Ithaca College

This qualitative research study explores the lives of undergraduate music education students and the tensions they experience while learning to become professional music educators.

With co-authors, Conway, Eros, and Pellegrino, West's article explored how undergraduate students describe their lived experiences within the instrumental music education community. Data included a questionnaire from sophomore, junior, and senior undergraduate students (N = 34); researcher journals; 12 undergraduate student interviews; an undergraduate student focus group; and 6 study team meetings. What the authors learned from this inquiry is organized by the following themes: (a) participants perceive themselves as “different” from other music students; (b) participants perceive music education to be “different” within the music school; and (c) participants’ musician/ teacher identity changed throughout their experience.