Detached from Détaché: Availability of Orchestra Programs in a Subset of Public Arizona District Schools

Abstract

School orchestra programs provide instruction in the bowed string instruments (violin, viola, cello, double bass). Along with band and choir, orchestras comprise one of three main music performance ensembles found in schools. Despite orchestra’s importance in a well-rounded music education, orchestra is not as accessible as band or choir because orchestra is typically found in large, suburban, higher-income schools with majority White students. This study aimed to determine the availability of orchestra in a subset of public Arizona district schools, as well as attributes of the schools, such as student demographics and free and reduced-price lunch (FRPL) percentages. Public datasets containing enrollment and FRPL information were joined to an Arizona schools spatial dataset. The AZ School Report Cards website, AZ Arts Education Data Explorer, and individual school and district websites provided orchestra offering information. The schools were spatially joined to public school districts in Arizona, and finally descriptive statistics were calculated. Maps show where school orchestra programs are found as well as lacking, highlighting inequalities in access. In Maricopa County, public school districts in the east and northeast had the highest percentages of schools offering orchestra, with less representation in west and southwest public school districts. In Pima County, public school districts in and around Tucson had high percentages of schools offering orchestra.