Reducing Student Stress and Anxiety in High School Through Performance in Band and Orchestra

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether student stress levels were lower on days when students actively performed music in a hybrid band or orchestra class compared to days they did not actively perform music, which was what the researcher hypothesized based on her review of literature and observations. This study used a quasi-experimental, one group design in which the students rated their stress level on a scale of 1-10 at end of each school day and answered simple questions about their experience of stress and coping strategies. Analysis of the data indicated that the null hypothesis should be rejected and that the student’s stress levels were indeed lower on musical performance days than on non-performance days (mean difference= -1.189, t=-4.633, p<.000). Future research should increase the number of participants and include additional age groups and types of musical experiences to extend the confidence teachers can have in the generalizability of the results of this study.