The purpose of this study was to examine an exemplary choral program in detail, focusing on the non-musical aspects of the program. The study examined the school, the administration, the students, parents and community, director and accompanist. The study was undertaken in a school in western United States that recently appeared at the American Choral Directors Association national convention. Data were gathered by onsite visits, surveys, and interviews. These interviews were either video or audio taped and transcribed. The data were gathered and analyzed using grounded and emergent theory techniques. After data were coded, seven categories emerged: three categories of data generated by (and largely under the control of) the director, and four categories of data that were community driven. The director generated categories were: a charismatic choral director, clear goals, and recruiting procedures. The community controlled categories were: community expectations and awareness, the choir's privileged role in the community, administrative support, and money raising. This study found six non-musical factors present in this program that appear to explain its success: (1) A high level of community awareness and support. (2) A charismatic choral director who had both the ability and permission to raise large sums of money. (3) An adequate level of administrative support. (4) A support network that diffused some of the extraordinary pressures of running an exemplary choral program. (5) A unique way of providing the critical extra training that such a successful program needs. (6) A history of a strong feeder program that allowed the program to develop "critical mass" and become the class of choice for many of the student body. While this study focused on a single site, most of these six factors appear to be considerations leading to the success of any choral program. It is hoped that further research will lend support to the hypothesis that successful programs will exhibit the above six conditions.

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The purpose of this study was to document parental views of the homeschool music curriculum in the state of Arkansas and assess how it affects the teaching and learning of music. I focused on homeschooling families before the beginning of the pandemic, which for the purpose of this dissertation is considered January 1st, 2020. The research questions which guided this dissertation were: 1.) What is the parent’s philosophy on the teaching and learning of music in homeschooling and in what ways do they report it has changed because of COVID-19? 2.) How do the parents describe their homeschool curricula, and how does music factor into the homeschool curriculum? 3.) How do homeschool parents report the difference between the teaching and learning of music and the teaching and learning of other subjects? Three homeschooling parents who use music in their curriculum were chosen from three distinct regions within the state of Arkansas. The regions were urban, the Coastal Plains, and the Highlands. Lengthy interviews with each family revealed that, dependent upon parental objectives, location, and availability of resources. Though parents shared many aspects of educational approach, the largest challenge shared by each parent was the lack of music education resources designed for the home. The parents hope to see the development of a comprehensive music education curriculum designed for homeschooling parents. The lack of such a comprehensive curriculum was discouraging to each parent. A review of existing resources confirmed their assessment. Each parent offered creative solutions which provide strategies for other homeschooling parents.

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