An examination of the relationship between socioeconomic status, parental support, school support, and performance outcomes of participants in Jamaican wind ensembles

Jamaican wind ensemble directors currently contend with the diversity of participants in school music programs, and hypothesize that socioeconomically based factors, parental support, and school support play an increased role in determining the outcomes of these programs. Examining the intersections between financial means and social contexts with school music programs is necessary to facilitate a greater understanding by the teacher and administrators. The author of this research set out to examine the relationship between socioeconomic status, parental support, and school support on the performance outcomes of wind ensembles in schools (N = 5) in Jamaica. The performance outcomes will be measured by each ensemble’s result in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission which hosts the National Performing Arts Championships annually with over 10, 000 entries impacting over 20, 000 participants island wide. The results indicated no significant correlation between most of the variables examined. This low evidence of correlation is attributed to the sample size or the myths and perceptions of low SES families and its resulting affiliation with music education.