MENC: The National Association for Music Education

Musical Achievement and the Self-Concept

Author(s): Marvin Greenberg
Source: Journal of Research in Music Education, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Spring, 1970), pp. 57-64
Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. on behalf of MENC: The National Association for Music
Education
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 MarvinGreenberg

MusicalAchievement
and the Self-Concept

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE never learn how to

carrya tune? Why are some people afraid to sing? What causes under-
achievementin music, specificallyin singing? Is the lack of musical apti-
tude and musical training the main factor in the lack of success in
music?
An examination of recent literature on music education in the pri-
mary schools reveals that among the reasonsgiven for a child's not sing-
ing in tune, hence, underachievingin music, are emotional and psycho-
logical blocks. The vast amount of writing and research on untuned
singershas been on remedialmeasuresto help the student sing in tune.1
Causative factors have received little emphasis. Remedial measures
stress further musical training, thus assumingthat the primarycause of
a person'snot being able to sing in tune is lack of musical training or
ability.
While emotional and psychologicalblocks are also given as a factor
contributing to the untuned singer, no analysis of the specific types of
blocks nor remedial techniques needed to eliminate these blocks has
ever been devised. All previous experimentsindicate working with un-
tuned singersto improve pitch discriminationonly, hoping that through
this technique emotional and psychologicalblocks will automaticallybe
removed.
Work with untuned singers who are eight years old and above (in-
cluding adults) has led this writer to hypothesizethat continued out-of-
tune singing and underachievementin music are primarilyresults of a
low self-conceptof one's ability to succeed in musical endeavors.
Self-conceptmay be defined as the perception the individual has of
himself. It refers to the ways in which an individual characteristically
sees himself and feels about himself. There has been a growing realiza-
tion among educators,but perhapsnot among music educators,that the
self-conceptis an importantattribute and one of the keys to understand-
1 See E. E. Blind, "An Experiment with Monotones,"Music EducatorsJournal, XXIV
(March l938), 37; Viola A. Broudy, "The Emergence of Song," Music Educators
Journal, XXXVI (September 1949), 22. A summary of significant studies appears in
Hendrickson'sarticle on music in the 1960 edition of the Encyclopediaof Educational
Research, edited by Chester W. Harris. Significantresearchon the problem has been
completed recently by A. Oren Gould at Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois.
7

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58 JOURNAL OF RESEARCHIN MUSIC EDUCATION

ing the behavior of any single person. Among the theorists and re-
searcherswho have held this view are Gordon Allport, Carl Rogers,
Henry StackSullivan,Earl Kelly, AbrahamMaslow,ArthurJersild, and
ArthurCombs.
Allport, in examining the concept of self in paperscollected in The
Nature of Personality,calls attention to the role that self-conceptplays in
human behaviorthroughcontemporaneousmotivation,active intention,
high-lenel integration of self-identitywith self-extension,and Xarious
cognitivedynamisms.2
The self is the centralconcept in Rogers'theoryof personality.3The
self consistsof conscious perceptionsas well as values of the "I" an(l
"me" developed out of the individual's interaction with his environ-
ment. The self constantlystrivesfor consistency,anelinfluencesthe indi-
vidual'sbehasior with its drives for actualization,maintenance,and en-
hancement. Of prime importancefor music educatorsis Roger'stheory
that the self introjects the values of other persons and may perceive
them in an unrealisticor distortedmanner. Experiencesnot consistent
with the self-structureare evaluatedas threats. Thus, a personwho per-
ceives himself as unmusicalwill react to attempts to improve his musi-
cianship through inner rebellion, negativism, or withdrawn behaior,
although he may outwardlyappear to accept attemptssIt impro^ement.
The self-conceptis learned. People learn about who they are and
what they are from the ways in which they have been treated by tllose
who have contact with them. Sullivan calls this "learning about self
from tlle mirrorof other people."4People denelop their self-conceptsin
music from the kinds of experiences they hase llael ill dealing with
music. It is logical to infer that to produce a positive self-conceptin
music, it is necessaryto provide experiencestllat show individuals they
are doing well in music.
The student'sself-appraisalis made in termsof what others think and
feel about him. If tlle "reflectedappraisals,"of WlliCh the self is made
up, are mainly derogatory,then the student's attitudes toward llimself
will be mainly derogatory.Witness the effect on self of SUCll statements
as tllese: "Pleasesing softer, Tom. You're spoiling the singing of the
others,"or "Sheila,let Sandratake your place in the dance while you
watch her. She'll show you how the beat really goes."
People learn that they are able, not from failure,but from success. To
feel acceptanceone must experienceacceptance. A positive view of self
is tlle direct result of successfulexperienceand accomplishment.
There is an ever-flowingimpact between the self and the continullm
of experiencesinvolved in the processof learning music at school. The
learnerperceives,interprets,receiveslresists,or rejectswhat he is tallght
in music in light of lliS self-system.In the normal courseof the (levelop-
The Nature of Personality (New York: Addison-Wesley, 1950).
2 Gordon W. Allport,
3Carl Rogers, Client-CenteredTherapy (New York: Houghton-Mifflin Co., 1951).
4 Henry Stack Sullivan, Conceptions of Modern Psychiatry (Washington, D.C.:
William Alanson White Psychiatric Foundation, 1947).

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 MUSICAL ACHIEVEMENT AND THE SELF-CONCEPT 9

ment of the self-conceptin music, the student is involved in a continuing

processof assimilation and integration of new musical experiences and
discoveriesconcerninghis own resourcesand limitations.
A student accepts and incorporatesthat which is friendly to his self-
system, but rejects or avoids experiences that are unfriendly. He con-
stantly attempts to maintain his self-picture. If he meets experiences
that demand a modificationof a false self-analysis,he is likely to resist.
Remedial attempts to aid underachievers,without recognition of the
critical role that the self plays, are doomed to failure.
The self, since it is learned through experience, can be taught. An
experimentby Staineshas shown that self-conceptcan be taught with no
loss of learning in subject matter.5 Thus, musical instruction must not
only aim at developing the student'smusicianship,but also his self-con-
cept ln muslc.
. -

Underachievementin music, including the lack of ability to sing in

tune, is in part a function of the individual'sself-concept. It is possible
that an individual conceives himself as inadequate-who has nega-
tive self-concepts-also tends to achieve less than his potential capacity
and aptitude would indicate.
DEVELOPING SELFCONCEPT
The writer recently attempted to find out more about improving the
self-conceptof untuned singers in grades four through six at the Uni-
versity ElementarySchool, University of Hawaii, by having 10 such un-
tuned singersjoin a select group comprising the school chorus. It was
hoped that changing self-perceptionsof untuned singerswould result in
* . .

mprovec . slnglng.
The school chorus consistedof 84 students from the fourth, fifth, and
sixth grades,including 10 boys classifiedas untuned singers.6 Admission
to the chorus was primarily based upon the student's ability to sing
accurately,with good tone quality, and his interest in being in chorus.
All students in grades four through six were first asked to write down
whether they wished to be in chorus. Of the 152 students in grades four
through six, 112 answeredyes, including 10 of the 15 untuned singers
-all boys-within the three grades.
After consultationwith variousmembersof the school faculty, includ-
ing the school psychologist,it was decided to permit all 10 untuned
singers who wished to join the chorus to participate,as part of the ex-
periment. In order to determine how these untuned singers felt about
their own abilities to sing, a questionnairewas devised that attempted to
assesseach student'sself-conceptof his various abilities, including music.
Scores on self-assessmentin music averaged lower than all academic
areasexcept mathematics. As a result of this questionnaire,the writer is
5 J. W. Staines, "The Self-Pictureas a Factor in the Classroom,"British Journal of
Educational Psychology, XXVIII (June 1958), 97.
6 An untuned singer is defined as a student who cannot match a given pitch, has
difficultysinging any familiar tune, and has a maximum range of a major third.

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 EDUCATION
OF RESEARCHIN MUSIC
JOURNAL
60
their own
that: (a) these boys had a lower self-conceptof main rea-
believe
led to liked to sing; and (b) thethey could
abilities, yet felt that they
singing was not that they felt
these
son boys wanted to join chorus but the fact that it would en-
to the successof the chorus,
contribute
their self-esteemand prestige. chorus had some prestigevalue for
hance
Undoubtedly, membershipin the for the school,
students.
all Tlle chorus had previously performedtwo yearly performances
The
and membersof the community.
parents, audiences and anticipated by
by the chorus were well receivedby part of tllis
given singersto become
performers.
the Permittingthese untuned
improve tlleir self-concepts. edge of
group would undoubtedly
select outer
singerswere placed on the
Inrehearsals,the untunecl in the seating arrangement and were
They were scattered hearcIthese
chorus.
the
next to each other. Althougll tlle writer often instrtlctor.
placed
never ever said to them by tlle
studentssing off key, nothing was membersdid complain about the
Oncein a while, some of the regular singers.
of severalof the unttlned
singing a week for one-half hour
sessions
were held twice lefore the
Chorusrehearsals in October ancI encling
a period of 11 weeks, beginning songs,
over were two- and tllree-part
Christmas holidays. The workslearned Nobis Pacem,"
"Angels We Have Hear(l on High," "Dona various tradi-
including Wind," and
Humperdinck's "Prayer,""Blowin' in the
tionalcarols. during the
no additional instruction received
The 10 untuned singersreceived members, the students
experimental period. Like all chorus classroom,amounting to about
in the
theirregularmusical instruction per week were
a week of which approximately30 minutes that tlle reg-
120minutes is no reasonto beliesre
devoted to sin(gingactivities. There untuned singers'
substantiallyaffected the
ularclassroominstructionsince these students hacIhad regulKlrmusical
abilitiesto sing on pitch, and had still not learned
how to sing.
since first grade woulcIbe
instrtlction
singing improvement in the 10 tlntuned singers ch,lnging
Clearly, any aciditionalexperience, or
attributedto chorus participation,
self-perceptions. testecIby the
tlnttlnecIsingers were again
After the experiment,the the untunecIsingers were also aske(l to
of
writer. Classroomteachers their stlldents'aptitude, academicachieve-
write down comments about are tlle
socioemotional growth, and concepts of self. Following
ment,
commentsmade:
CASEI-GRADE4 in handling conflicts,
less mature than his peers in social relationships,
hits others,is explosive,
D-is he
of outdoorplay. At times
and in the "giveand take" see his part in the act. His IQ is 103, with a Gates
and is unable to reasonorHis scoreson the STEP tests show that he is doing
Reading averageof 5.2. His work habits need some
improvement.
average work for a fourth-grader.
music is positive.
His general attitude toward

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 MUSICAL ACHIEVEMENT AND THE SELF-CONCEPT
61
Musical Progrev. I)-has a limited vocal range, with continued problemsin
matching pitch and obtaining the correct starting pitch. He can sing melodic
fragInentswith a range of a fourth.

CASEII-GRADE 4
W-has many problemsin relating to peers. He is not likedsbut is improving
in his relationship to boys. He is especially unable to relate to girls. He had
great diEculty in adjusting to a new school last year, but apparentlyhad even
more problemsin his formerschool. W-needs to be told many things that most
children his age alreadyknow. There is a great discrepancybetween his poten-
tial and actual achievement. His IQ is 134, but his Gates Reading level is 3.8,
with below averagescoreson the STEP tests. He is academicallyvery irrespon-
sible, and is unable to settle down or complete his work. W-thinks of himself
as a teenager, when actually he is less mature than most children his age.
Apparentlyhe has not been helped to see himself as he really is, or as others
see him.
Musical Progress. W-has continued problems in singing, but for the first
time since the writer has worked with him, he responded by singing the first
phraseof "ondon Bridge"accurately.

CASEIII-GRADE 4
C-is not too well liked by other boys, but is becomingmore acceptable. He
is very money-conscious,and often discussesquestionsabout saving and spending
money.He is pleasant,cooperative,and helpful about the room.He claspshis own
hands in victory when he is correct at answeringa question. The girls who sit
near him often complain about his language. He feels free to question what
he does not understanxl.Outwardly,he takes it in his stride when rejected by
his peers.C-has an IQ (WISC)of 120, but is reading on the third-gradelevel.
He is most interestedin social studies,science,and math and is not enthusiastic
about music. He apparentlyhas a low self-image. His self-conceptseems to be
improving as he finds successin his contributionsto discussions.
MusicalProgress. C-now sings accuratelyin pitch within a range of a tenth.
He is able to match pitches and tonal patterns, as well as sing familiar tunes
He sings surprisinglywell, with Ene tone quality.

CASEIV-GRADE 4
M-has no pronounced problems in any area. He is doing average work
academically.His work habits are excellent. He is very responsible,alert, and
attentive, and does not like to miss anything. His IQ is with a Gates 112J

lteading level of 4.8. His home backgroundmay not be as rich culturally and
intellectuallyas that of other children in the school.
AlusicalProgress. M-has definite problemsin singing on pitch and matching
tones. LittIe progressshown as a result of chorus experience.

CASE01-GRADE5
C-is an alert, happy boy who participatesactively in school activities and
discussions. He has a marveloussense of humor and enjoys talking to adults.
The group feels he talks too much. He is quite conscientiousin his work. He
is self-confidentand very secure with a good imagination. His IQ is 144

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 JOURNAL OF RESEARCHIN
MUSIC EDUCATION
62
(Benet), 125 (WISC). His
level. There is no indicationachievementin all areasis
of his attitude toward considerablyabove grade
Musical Progress. Although music.
he is now able to sing C-continues to have difficultyin
simple matchingtones,
tunes when he starts them bysongs within the range of a fifth. He can sing
himself, but is unable to sing
determinedby the teacher. in a given key

CASEVI-GRADE 5
N-seems to be liked by most
others. At times, however, children of the group. He
he becomes rather works well with
attitudehas caused uncompromising,and this
disagreementswith a few people.
thinkingwith those he works He
member.He has a good attitude with, and seems to be a usually shares his
responsiblegroup
thingsand graspsideasquickly. He towardschool. He is willing to learn new
Maturity) has an IQ of 131 (CaliforniaTest
and is achieing above
coordinated averageill all areas. He is not of Mental
as other boys his age, and as physically
ofhimself. He is seemsto tire fast. He is
somewhataware of his poor probablyunsure
generally
not sure whether he does physical coordination,but is
notnegative,althoughhis untuned well or not. His attitude towardmusic is
coorc.

.lnatlon. singing may be linked to his

poor physical
.

AIusical Progress. N-'s voice

all is breathyand soft,
but he is now
songs within a range of an
he
still has some difficulty eleventh. Once he gets started, able to sing
matching he is fine, but
matchingseveraltones in context. isolated tones. He sings accuratelywhen

CASE VII-GRADE 5
G- is usually included in
during activities with others. When he
free periods, it seems to be is not playing
with of his own choosing. He
others. At times he shows gets along well
immaturity,
responsibleand usually works diligently. but he can be reasonedwith. He is
slightly
above grade level on all tests He has an IQ of 125.
conceptof himself is probably of the STEP series except He scored
weak, although there is little writing. His
ofthis.He becomesvery outwardevidence
hurt when his work is
difficulty
acceptinghelp. Muchof discussedwith him. He has
inthelanguagearts area. He his workis generallyof poor quality,especially
astory thinks he has done an
if he adequatejob of
ill two or three
sentences. At times he has trouble writing
turns
the
lineof thought(luringa following
AIusical
discussion,and at times listening is
Progress. G- I10W sings on poor.
sing
almostany tune he knows pitch. He is able to
habits fairly well on pitch. He has match tones and
and his intonationis poor. very poor singing

CASE
VI II-GRADE6
L-isa quiet, reserstedchild.
to displaymore aggressiseHowexer,among the boys of his peer group he
tends
withgirls and with adults.traitswhen sportsare involved. He is extremely
shy
This
becausehe does not seek help shyness is a detriment to his academic
growth
his academicand emotional when he needs it. The main difficulty
limiting
his
successes growthstems from his inability
and failings. His successes
are highly dependentoll to accept
rather
than self-satisfaction,atld adult approval
his failings remain
uncorrecteduntil a(lult

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 * .

MUSICAL ACHIEVEMENT AND THE SELF-CONGEPT 63

pressureis exerted. His self-conceptseems to be unrealistic. He has an IQ of

124 (Benet), and is achievingbelow expectations.
Musical Progress. L-can now sing songs with a range of a ninth or tenth
when he startson his own note. He has good accuracyin matchingtonal patterns.
He has some difficultyin matchingisolated tones, especiallystartingpitches.
CASEIX-GRADE6
G-displays a markedanxiety about his academicachievement,which hampers
both his work in school and his relationshipwith his peers. At home he appears
to be under the close surveillanceof his mother. Pressureson the child are
evident. ffis home background reflects a formal type of reinforcement of
learnings in school, rather than a utilization of the child's interest. He is yet
unawareof his effeminatephysicalgestureswhich, at times, become a source of
ridicule among his playmates. In group relations he incurs hostility without
intending to do so becausehe is more apt to act impulsively,reflectinghis poor
social judgment. He has an IQ (WISC)of 11O,but is an underachiever.He is
extremely handicapped in written expression. His anxiety also extends into
arithmetic, in which difficult problems become extreme focal points. He is
easily distractedin class and less apt to follow directions.
MusicalProgress. G-is still unable to sing any tune or match any given tone.
CASEX-GRADE6
E-is an only child who moved into a childlessneighborhoodover a year agp.
He shows signs of not quite knowing how to play with his peers. At the
beginning of the school year he was on the outside, never chosen for a group
activity. In spite of this he remained cheerful and kept trying to be a good
sport. He finds it difficult to initiate any activity himselfs but can and will
carryon if the teacher and students take initiative. He seems fearful of male
teachers. He has an IQ of 136 and is underachievingin all academicareas.
MusicalProgress. E-now can sing tunes that he is familiarwith in a range
of an octave to a tenth. He sings tonal patternsaccuratelywith good intonation.
He still has some difficultyin getting the starting pitch of a song.
The 10 untuned singers in this study were characterized in general,
by: (a) poor peer relationships, (b) academic underachievement,and
(c) lack of a strong feeling about self, or unrealistic self-concepts Only
CasesIV and lI seem to have well-integratedpersonalities. The evidence
points to some emotional or psychologicalfactor, not a musical factor,
as the main cause of untuned singing.
Four untuned singers made little progressin singing as a result of
being in chorus. Three of these four children were from the fourth
grade. One boy made some progress (Case 01) and five boys made sig-
nlhcant smprovement.

While it is recognized that the rigid controls needed in a research

study were lacking, evidence still points the way toward growth in
achieving a positive self-concept in music as the reason for progress.
Undoubtedly,additional musical experiencesmay have been a contribut-
ing factor. Yet, these boys had had individual work previouslyin match-
ing tones, with no results.

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64 JOURNAL OF RESEARCHIN MUSIC EDUCATION

CONCLUSIONS
It is hoped that many questions have been raised as a result of this
experiment. Some questionsin need of furtherclarificationare:
1. Oo untuned singersknow that they are singing inaccurately?
2. At what age or gradelevel should studentsbe told that they are off
pitch? (Perhapsthey should not be told!)
3. What is the correlation between academic achievement mtlsical
achievement and personalityfactors?
4. What are some remedial techniques useful with untuned singers
who are not sufferingfrom inability to discriminatepitch?
5. What is the effect on students who are excluded from special
groupsg
Music teachersneed to recognizethe importanceof building up the
self in their students. This can be done by: (a) accepting each con-
tribution that a student makes; (b) providing each student with an
opportunityto make an importantcontributionto the activity in which
the classis engaged;and (c) searchingconstantlyfor ways of expressing
the careone feels for each student. Studentslearn that they can succeed
not from failure, but from success. Music teaching must be of SUC}1
quality to guaranteesuccess. This is by no means an easy task. It is a
challenge,however,that can be met.

University of Hawaii

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