A Pilot Study on Motivations of Amateurs in the Community Saxophone Ensemble in Singapore
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15294/harmonia.v25i1.18634Keywords:
Singapore Wind Band; Saxophone Ensemble; Community Saxophone Ensemble; Continued Music MakingAbstract
Through the realization of The Singapore Band Project, Singapore has developed a thriving wind music initiative in school music education and ensemble playing training. Nevertheless, the problem of engaging participants in music-making beyond their school remains a critical issue, as in most cases, only about 10% of each cohort continues to be engaged in the activity. This pilot study employed a quantitative methodology to investigate the musicians of two single-instrument ensembles in Singapore: The Protégé Saxophone Ensemble and the Music Elements Saxophone Ensemble. The demographic data and ongoing engagement motivational factors are as follows. The study evaluates the Motivators of Continued Participation as outlined by Krause in her 2020 study and the hierarchy of these Motivators through sentiment scoring. The findings reveal that intrinsic motives are the most significant for long-term engagement and continued participation in music making during emerging adulthood. The results aim to provide recommendations for developing sustainable recruitment and retention strategies to support music ensembles and continue growing the vibrant music community in Singapore. Therefore, this study helps to close the gap between academic music education and adult music participation, emphasizing the necessity of an individualized program approach.
References
Badham, M. (2015). Democratising cultural indicators: Developing a shared sense of progress. In L. MacDowall, M. Badham, E. Blomkamp, & K. Dunphy (Eds.), Making culture count: The politics of cultural measurement (pp. 195–213). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-46458-3_13
Bartleet, B.-L., & Higgins, L. (2021). The Oxford Handbook of Community Music. Oxford University Press.
Dairianathan, E. (2006). Proceedings of the 27th International Society for Music Education, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In W. L. Sims & R. Mohd Tahir (Eds.), Proceedings of the 27th International Society for Music Education World Conference (pp. 305–315). International Society for Music Education.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
Finnegan, R.H. (2013) The hidden musicians: Music-making in an English town. Wesleyan University Press.
Hallam, S., Rogers, L., & Creech, A. (2008). Gender differences in musical instrument choice. International journal of music education, 26(1), 7-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761407085646
Higgins, L. and Willingham, L. (2017) Engaging in community music: An introduction. Routledge.
Jun, J. (2005). Understanding e-dropout. International Journal on E-Learning, 4(2), 229–240. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/4620/
Krause, A. E., Kirby, M. L., Dieckmann, S., & Davidson, J. W. (2020). From dropping out to dropping in: Exploring why individuals cease participation in musical activities and the support needed to reengage them. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 14(4), 401–415. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000268
Krause, A. E., North, A. C., & Davidson, J. W. (2019). Using self-determination theory to examine musical participation and well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article 405. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00405
Lee, T. T. (2004). An analysis of Singapore’s wind band music education system: The challenges facing Singapore wind band instructors – beyond performance (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Liu, B. (2020). Introduction. In Sentiment analysis: Mining opinions, sentiments, and emotions (pp. 1–17). Cambridge University Press.
Mantie, R., & Tucker, L. (2008). Closing the gap: Does music-making have to stop upon graduation? International Journal of Community Music, 1(2), 217–227. doi: 10.1386/ijcm.1.2.217_1.
National Arts Council. (2023). Singapore cultural statistics 2023. Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. https://www.nac.gov.sg/docs/default-source/about-us-files/singapore-cultural-statistics-2023.pdf
Paquette, S., & Mignault Goulet, G. (2014). Lifetime benefits of musical training. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 8, Article 89. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2014.00089
Pitts, S. E., & Robinson, K. (2016). Dropping in and dropping out: Experiences of sustaining and ceasing amateur participation in classical music. British Journal of Music Education, 33(3), 327–346. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051716000161.
Schoolfinder. Ministry of Education (MOE). (2024). Schoolfinder.
Sergeant, D. C., & Himonides, E. (2022). Performing sex: The representation of male and female musicians in three genres of music performance. Psychology of Music, 51(1), 188–225. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356221101190
Tan, E. (2017). NS’ role in defining the vision of a new society. Research Collection Yong Pung How School of Law. Singapore Management University. https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/3852/
Tan, S. (2024, November 23). Concert [Concert program]. Autumn Flute Fair 2024. Singapore Woodwinds Festival. https://sgwoodwindfestival.org/autumn-flute-fair-2024.html
Tan, P. P. L. (1998). The historical study of symphonic bands and related ensembles in Singapore [Unpublished master’s thesis]. National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
White, E., & Pitts, S. E. (2024). Joining alone: Factors that influence the musical participation of young adults after leaving school. British Journal of Music Education, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051724000172
Yusri, M. (2023). Wind bands of Singapore in military, school, and community settings. Canadian Winds: The Journal of the Canadian Band Association, 21, 25–29.
Wong, L. W. K., & Bampenyou, R. (2023). The forging of a “Singapore sound” in saxophone compositions of Zechariah Goh. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education, 23(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.15294/harmonia.v23i1.41647
