A Suburban Case of Community Mobilization for Music Education: Lessons for Arts Education in a Cash-Strapped World
The purpose of this research was to examine the organization and management of a community-driven string music program under the direction of a parent-run board. This descriptive single-case study focused on an elementary public school, kindergarten through eighth grade, located in a middle-to-upper-class suburb in a metropolitan area in the Midwest. The research question focused on how the collaborative efforts among the adult contributors (school district administrators, parent-run board members, music teachers, and parents) influenced the organization and management of the program. While music programs continue to face elimination from a school’s curriculum, the findings revealed that as a result of the organizational structure of the program, teamwork, and communication among the adult contributors this program is able to meet its goals. The adult contributors viewed parent involvement essential in decision making, the learning process, funding, volunteering, and strongly influencing the success of the program and student outcomes.
arts and music education programs, organization and management, teamwork, parent-run board, parent and community involvement, benefits, and arts advocacy, Curriculum and Social Inquiry
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