THE PROGRAMMING OF WOMEN COMPOSERS: PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES OF OKLAHOMA SECONDARY SCHOOL BAND DIRECTORS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate Oklahoma secondary school band directors’ perceptions and programming of women composers. Specifically, I measured Oklahoma secondary school band directors’ (a) familiarity with wind band works written by women, (b) frequency of programming works written by women, (c) programming practices of specific works by women over a three-year span, and (d) perceptions and attitudes towards women composers and their compositions. All current, Oklahoma secondary school band directors affiliated with the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) were invited to participate in a researcher-designed survey. Data were collected from respondents (N = 148) during the winter of 2020. Results from this study depicted an overall lack of exposure to women composers and their works in respondents’ training and experience. Works written by women were programmed much less frequently than works by men over a three-year span, and those specific works programmed were written by a limited range of women composers. Respondents overwhelmingly cited male dominance through historical precedence, composer demographics, and available literature as reasons for lack of diversity in wind band programming. Composer diversity in programming was seen favorably by most respondents, yet the composer’s gender was not a priority when respondents considered literature to program. Programming considerations that were prioritized by respondents (e.g., musical quality/aesthetic value, instrumentation, appropriate challenge) aligned with previous programming research. Implications and suggestions for diversity in programming for secondary schools are discussed.