Mosaic Steel Orchestra Findings

 

Task 8 Findings

 

Mosaic Steel Orchestra: The Positive Impact on Members has been Substantial.

 

Summary

 

Stage Side Ensemble

1. Development of resilience skills in young adults

2. Positive community involvement

3. Concerns about ways to heighten the leadership skills of members

 

Procedure and Methodology

1.  Anonymous written participatory survey of Mosaic Stage Side Ensemble members

2. Non-participant observation of level of focus, teamwork, and leadership

3. Interview with Director about goals and impact indicators

 

Findings

1. Creating music with peers in this organization appears to nurture the development of transferable skills like professional etiquette, teamwork, and discipline.

2. Teamwork and discipline have been impacted in the majority of members.

3. Leadership skills have been impacted for half of the group.

 

Conclusion

The data suggests that participation in Mosaic Steel Orchestra helps build young adult's focus, self esteem and ability to work as a team. These are skills which lead to resilience. Mosaic Steel Orchestra is impacting society by providing young adults unique opportunities. The evaluator recommends further research about what leadership styles the members have an interest in so that education can be implemented for them to improve this skill. The reasons for achieving the outlined goals is difficult to attribute

to participation in S.S.E. Other external factors could cause the development of resilience skills, therefore further research is recommended..  

 

Appendices

A. Resources and references

B. Graph of percent of impact upon members

C. Interview form/ participant survey

D. Impact indicators/ impact model

 

External Evaluation: Mosaic Steel Orchestra

Summary

 

     Research suggests that qualities such as leadership, focus, and teamwork in youth creates resilient adults, which impacts society on a macro level. According to Norris & Stevens (2007),“...social connectedness creates opportunities for a range of supportive activities.”  According to one case study, young adults who had been incarcerated said if they “had better mentors and more resources in their communities early on, they probably wouldn't have ended up in an adult jail” (Ford, R.,2013). This evaluation describes two branches of Mosaic Steel Orchestra's organization that deal with adolescents- senior Stage Side Ensemble (S.S.E.) and the Commitment Accountability Values and Education (C.A.V.E.) junior mentoring program. Both programs charge no fee.

     The organization's mission is based upon the theoretical principals of psychological resilience. Children need to be taught how to communicate, solve problems, and deal with their emotions to build the future of communities. These are individual traits are especially important for ages 12-15, when patterns are established for adulthood. Musical collaboration with peers and the community is a powerful way to build skills that develop resilience (Frank, M., 2013). Mosaic Steel Orchestra offers the opportunity for this demographic to play the steel pan drums, a traditional instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago. The after school program participants learn about Caribbean culture, associate with peers in a healthy social setting, and nurture leadership skills.

     Junior members are able to audition/ be promoted for the premier program, Stage Side Ensemble. This is a diverse group of young adults from across the Hampton Roads community who play professional performances, participate in international cultural exchange programs, and compete in local and international steel pan competitions. Naturalistic observation over a 2 week period about behavior of the members showed high levels of focus, professional etiquette, and communication skills.

     Data was collected from participants of Mosaic Steel Orchestra Stage Side Ensemble through interviews, written surveys, and non-participant observation. The external evaluation applied the resiliency model to mixed research methods to examine how accessible and effective musical collaboration with peers is for the at-risk youth population. The organization was found to be accessible for at-risk youth and other members of the community, which allows for unique social opportunities.

     Surveys showed that members feel as if the organization has positive effects, but there were suggestions for relevant improvements. Approximately 50% of the group reported a desire for more effective leadership training. Every member reported improved levels of teamwork, and the majority had improved focus. It was concluded that there is evidence that Mosaic Steel Orchestra provides a positive learning culture which facilitates confidence, focus, and discipline in it's members lives.

Needs to be Met by Mosaic Steel Orchestra

     The theory of differential association suggests that humans are effected by the type of environment that they are in (2015, Grey.). Participation in creative activities such as arts and music provides young adults opportunities to work as a team, interact with the community, and to build skills which will be useful in adulthood. There is a need for this type of positive intervention for children age 12 to 15 who are at risk for factors such as crime, pregnancy or dropping out of school. At-risk young adults have a statistically higher rate of poor heath and recidivism (Folk, 2014). Therefore it is a community issue which effects many people.

     There is a need for positive activities outside of school for children to facilitate life skills such as communication and discipline. Approximately two-thirds of students attending public schools in America are below poverty level (Holidaya, 2014). Children brought up in poverty are often exposed to negativity such as violence and crime. Research suggests these children are at risk for juvenile delinquency, heath problems, and a lack of opportunities for the future (Kaal 2000). Experts believe that the problem is possibly due to a lack of positive community involvement and social skills.

     The Mosaic Steel Orchestra Director/ CEO searched statistics from local census reports in order to designate where the mentoring program would best serve underprivileged youth in Hampton Roads, using factors such as areas of high poverty and crime. The results led to the establishment of after school programs in Suffolk, Portsmouth and Norfolk Virginia in 2007. Consultations with community members and school boards resulted in grants and funding for the junior programs, so that any child can attend C.A.V.E. for free while in grades six and seven. The organization offers a unique opportunity for positive lasting changes for these at-risk young adults by providing stability, peer interaction, leadership, and cultural musical education. It offers members a positive goal to aspire to- they can work their way up to the premier ensemble.

Program Description

Target Population

     Members of Mosaic Steel Orchestra Stage Side Ensemble from Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Suffolk. Participants are between the ages of 13 and 27, with ten females and ten males. A small percentage of current members rose through the ranks from the C.A.V.E. program, which appeals to the at-risk 12-14 year old demographic. However, in order to preserve confidentiality, participants were not required to give information about their history in the C.A.V.E. program. 

 

Mixed Method

     Research implies that for resilient young adults “...moral development is strengthened, and their locus of control over the process of ethical understanding and deliberation is preserved...” (Monteverde, 2014). This implies that if children are provided a positive outlet in an educational social setting, they will have positive long term outcomes such as focus, teamwork, and self respect. These qualities became the basis for the evaluation outcome indicator measurements and survey questions. It was agreed that for observation purposes, the measurements would be implemented by the evaluator during three different occasions. Outcomes will be considered successful if the goals are reached.: 85% of the band will stay focused, 90% work as a team, and 50% of the band will exhibit discipline during tasks.

 

Evaluation Questions

     Interviews, surveys, and naturalistic observation were used to evaluate the programs effects through subjective data from members and the director. The initial consultation with stakeholders determined that the best methodology to gauge the effects of the organization's goals was a Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Improvement survey for participants. Performance indicator statements for the anonymous survey were agreed upon by the aforementioned parties.

 

Evaluation Design

     The 4 week long external assessment investigated the type of impact involvement in Mosaic Steel Orchestra has on it's members. The evaluator made naturalistic observations about the members behavior which was recorded in field notes. Participants were judged upon professional etiquette, peer interaction, and ability to focus during band practices and a public performance.  A non-participant observation was conducted at a public band performance on June 13, 2015 and at Stage Side Ensemble practices on June 10 and 17, 2015.

An interview was conducted in person on June 17 with the program Director/CEO, who is also a full-time steel pan instructor. The interview discussed the overall projected outcomes of Mosaic Steel Orchestra, and it's level of availability for at-risk youth.  The use of multiple instances of observation allowed for a replication of the design, to see how members behave in different settings. If the behavioral patterns are similar, it can be confidently concluded that collaboration in Mosaic Steel Orchestra has an impact on the behavior.

 

Evaluation Findings

Non participant Observation

     Members of S.S.E. had a public recital at the Attucks Theater on June 13, 2015. Participants met or exceeded the indicator measurements for focus, leadership and teamwork while performing music. When other musical ensembles played, the members retained their focus and discipline.

     During band practices on June 10 and 17, members excelled in reaching the goals for teamwork and focus. The evaluator found that leadership skills were not as prevalent during practices. Steelpan ensembles are unique in that there is no conductor- which means the group essentially leads itself. Members were hesitant to lead the rest of the group at times. There was a disproportionate number of male members who appeared comfortable exercising leadership, and few females were eager to lead the group. Therefore the data suggests the need for implementation of more effective individual leadership skills for members of S.S.E.

Survey

     During band rehearsal, 20 participants of Mosaic Steel Orchestra Stage Side Ensemble were issued a written survey. Questions included strengths, weaknesses, ideas for improvements, and how they felt about being a member overall. Responses revealed that the majority of members had positive effects from involvement with the program, and the majority had belonged for over a year. Members expressed excitement because they were chosen to attend the elite international Panorama steel pan drum competition in Trinidad in August, 2015.

     The survey also included space to write opinions and comments about the program. Unexpected benefits that were mentioned include: “learning to teach others,” “sight reading music,” and “becoming more outgoing.”  The majority of members reported that involvement had benefited their self esteem. Weaknesses that were mentioned include, “attendance,” and “time-consuming.” Unexpectedly, a small percentage expressed a desire for more exploration of Trinidad and Tobago traditions such as “chipping,” which is a type of dance.

Interview

     The interview discussed the overall projected outcomes and capacity indicators of Mosaic Steel Orchestra, and it's level of availability for at-risk youth. The evaluator requested information about quantitative statistical data for the number of students who receive financial assistance for after school programs to evaluate accessibility for at risk youth.

Conclusions and Implications

     The data suggests that participation in Mosaic Steel Orchestra helps build young adult's focus, self esteem and ability to work as a team. Creating music with peers in this organization appears to nurture the development of transferable skills like professional etiquette, teamwork, and discipline. The Hampton Roads community benefits from S.S.E. empowering and supporting it's young adults through affordable music and multi-cultural education.

     Further research is needed about members of the program's long term effects. It is difficult to attribute the exact cause of member's increase in resilience skills. External sources can be a contributing factor such as relationships with family, academic involvement, cultural beliefs, etc. The participants also may have been confused about the language that was used in the survey questions, which could have skewed the results.

     Overall, the evaluator recommends the program to implement more leadership training for individual members. According to research, males and females have different leadership styles (Case, 2015.) The organizations goals related to leadership focus on a broad system level, addressing the group as a whole. Results implicate the need for a synthesis between the program and the individual member's perception of authoritative skill development. The evaluator recommends that the program devise a goal of defining more specific leadership outputs related to S.S.E.  

     In order to achieve the goal of increased level of leadership, the evaluator recommends that Mosaic Steel Orchestra formulate an effective definition. The member's needs must be considered since it may vary for each gender. To gauge their opinions of how to improve individual skills, the program could issue a survey about what leadership techniques the members want to learn about. The results can direct the instructors toward a specific definition of what leading means to each individual. Then effective methods and objectives about techniques of leadership that can be implemented.

     This could be accomplished by distributing members educational handouts with tips for effective leadership. Teachers could also recommend that students read literature from male and female motivational speakers such as Dale Carnegie and Sheryl Sandberg. A focus on promoting overall leadership during practices could have a positive impact upon the member's resilience.

     It is relevant to mention that involvement in the after school programs could lead to the development of resilience, and therefore improve psychological processes such as focus, self respect, and teamwork. This evaluation has demonstrated that involvement in S.S.E. has positively impacted these skills for the majority of it's current members.

 

Appendices

Impact Indicators

85% of the band will stay focused, 90% will work as a team, and 50% of the band will exhibit leadership during tasks.

Field Notes

Band Practice

June 10, 2015

met/exceeded goals in teamwork and focus, @ 20% exhibited leadership, very polite and respectful group

June 17, 2015

met/exceeded goals in teamwork and focus, @30% exhibited leadership, very energetic and upbeat group

Public Performance

June 13, 2015

met/exceeded all 3 goals, impeccable discipline while playing, very professional behavior overall

Statement of Objectives: Develop skills related to resilience: teamwork, communication, professional etiquette, multi-cultural education, and community responsibility

 

Impact Model for Mosaic Steel Orchestra After-school Programs

 

Statement of Objectives: Develop skills related to resilience: teamwork, communication, professional etiquette, multi-cultural education, and community responsibility

 

Activities

After school programs in high risk environments

Hampton Roads

Community involvement -local performances

Cultural arts education

 

Staff

Two full-time teachers

CEO/Program Director

8 Board Members

 

Outputs for both programs: Healthy social environment, increase healthy communication skills

Outputs for C.A.V.E.:  inspiration for advancement to senior music program, positive role models

Intermediate Outcomes:  Learn discipline, focus and personal growth through music and peer involvement.

Outcomes: Develop healthy aspirations for their future, graduate from high school, community responsibility, multi-cultural tolerance, creative self expression

Long term Impacts:  Obtain employment, continue education after high school, avoid delinquency, build the community

 

 

References

 

Case, S. S., Oetama-Paul, A. J. (2015). Brain Biology and Gendered Discourse. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 64(2), 338-378. doi:        10.1111/apps.12040

Folk, J., Dallaire, D., Zeman, J. (2014). High Risk Early Adolescents' Perceptions of Jail and Offender Experiences. Applied Psychology and                  Criminal Justice (10)2.

Ford, R., Hershberger, S., Glenn, J., Morris, S., Saez, V....Williams, R. (2013). Building a youth- led movement to keep young people out of the              adult criminal justice system. Children and Youth Services Review, 35(8), 1268-1275.

Frank, M., Talbot, B., Clauhs, M. Hawkins, T., Niknafs, N. (2013). “You Got to Know Us:”: A Hopeful Model for Music Education in Urban Schools.             Visions of Research in Music Education, 23, 1-27.

Grey, A., Durkin, K., Call, J., Evans, H., Melton, W. (2015). Differential Association and Marijuana Use in a Juvenile Drug Court Sample. Applied             Psychology in Criminal Justice, 11(1).

Hart, D., Atkins, R., Ford, D. (1998). Urban America as a context for the development of moral identity in adolescence. Journal of Social Issues,          54(3), 513-30.

Hollidaya, M., Cimetta, C., Outshaw, C., Yaden, D., Marx, R. (2014). Protective Factors for School Readiness Among Children in Poverty. Journal of      Education for Students Placed at Risk,19(3/4), 125-147.

Kaal, H., Brand, E., van Nieuwehuijzen, M. (2012). Serious juvenile offenders with and without intellectual disabilities. Journal of Learning                   Disabilities and Offending Behaviour. (3)2, 66-76.

Monteverde, S. (2014). Undergraduate healthcare ethics education, moral resilience, and the role of Ethical Theories. Nursing Ethics, 21(4). 385–      401.

Norris, F., Stevens, S. (2007). Community Resilience and the Principals of Mass Trauma Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes               70(4). 320-328