"Tuba buddies," Triumphs, and Teamwork

Agreeing on a ¿single, philosophical position to support music education¿ (Bowman, 1994) appears to be a distinct and ongoing educational battle in the United States. A continuing debate among administrators, parents, music teachers, and educational policy makers about the benefits of music education in school versus the costs, time, and resources it requires has yielded copious amounts of advocacy and action efforts. This research study presents the seldom heard student perspective on participating in school band and orchestra, by exploring middle school students' own accounts of their participation in what it means to them, to their learning, and how they are able to independently define their own accomplishment through learning experiences in their school band or orchestra. Implications for education, advocacy, and research are discussed.