Incorporating Aaron Copland's Philosophy of Inclusion in Midwest Rural Band Programs: A Qualitative Study of Attracting and Retaining Students of Low Socioeconomic Status

The field of music education has established the value of instrumental band music instruction as congruent with students’ intellectual, kinesthetic, psychological, and academic success. However, one should scrutinize the validity of the above data, as it addresses issues concerning access to instrumental music education that persist within underserved populations, particularly those characterized by low socioeconomic status (SES) in rural Midwest America. Researchers have synthesized very little data specifically to address the needs of Midwest rural schools and underserved student populations. This qualitative study explores the effects of applying Aaron Copland’s philosophy of inclusion, specifically regarding students of low SES, in addressing equity in rural Midwest schools where the free and reduced lunch percentage is above 45%. Aaron Copland is arguably one of the first and only composers to reach both cultivated and vernacular audiences with equal depth and quality. This study employs archival research in a qualitative method that focuses on identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns and themes within a dataset to elucidate tangible recommendations for addressing augmentation in enrollment, retention, and increased proficiency in the performance of underserved rural Midwest band programs. The findings reveal that using vernacular music and financially accessible instruments, such as plastic ones, potentially increases student interest and engagement, while performances for vernacular, underserved audiences likely enhance student commitment to their music education and improve their performance proficiency.