians to be successful. Additionally, I suggest creating more training experiences and resources for first-time honor band clinicians in order to make honor band events more beneficial for students and clinicians.   References Adderley, C., Kennedy, M., & Berz, W. (2003). “A home away from home”: The world of the high school music classroom. Journal of Research in Music Education, 51(3), 190–205. https://doi.org/10.2307/3345373 Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). 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