Understanding Students’ Motivations in School Orchestra Music Programs

String programs, once the main instrumental music program choice for children, have been seeing a decline in participation since the turn of the 1900s (Hash, 2009). Despite this decrease in interest and availability of public school string programs, many schools continue to offer strings as an option for students, allowing students to explore their musical interests of violin, viola, cello, or bass. In order to keep elective instrumental students involved, engaged and inspired, it is important to understand what factors affect their decisions to persist or quit music instruction