Intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cultural influences in collaborative composition

Thesis (D.M.A.)--Boston UniversityThe purpose of this multiple case study was to observe sociocultural influences in collaborative music composition. The research questions of the study examined sociocultural influences through three perspectives: the intrapersonal-interpersonal influence, the interpersonal-cultural influence, and the intrapersonal-cultural influence. Eight participants were selected to take part in five unstructured composition activities during which they were instructed to compose and perform an original piece of music. Three of the activities were completed in collaborative groups. Two were completed individually. Data were collected over a two-month period through observations, interviews, focus groups, and video recall. Five cases were then selected for within-case analysis: two of the cases examined the individual compositional activity of two target composers and the other three cases studied collaborative groups. A cross-case analysis revealed ten salient themes: influence of external cultures (family, peers, teachers, and intended audience), perceptions of acceptable work, persistence in task completion, emergence of musical voice, compatibility, assumed roles within the group, guidance of holistic perception, task structure and flow, extended breaks, and inclusion. The final chapter discusses the study's implications for music educators and makes suggestions for further research