“Stand by Me”: A Mixed Methods Study of a Collegiate Marching Band Members’ Intragroup Beliefs Throughout a Performance Season

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate intragroup beliefs regarding participation in a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II marching band throughout the university’s American football season. Fifty-three undergraduates from an urban midwestern university elected one of two options: (1) focus group only or (2) focus group and surveys. For the quantitative inquiry, it was hypothesized that members would report a downward concavity of group cohesion attributes and collective efficacy beliefs across time. A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) found group integration–task (GI-T) and collective efficacy dipped at the midpoint of the season while beliefs regarding members’ attraction to the group, both task and social (ATG-T, ATG-S), and group integration–social (GI-S) remained consistently high. Focus groups data analysis revealed five broad themes: (1) connections, their pride in the band and its connectedness to their school and beyond; (2) family, how the band represents a family environment; (3) acceptance, belonging to the group; (4) music, the role of music in their lives; and (5) time, the temporal beliefs of the group throughout the season. These findings provide insight into the dynamic nature of group beliefs over time with musical ensembles.

Band Together: How College Marching Band Students Perceived Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Students may have also been afforded less time together due to adjusted rehearsal schedules. This finding is consonant with previous studies in that in addition to the enjoyment of music, social interaction is important to marching band students (Alosi, 2012; Cumberledge, 2017; Dagaz, 2010; Matthews, 2017), and the amount of time that students spend together can cultivate feelings of community (Cumberledge & Acklin, 2019; Peters, 2020). Another student commented, “We specifically lost a lot of time outside of rehearsals to be able to hang together and really connect as a group.…”

“…Researchers have reported that marching bands present opportunities for students to form a sense of community by working together across many ages (Ma & Hall, 2018), spending copious amounts of time together (Cumberledge, 2015;Dagaz, 2010), and creating a setting that welcomes students with varied sociocultural backgrounds (Carter, 2013). Students in extant research have often described their marching band experience analogous to a family with long lasting, personal connections (Dagaz, 2010;Matthews, 2017). Peters (2020) found that this sense of family and community was developed through group activities such as band camp rehearsals, beginning of year traditions, small group spheres of peer interaction, and the sheer amount of time spent together.…”

Relational aggression and youth empowerment within a high school instrumental music program

“…Findings from this study of high school honor band students ( N = 91) showed that instrumentalists who have a strong sense of collective efficacy and group cohesion are more likely to perceive their conductors as supportive. A mixed methods study conducted by Matthews (2017) also reported similar findings about group cohesion and collective efficacy with undergraduate students ( N = 53). Furthermore, Matthews reported the familial aspect of the peer groups within the collegiate marching band that were based on their feelings of connectedness to one another.…”

Psychosocial change across a drum corps season

“…The most studied MA activity is marching band (Carter, 2013; Dagaz, 2012; Matthews, 2017; Silveira & Hudson, 2015; Weren et al, 2016). Marching band combines movement, music, and visual performance either in parades or on a football field, usually connected to a sports team, military group, or educational institution (Dagaz, 2012).…”