abstract: In this study, I sought to learn how members of college women’s choirs feel about their choir and women’s choirs in general. Singers from 19 institutions in the American Choral Directors Association Southern division participated. From the potential survey population (n=986), 302 respondents participated (response rate = 28%). These research questions guided this study: 1. How do current members of college women’s choirs feel their choir is perceived compared to other types of choirs at their college or university and in their community? 2. How do current members of college women’s choirs feel about singing in this group? About women’s choirs in general? A researcher-developed survey instrument was used to gather demographic information and other data related to the research questions. After a pilot study, the survey was edited for clarity. The director of choral activities and the director of the women’s choir at each institution was contacted via email. The schools that agreed to participate received the link to the survey and an email script to send to students. Two weeks later, a follow-up email was sent with the same materials. Two weeks after that, the survey window closed. The data were collected and analyzed for frequency and percentage. While analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests found no significant differences, the analysis of some of the independent variables, especially those having to do with the age and experience of the singers, were highly suggestive. In this study, women’s choir members responded positively to statements about the value of their choir within their institutions and communities. While respondents often indicate that women’s choirs are seen as inferior to mixed choirs, they nevertheless enjoy the repertoire they sing and like being challenged. Respondents answered affirmatively in Likert-scale questions about their women’s choirs and women’s choirs in general, but answered more critically in open-ended response questions about the same topics. The survey results echo the findings of earlier studies, amplified by the choir members’ own opinions. The data in this study offer clear means to ensure that all students in all choirs are proud of their work and feel equally valued. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2020

The purpose of this study was to explore adolescent self-views of singing ability through both implicit theories and self-concept meaning systems. A secondary purpose of this study was to examine these self-views specifically in the context of a choral hierarchy. Using a researcher-designed survey instrument, I gathered data from middle- and high-school students currently enrolled in a choir program organized in a hierarchical structure. I analyzed descriptive statistics of survey responses to items designed to measure implicit theories of singing ability, singing self-concept, and goal orientation. I also examined differences among participants by ensemble placement in implicit theory and self-concept scores, correlation between implicit theory and self-concept, and whether implicit theory, self-concept, goal orientation, or current enrollment could predict future enrollment decisions. In addition to these quantitative measures, I coded open-ended responses to two failure scenarios and examined participant responses by ensemble and gender. Both implicit theory and self-concept scores were higher for participants at the top of the choral hierarchy than at the bottom. Open-ended responses, however, did not align with the implicit theory scale and a number of students presented a false growth mindset. Open-ended responses also indicated that failure scenarios were likely to result in an altered view of the self and shame in placement in an ensemble at the bottom of the choral hierarchy. The means scores for participants in the middle- and high-school ensembles in both implicit theory and self-concept were significantly different, with participants in the high-school ensembles having higher scores in both constructs. Implicit theory and self-concept were significantly related, and self-concept, goal orientation, and current enrollment significantly predicted future enrollment decisions.