The use of peer mentoring in a successful high school jazz band was explored during one academic year of instruction using ethnographic techniques. Participants included primary informants (student jazz band members, director, assistant director, adult mentors) and secondary informants (guidance counselor, principal, parents, nonjazz band member students). Data analysis revealed that peer mentoring contributed to the success of a high school jazz band. Five themes emerged: (a) mentoring from the adult perspective, (b) peer mentoring for musicianship, (c) mentoring in rehearsals, (d) mentoring outside jazz band rehearsals, and (e) social mentoring. Suggestions for teacher educators include supporting, developing, and implementing peer mentoring, which can aid directors in instruction and rehearsal efficiency.

The purpose of this literature review is to examine research on peer mentoring among K–12 students to assist practitioners with how to incorporate these instructional techniques into their own music programs. Primary themes across the music education literature of peer mentoring include the role of music teachers, the role of students as they learn from each other, and the role of socialization. This article concludes with implications for music educators and recommendations for future studies to inform practice and to guide further research into peer mentoring among K–12 students.

The purpose of this study was to investigate undergraduates’ perceptions of peer mentoring and the impact of peer mentoring in a music teacher preparation course. The following questions were included: What knowledge and abilities do students bring to the peer mentoring process? How do students perceive their roles as teachers and learners in the peer mentoring experiences? How do the students benefit, if at all, from peer mentoring experiences? Students participated in four planned peer mentoring experiences; an unanticipated, informal mode of peer mentoring emerged during large-group teaching experiences. Analysis revealed that student perceptions of and comfort levels with peer mentoring varied as their roles as teacher or learner changed. Findings suggest that students use prior music and teaching knowledge when engaged in peer mentoring and their enactment of teaching roles varied depending on the structure of peer mentoring episodes. Benefits to students included increased awareness of themselves as teachers and enhanced comfort with providing and receiving critique.

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The purpose of this study was to explore how high school students mentored beginning fifth-grade students in an extracurricular music class for double-reed instruments. In this study, I investigated the role of peer mentoring with how high school mentors shared their knowledge and experiences, and the role of the teacher in this process. The following questions guided this study: How did the participants share their knowledge and experiences during peer mentoring? How did the teacher serve as a guide for the student participants during peer mentoring? Data collection included observations and interviews during one semester of instruction, and analysis of the data collected involved a system of coding from which two themes developed: mentoring concurrent with director teaching and learning while mentoring. In addition, findings indicated that the participants used knowledge learned from outside sources, they reinforced content presented by the teacher, and they drew on their own musical knowledge during the process. Under the guidance of the teacher, the participants also learned how to share their knowledge that in turn helped elevate their individual levels of musicianship. Implications for music teachers suggest the use of peer mentoring to help create meaningful learning experiences in their classrooms and increase interaction among students.