Investigation Into the Reasons Students Stay in Band

Retention is a major concern among high school band directors. The purpose of this study was to discover the reasons graduating high school band members chose to stay in band. Forty-seven senior band members from the Southwest Distric of Missouri were surveyed to determine their reasons for continuing in their band programs, and to see if those reasons could be applied to future band students to keep them from dropping out. Data was collected using a researcher-designed survey using a Likert scale, then analyzed by frequency of response and percentage. Results indicated that nearly all subjects liked their band director and enjoyed their experiences in band. The results also indicated the subject\u27s desire to continue on with band after high school, and that many desired a career in music