PAYNE, PHILLIP DAVID, Ph.D. An Investigation of Relationships Between Timbre Preference, Personality Traits, Gender, and Music Instrument Selection of Public School Band Students. (2009)Directed by Dr. James W. Sherbon. 204 pp.The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between specific personality traits and timbre preference among public school music students performing in secondary school instrumental music ensembles. Secondary research objectives were associated with music instrument selection by students, matching students to their timbre preference(s), and gender stereotyping with specific instruments and timbres.Participants (N = 624) were band students in four school districts in a southwestern state. Data were collected by employing three testing instruments: a demographics questionnaire which produced a descriptive profile of the participants, Resource Associates' Lounsbury, Tatum, Gibson, Park, Sundstrom, Hamrick, and Wilburn's (2003) Adolescent Personal Style Inventory (APSI) provided results on five personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion, and openness), and Gordon's (1984) Instrument Timbre Preference Test (ITPT) indicated timbre preference.Results from a battery of multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the participants' personality trait levels of extraversion and openness were significantly related (p < .05) to Timbres A (flute), B (clarinet), C (saxophone and horn), E (trumpet), F (trombone, baritone, and horn), and G (tuba). In addition, analysis indicated that gender stereotyping was observable regarding both music instrument selection and timbre preference. In public school bands, gender was found to be a significant predictor of Timbre choices A, B, F, and G. Further, a majority of students were not performing on instruments congruent with their timbre preferences; however, the ratio of participants playing instruments congruent to their timbre preference was 26.3% for beginners and approximately 53% for high-school seniors.Significant relationships were found between personality traits, timbre preference, gender, and music instrument selection in public school band students. Levels of extraversion and openness, as well as gender and instrument choice, were found to be significant predictors of timbre preference. Knowledge of these relationships may be useful to band directors when assisting undecided, beginning-band students regarding their choices of first instruments
