Development and Validation of an Orchestra Performance Rating Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a factor-derived measure of orchestra performance achievement and to test its validity and reliability for the evaluation of secondary school orchestras. We assembled a pool of 49 statements used in evaluating middle and high school orchestra performance, paired them with a 9-point Likert-type scale, and asked 63 experienced orchestra teachers to evaluate 63 secondary school orchestras. Factor analyses on data from the 189 completed rating sheets identified seven factors: Ensemble, Left Hand, Position, Rhythm, Tempo, Presentation, and Bow. For the reduced scale, we chose 25 items with factor loadings greater than . 64, which showed Cronbach's alphas ranging from . 73 to . 91. Two rounds of validation showed high correlations with MENC's adjudication form and a ranking task; the initial factor structure was not exactly duplicated, indicating directions for future research.