Resumen de “It's much more collaborative": democratic action in contemporary collegiate a cappella
The purpose of this case study was to explore the democratic practices of an all-female contemporary collegiate a cappella ensemble. Due to advances in the Internet and portrayals in popular media, contemporary a cappella participation on collegiate campuses has seen a period of extreme growth. There is interest within music education research to understand the role of democracy in a variety of musical settings, but empirical research connecting democratic action to the everyday practice of music ensembles is relatively sparse. This case study involved documenting and examining 8 hours of observation and 10 hours of group and individual interviews over the course of a 10-week rehearsal and performance sequence. Tan's (2014) 5 qualities of a democratically run instrumental music ensemble (people, participation, equality, cooperation, and conflict) served as a framework for analysis. Emergent themes included “stepping up,” vulnerability, and transmission. Findings indicate that Tan's qualities may need reconceptualization in order to apply to a peer-led ensemble working democratically, with equality of opportunity as a primary characteristic. Suggestions for further research and implications for teaching are provided.
