ADVENTIST ADULTS’ PASSIVENESS IN CHURCH CHOIR INVOLVEMENT:

A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

A Thesis

Presented to

College of Arts and Humanities

Department of Music Adventist University of the Philippines

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Music in Music Education

Louie G. Paa

Starlight D. Tamparong

Hazel Grace H. Tuguinay

Joy Ann P. Versano

May 2018
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and

learning from failure” (Colin Powell). This research paper wouldn’t be successful if we

were not bombarded with inspirations and encouragements.

To our adviser Prof. Nerilyn R. Beratio, thank you for your sincere guidance,

words of encouragement, and for believing in us despite our incessant whining.

To Dr. Eunice M. Aclan, thank you for letting us use your office as a library. We

cannot take back the extra time you have devoted for us to learn and grow academically

but we will be forever grateful for cultivating our capabilities especially our critical

thinking.

To Ma’am Khristine Ruth F. De Gracia, Thank you for your invaluable help in

preparing our thesis.

To Ma’am Aera Jean S. Apalat Thank you for giving us your precious time to

improve our study.

To our beloved department chair, Prof. Sheryl Ann B. de Dios, thank you for your

constant reminder, for letting us use the department’s facilities and for making the Music

Department a home.
 DEDICATION

To the Creator of Music and the only source of knowledge and wisdom,

hallowed be thy name. To our parents to whom we owe everything, this is all for you.
 ABSTRACT

ADVENTIST ADULTS’ PASSIVENESS IN CHURCH CHOIR INVOLVEMENT:

A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

Louie G. Paa
Starlight D. Tamparong
Hazel Grace H. Tuguinay
Joy Ann P. Versano
Bachelor of Music in Music Education

Adviser: Nerilyn Beratio

There are many studies of the benefits of choral singing in the church, however,

there were no studies about the passiveness of adult members inside the Seventh-Day

Adventist Church. The purpose of this phenomenological research was to know the

reasons why Seventh-day Adventist adults are passive in joining the choir. The

researchers performed phenomenological interview to five individuals aged 50-80 who

are purposely selected for the study and used a semi-structured interview. The semi-

structured interview revolved around the two questions: “What are the reasons why

Adventist adults don’t join the choir?” and “What do the study participants suggest to the

local church to encourage them to join in the church choir?”.

Using the Colaizzi method, emergent themes were identified and coded. The analysis of

the themes from the data collected revealed that the participants don’t want to join
because of change of priorities, limited mobility, voice problem and feeling of

burdensome.

It is hoped that this research will help future researchers on choir or chorale music inside

the church. Suggestions for future researchers are made based on the results of this study.
 1

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

The primary purpose of church choir is to create a spiritual atmosphere that is

conducive to worship (Hall & McCreary, 1957). The Bible mentioned several passages on

choral singing, and it has been an integral part of worship since the time of the Israelites.

First Chronicles 15:27 (KJV) says “and David was clothed in fine linen, and all the Levites

that bare the ark, and the singers (choir), and Chenaniah the master of the song with the

singers: David also had upon him and ephod of linen. Also, 2 Chronicles 5:13 reads “ It

came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers (choir) were as one, to make one sound to

be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the

trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is

good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the

house of the LORD”. When Nehemiah helped rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, such was

the importance of choir in worship that a group had to be formed. Nehemiah 12:40 (NIV)

says “the two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I,

together with half the officials”.

The prophet Ellen White (1988) in her writings said “I call your attention to the

singing talent which should be cultivated; for the human voice in singing is one of God’s

entrusted talents to be employed to His glory. The enemy of righteousness makes a great

account of this talent in his service. This talent of voice is a blessing if consecrated to the

Lord to serve His cause” (p.408). She further wrote, Preparation for heaven- “music forms
 2

a part of God’s worship in the courts above, and we should endeavor, in our songs of praise,

to approach as nearly as possible to the harmony of the heavenly choirs. Let us learn the

songs of the angels now, that we may sing it when we join their shining ranks” (p.430).

One of the most common and famous religious activity found inside enormous Christian

churches is choral singing. From youth to aged, rich and poor, whatever the status, if not

all were absolutely involved into it. While most of the Seventh-day Adventist Christians

were taking part in the choir, there were still, from among the mature adults that are passive

in joining the choir even though such choir are present in their local church.

Clift and Morrison (2011) proved that regular group singing can really improve the

well- being among adults with a history of enduring health problems. "Singing is of great

interest to neuroscientists as it would seem that there is more of the brain given over to the

processing of music than almost any other activity," says Dr. Graham Welch (2017),

professor at the Institute of Education in London. Here are some studies conducted about

choral singing. According to Phycologist Nick Stewart (2014) of Bath University, people

who participate in a choir enjoy a greater feeling of togetherness and being part of a

collective endeavor than others involved in different social activities. Another study from

Cardiff University (2012) have uncovered a fact that lung cancer patients who engaged in

choral singing had a greater expiratory capacity than people who did not join the choir.

According to Jordan Smith (2016), group singing has an impact in boosting oxytocin levels,

which help control stress and anxiety. Participants who had been diagnosed with depression

found that some of them no longer met that diagnosis following their involvement with a

choir. These are some study that most of the people are very familiar with.
 3

There are many studies of the benefits of choral singing in the church like stated

above whereas, there were no studies about the passiveness of an adult member inside the

Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

This phenomenological study will determine the passiveness of Adventist adults in

joining the adult choir. This study will be an eye opener to the Seventh-day Adventist

Church about the importance of choir singing and it will also help the present and future

choir conductors and church leaders about the importance of chorale singing to the social,

mental, physical and spiritual aspects of their members and also as a preparation for the

worship in heaven.

Statement of the Problem

Numerous adult members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church do not want to join the

church choir even though the availability of a choir is right on hand. Hence, this research

is done to find out the reasons. From among the range of options, the individuals behind

this research put an attention to this secluded conflict in answering the following questions.

1. What are the reasons why Seventh-day Adventist adults do not join the church

choir?

2. What do the study participants suggest to the local church to encourage them to join

in the church choir?

Significance of the Study

This research aims to know the reasons why the adult members of Adventist church

are passive in joining the choir. The importance of this study will help the churches to value

the choirs in their respective churches. It will also help the conductors to broaden their

perception and to strengthen the desire of church members to sing in the church service,
 4

specifically the adults. Also, this study will benefit the leaders of the church in terms of

strengthening the bond of unity amongst the adults in the church. This study will also help

not only the choir members, but also the congregation who are not part of a choir to be

aware about the benefits that they can acquire from the choral group.

Scope and Limitation

This study limits its coverage to 5 adult members of the Seventh-day Adventist

Church from the age bracket of 50 to 80 years old only, based on Thomas Armstrong, The

Human Odyssey: Navigating the Twelve Stages of Life. New York: Sterling, 2008.

The participating members are from the Frisco Seventh-day Adventist Church,

Quezon City and Puting Kahoy Seventh-day Adventist Church. This study will focus only

to five (5) adult members from the said churches and will be done on April 6 & 13, 2019.
 5

Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter will cover the literature about the different benefits of group singing,

impact of choral singing in the well-being of an individual and reasons for joining a choir.

Reasons for Joining a Choir

Having fun is an important part of the choir! Singing can change the mood quickly

and set the mind in good state. Enjoying beautiful music, dressing up with friends to sing

in church services, having fun and evaluating after a satisfying performance are important,

as well as the pleasing elements of being in a choir. These are some of the reasons why an

adult should join the choir!

Harry Robert Wilson (2004), one of the 21st Choral Conductor offered insights into

reasons for which adults join singing groups. “The person who joins a chorus is seeking,

primarily, to satisfy through the medium of singing a longing for something beautiful and

spiritual in his life”. There may be social motives but the musical motive is invariably

stronger. The most natural and at the same time the most universal medium for

experiencing music is that of singing. The total physical and emotional responses in the act

of singing make it the most personal musical activity yet dramatically leads to social-

musical bodies. (R. McCoy, K. Laura 2016). The same as Wilson from the 20 th Century

Musicians, may be compared also to adult amateur singers, who join such singing

activities. Their opinions were investigated in a previous research that was quoted by Cindy
 6

Bell. The data gathering that has been done presents the influences and motivations of adult

amateur singers, there were two most important reasons which are: Musical reasons and

Social needs. It is stated that adults attributed singing as an enjoyment, wanting to increase

their musical skills by participating in public performances. They looked at participating

and involving themselves to choral singing as “recreation”. Participants described singing

as “intellectually stimulating, something that is spiritually elevating and demonstrates to

them the beauty of life” (R. McCoy, K. Laura 2016).

According to the study of Redman (2016) on Motivation of Adult, Auditioned

Community Choirs: Implications toward Lifelong Learning, adult singers ranked their

most important reasons for participating in the community choir: (a) “to participate in a

choral activity for the sheer pleasure of singing;” (b)”enjoying the pleasure of

performance” as stress and anxiety reliever; “As for different individuals, and even for the

same individual at different times, stress can be a powerful motivator or can be disruptive

to learning and performance” (c) “to enjoy the satisfaction that comes from learning;’’(e)

“to develop a greater understanding of choral music”, and lastly, these folks love music

because if they didn’t they would not be actively participating by now. These were the

most ranked reasons of the adults that participated in the scope of the research.

Benefits in Church Choir

Exercise is one of the few activities in life that is indisputably good for us,” writes

Daniel H. Pink in his new book, “When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.” “Choral

singing might be the new exercise.” There are huge number of health benefits that can be

acquired in choral singing some researchers address that it can lessen the chance of having

an Alzheimer disease, it can also help the brain to function well. Further study address that
 7

singing can also help the respiratory system and some are going to be discussed in this

section (Pink D. 2105).

A recent study (Fenoglio, 2017) states that, “Preliminary results suggest that

community choral singing does indeed provide a better quality of life for participants.

Increased lung capacity and greater oxygenation of the blood resulting in improved

alertness are all associated with singing. Singing is also good for the brain, especially when

memorization is involved. "Singing is of great interest to neuroscientists as it would seem

that there is more of the brain given over to the processing of music than almost any other

activity," says Dr. Graham Welch (2017), professor at the Institute of Education in London.

By reducing "fight-or-flight" stress responses as marked by more robust vagus nerve

activity. More specifically, a 2011 study, “Cardiac and Respiratory Patterns Synchronize

Between Persons During Choir Singing,” reported that interpersonal oscillatory couplings

resulted in phase synchronization in both respiration and increased heart rate variability

(HRV) while people were singing together and for some time afterward (Bergland C.

2017).

According to Phycologist Nick Stewart (2014) of Bath University, people who

participated in a choir enjoys a greater feeling of togetherness and being part of a collective

endeavor than others involved in different social activities. In another study, according to

Cardiff University in 2012 they have just uncovered a fact that lung cancer patients who

engaged in choral singing had a greater expiratory capacity than people who did not join

in a choir. According to Jordan Smith (2016), group singing boosts oxytocin levels, which

help control stress and anxiety. Also, participants who had been diagnosed with depression

found that some of them no longer met that diagnosis following their involvement with a
 8

choir. Other related health benefits of singing include a stronger diaphragm and stimulated

overall circulation. Since singing requires pulling in a greater amount of oxygen than doing

other types of exercise, some even believe that singing can increase your aerobic capacity

and stamina. Other health benefits of singing are the strengthening of the throat and the

soft and hard palate muscles, which helps stop snoring and sleep apnea.

According to Jacques Launay and Eiluned Pearce (2015), regular choir members

report that learning new songs is cognitively stimulating and helps their memory, and it

has been shown that singing can help those suffering from dementia, too. The satisfaction

of performing together, even without an audience, is likely to be associated with activation

of the brain’s reward system, including the dopamine pathway, which keeps people coming

back for more.

Church Benefits from a Choir

After reading different types of health benefits of choir singing, this chapter will

discuss what the church can benefit in having a choir.

There are a lot of benefits that the church can get from the choir. According to

Jonathan Aigner (2014), a well-known Choir Director and Church Leader from US, choirs

can support a good congregational singing. Also, a choir can help to encourage the

congregation to sing with the song leaders specially those who are having a hard time in

singing a new hymn. Their presence can also encourage the congregation to sing. With the

good arrangement of chorale pieces, choirs can sing selections from practically any genre;

from classical, to folk, to world music, to contemporary/popular music, something that just

isn’t possible for a “worship leader” and a praise band. Besides leading in times of

corporate singing, since choirs have the benefit of outside rehearsal time, they can offer up
 9

musical praises on behalf of the congregation that would otherwise not be possible.

According to ACDA or American Choral Director Association (2016) church choir leads

and enlivens the congregation’s song, musicians know that every word of the music that

they are singing becomes part of their heart and mind. Therefore, it becomes imperative to

the congregation to absorb all the motivational message of the songs that the choir sings.

In this sense, a choir can be a preaching and praying group, proclaiming God’s self-

revelation, to which the congregation can listen, meditate, and respond worshipfully in

their hearts. Choir group ministry in different churches can be an avenue for introducing

outsiders to the church and the Christian faith. Guy Hayward (2017), the editor of the

Choral Evensong website said, “A lot of people don’t want to directly engage with the

church, they don’t want to go in through the front door, as it were. They are looking for a

side entrance and choral evensong provides that. They are attracted by artistic expression

and then by osmosis they find it spiritually appealing.” Catherine Pepinster in her article

for the relogionnews.com (2017), states that evensong, the hymn-heavy evening service of

the Anglican church taken from the Book of Common Prayer, brought a surge to the

attendance of church goers. This is due to the church’s initiative in putting importance on

choral singing.

Another wonderful study according to Jonathan Aigner Participating in a church

singing groups or choirs can teach Christians how to work together sacrificially for the

common good of the group, just as the church is to follow the model of our Servant-Savior

and give sacrificially for the good of Christ’s kingdom. Church choir serves also as a small

group within the church for faith formation, because of singing the bonding of church choir
 10

members are getting more intact. In general choirs can add aesthetic in the environment of

the church.

Clift and Morrison (2011) proved that regular group singing can really improve the

well- being among with a history of enduring health problems. Research shows that looking

at singers’ experiences they have found cognitive effort involved in singing that can serve

distract from worries and focus the mind on a group product. Many of the studies in choral

singing in this modern time proves that singing with the group will not only give an

enjoyment to the individuals likewise, it will also give a big impact to the well-being of a

member Clift and Morison (2011).

According to Yoni Blumberg (2018), people who sing in a group report far higher

well-being than those who sing solo. It’s about synchronizing with others. Research shows

that choir members have also social benefits of singing, including building up a good

friendship, improving social activities, and creating a sense of accepting the reality of life

because of some wonderful and inspiring message of the songs that they are singing. It has

been found that singing has been shown to improve emotional and mental wellbeing as it

promotes positive affect, cognitive stimulation and regular commitment; enhances

spirituality and improves psychological difficulties and daily functioning for individuals

with mental health difficulties (Hopper, Hodge, and Simm, 2016). According also to

Clinical effects of choral singing for older adults (2018), Others have also undertaken

studies to examine the effects of choral singing to emotional health finding singers they

experienced improved self-esteem and feelings of rejuvenation, all of which led to an

overall improvement in emotional balance. It has been found also that joining a choir could

be a cost-effective way to improve people's well-being. Yet we know surprisingly little

 11

about how the well-being effects of choral singing are brought about. These findings

suggest that the experience of using your voice to make music may be enhanced when you

feel part of a cohesive social group. Further research could look at how moving and

breathing in synchrony with others might be responsible for creating a unique well-being

effect (Stewart N. 2013).

Another study according to (Frank Abrahams, 2017) found out that, “The myriad

of benefits reported by the adults in many research papers and writings span aspects such

as physical health, social opportunities and feelings of belonging, mental activity, and

acquisition of new skills, emotional health, confidence, self-esteem and friendship.” Choral

singing is an activity that fosters personal fulfillment and an appreciation of beauty for a

lifetime. Moreover, singing with a chorus has a life-long collateral benefits including

fostering behaviors that lead to good citizenship (Quadros, 2012). Choral singing can also

be a help to the improvement of the wellbeing of an individual. Another study about health

benefits of choral singing, (Blumberg, 2018) expound that "Choral singing calms the heart

and boosts endorphin levels. It improves lung function, increases pain thresholds and

reduces the need for pain medication. It also seems to improve your outlook, boosting

mood and self-esteem while alleviating feelings of stress and depression.”

Theoretical Framework

Looking-Glass Self Theory

Charles Horton Cooley (1902) said that by interacting with other people will gain

impression of how they perceive. In effect, we “see” ourselves when we interact with other

people, as if we are looking in a mirror when we are with them. We first imagine how we
 12

appear to others and then imagine how they think of us and, m -ore specifically, whether

they are evaluating us positively or negatively. We then use these perceptions to develop

judgments and feelings about ourselves, such as pride and embarrassment.

Sometimes error occur in this complex process as we may misinterpret how other

see us and develop misguided judgments of our behavior and feelings. For instance, you

are singing in church and you noticed some people are laughing and you thought they are

laughing at you or the way how you sing. Although you should have interpreted their

laughter in a different way thinking they might be laughing about something else, you have

interpreted it negatively and probably felt stupid or embarrassed.

Being a part of the choir, it’s evident that you will perform in front of an audience,

big or small, with all eyes scrutinizing your every move. As a performer, the reaction of

the audience greatly impacts your perspective on how you perform, whether they are

pleased or not at all.

 13

Definition of Terms:

The following are the operational definition of terns used in the study:

Seventh-day Adventist refers to a Protestant sect that preaches the imminent return of

Christ to Earth (originally expecting the Second Coming in 1844) and observes Saturday

as the sabbath.

Choir is an organized group of singers, typically one that takes part in church services or

performs regularly in public.

Benefits refers to receive an advantage; profit

Passiveness in this research refers to the trait of not being active in joining the choir

(Mature) Adult refers to people in the age 50-80 years

 14

Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

This chapter contains the research design, participants of the study, data gathering

method and procedure, and data analysis used in the study.

Research Design

This research applied phenomenology to find out the reasons why Adventist adults

do not join choir singing. Phenomenology studies people’s conscious experience of their

life-world; that is their “everyday life and social action”. Van Manen,as cited in Merriam

& Tisdell (2016), explains it further by saying: “phenomenology is the way of access to

the world as we experience it pre-reflectively. Pre-reflective experience is the ordinary

experience that we live in and that we live in most, if not all, of our day-to-day existence”

In phenomenological study, a common meaning is described by several individuals

of their lived experiences of a concept or phenomenon. It focuses on describing what all

participants have in common as they experience a phenomenon. The basic purpose of

phenomenology is to reduce individual experiences with a phenomenon to a description of

the universal “essence” (Creswell & Poth, 2018 p.75).

Thus, this research explored the human experience or phenomena “passiveness of

the Adventist adults in joining an adult choir” even though such choir is accessible in

their very own church. Furthermore, this research intended to find out the shared

“essences” of the said phenomenon as understood and experienced by the participants.

The researchers gathered facts from the perspective of the persons involved to find
 15

answers on the phenomena stated above, thus making phenomenology the best method in

conducting this research.

Participants of the Study

Purposive sampling was used in determining the participants of this study. It

intentionally sampled a group of people that can best inform the researcher about the

research problem to be examined (Creswell & Poth, 2018).

The five participants were from two selected Seventh-day Adventist churches that

have an existing adult choir; two from Frisco Seventh-day Adventist Church and three

from Puting Kahoy Seventh-day Adventist Church. All the participants satisfied the

selection criteria: Adventist adults aged 50 and above (50+), and are not part of the adult

choir.

The participating individuals were given pseudonyms to protect and maintain their

privacy and were interviewed face-to-face separately to avoid biases.

Table 1. Profile of the Participants

Pseudonyms Age Church

Nancy 53 Puting Kahoy Adventist Church

Jonel 67 Puting Kahoy Adventist Church

Teresa 58 Puting Kahoy Adventist Church

Lyndo 57 Frisco Adventist Church

Marie 61 Frisco Adventist Church

 16

Data Gathering Method

Because phenomenological study puts emphasis on a phenomenon to be explored,

the phenomenological interview is the primary method of data collection to get the

essence or basic underlying structure of the meaning of an experience (Merriam &

Tisdell, 2018). DeMarrais (2004) defines research interview as a “process in which a

researcher and a participant engage in a conversation focused on questions related to a

research study, with person-to-person as the most common form of interview” (p. 54).

These questions usually ask participants for their thoughts, opinions, perspectives, or

descriptions of specific experiences. As Patton explains, “we interview people to find out

from them things we cannot directly observe. . . . We cannot observe feelings, thoughts

and intentions. The purpose of interviewing, then, is to allow us to enter into the person’s

perspective” (Merriam & Tisdell, 2018). According to Dexter, “interviewing is the

preferred tactic of data collection when . . .. it will get better or more data, and depending

on the topic, interviewing is sometimes the only way to get data” (Merriam &Tisdell,

2018).

This research paper used the semi-structured type of interview based on the

description of Merriam and Tisdell (2018) wherein the interview questions are more

flexibly worded or is a mix of more or less structured questions. Secondary tools like voice

recorder and/or video camera android application will also be used to store the data for

easy data recollection to be used for the data analysis. The research was done from AY

2018-2019.
 17

Data Gathering Procedure

Collection of data was obtained through a semi-structured interview to explore the

passiveness of Adventist adults in joining the church choir. First, the researchers thought

of a church with an adult choir and purposely chose members of the church that are not

part of the choir to be participants for the study. The participants were then asked for their

availability to be interviewed. Three interviews were done in the comforts of their home

while the other two were done right after the church service. Before the interview started,

the informed consent and the purpose of the study was discussed, together with the use of

an audio recording device for further reference.

To build rapport, the researchers first asked some opening questions and the

demographic profile of the participant. Once the participant feels comfortable, the

researcher then proceeded with the interview using the semi-structured guideline and asked

follow-up questions when needed. The participants used the local tagalog language and

were given the time they needed to respond freely and so the interview duration vary from

each participant. After the interview, the researcher thanked the participants.

Data Analysis

This study used the Colaizzi Method (2015) as suggested by Morrow, R.,

Rodriguez, A. and King, in analyzing the data gathered. The five audio-recorded

interviews were transcribed and translated to English with the help of language experts to

ensure the translations were transcribed rightfully. The researchers then proceeded with

the analysis using the Colaizzi method.

Firstly, the researchers familiarized themselves with the transcript by reading it

several times to make sense of the content. Secondly, significant statements pertaining the
 18

phenomena were identified and extracted from the transcript. Next, the researchers

identified and formulated meanings from the statements. Each meaning was coded in one

category. To ensure consistency of the coded meanings, the researchers compared the

formulated meaning with the original transcript with the help of a research consultant.

These identified meanings that are common on all the accounts were then clustered into

themes. The researcher then merged all themes on the phenomenon “passiveness of

Adventist adults in joining the choir” and writes descriptions incorporating all the themes

produced. A validation to this exhaustive description was confirmed with the research

supervisors. The researchers then condensed the description down to a short, dense

statement that captures the aspects essential to the structure of the phenomenon. And

finally, the researchers asked for verification from the participants if the extracted essences

from their experience were correct.

Ensuring Trustworthiness

Different strategies were used to ensure trustworthiness. In this study, four

strategies were used as suggested by Shenton (2016). They are tactics to help ensure

honesty in informants, member checking and reflective commentary.

Tactics to Help Ensure Honesty in Informants

Lincoln and Guba argue that ensuring credibility is one of most important factors

in establishing trustworthiness (Shenton, 2016). When contributing data, each person who

is approached should (James, 1611)be given opportunities to refuse to participate so as to

ensure that the data collection sessions involve only those who are genuinely willing to

take part and prepared to offer data freely. Participants were encouraged to be frank and

talk freely, with the researcher aiming to establish a rapport in the opening moments and
 19

indicating that there are no right answers to the questions that will be asked. Participants

can, therefore, contribute ideas and talk of their experiences without fear of losing

credibility. The researcher also made clear to that the participants have the right to

withdraw from the study at any point.

Member Checking

Guba (1981) considers member checking as the single most important provision

that can be made to support a study’s credibility. Checks relating to the accuracy of the

data may take place “on the spot”, in the course, and at the end, of the data collection

dialogues. Participants were asked to read transcripts of dialogues in which they have

participated to ensure that the words match what they actually intended, since an audio

recorder has been used.

In this study, two of the participants were revisited for rechecking a week after the

interview. The researcher related the answers of the participants for clarification and asked

for additional answers if there are more. Three of the participants were checked a few days

after the transcription of the recorded audio. They were asked to read the transcriptions to

make sure the words they said are transcribed and related accurately.

Reflective Commentary

Reflecting is the process of the researcher’s reflecting critically which includes

his/her clarifications or bias, dispositions and assumptions regarding the present study

(Merriam & Tisdell 2016). Chilisa (2012) observes that reflecting is a strategy which helps

to ensure that the over involvement of the researcher is not a threat to the credibility of the

study. It refers to the assessment of the influence of the researcher’s background and ways

of perceiving reality, perceptions, experiences, ideological biases and interests during the
 20

research since the researcher is the main data collection instrument and the one who

interprets and reports the findings.

In this study, the researchers discussed as a group all their assumptions, biases and

clarifications all throughout the course of the study to critically reflect on how to avoid

biases.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical considerations are vital in this type of research. Hence, the following steps

are considered since the involved individuals have integrity and dignity to protect. The

researchers-maintained confidentiality all throughout the interview process. The

participants were not forced to answer the questions but are encouraged to take their time

with researchers waiting patiently until they willingly comply. The participants have the

freedom to speak their own minds accordingly and without the influence of the researcher

to avoid biases. Since the age gap of the researchers and the participants are wide, it is

important that the researchers adhere to the cultural value of respecting the elderly but at

the same time be professional in interacting with the participants.

 21

Chapter 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter will focus on the results of the gathered data. It includes the significant

statements, meanings, themes and descriptions gathered from the interview. This chapter

will answer the two main questions: (1) What are the reasons why Seventh-day Adventist

adults do not join the church choir? and (2) What do the study participants suggest to the

local church to encourage them to join in the church choir?

Reasons for Passiveness

To answer Research Question No. 1, “What are the reasons why Seventh-day

Adventist adults do not join the church choir”, four themes emerged change of priority,

limited mobility, voice problem and feeling of burdensome.

Change of priority. The first theme emerge on the reason of passiveness of adult

in choir singing is change of priority.

Nancy is a 53 years old member of the Putting Kahoy Seventh-day Adventist

church. Her main reason why she is not joining a choir is because of her change of priority.

For me, one of the reasons why I don’t join the choir, is once you are old just like
me 53 years old, your priorities change.
-Nancy 53
Same, but short answer coming from Teresa.
None, that’s it. I’m busy
-Teresa 58

Both Nancy and Ester are members of the Putting Kahoy SDA church. They share

a same reason why they are not joining a choir; they are both busy about their personal
 22

lives. Nancy’s reason about her change of priority makes her unavailable to the rehearsal

of choir. Same with Teresa she doesn’t have time for choir singing.

Both of them shows that as the persons get older their priority change, they are

more focus on their family and their business. Just like Doctor Art Markman stated “Later,

many people want to start a family and raise children. That shifts people’s priority”

(Markman 2015).

Limited Mobility. The second reason why SDA adults are passive is limited

mobility. Having a hard time to move is a natural experience by the adults. Just like in the

case of Nancy.

Because you are old, it’s a bit hard for your body to move.
-Nancy 53
On the other hand, Myrna has the same reason but aside from her reason about weak

body, she stated also that she was embarrassed to join because she thinks that singing in

church is only for the youth.

At my age I embarrassed to join. And also, shouldn’t the youth be the ones doing
that? Because they have good physique unlike us aged people, right sir?”
-Myrna
Muscle Aging: Muscle tone declines about 22 percent by age 70, though exercise

can slow this decline (Stibich 2018). Both Nancy and Myrna share the same problem. For

Nancy she considers the state of her body, which is good, because it is not the right thing

if she pushes herself in the choir rehearsals because most of the practices are done during

Wednesday and Friday evening. While Myrna thinks that it is embarrassing to sing in front,

because she thinks that choir singing fits only for the youth. In connection to the Looking-

glass Self Theory, Charles Horton Cooley (1902) said that by interacting with other people
 23

we gain impression of how they perceive us. In effect, we “see” ourselves when we interact

with other people, as if we are looking in a mirror when we are with them.

Voice problem. The third reason why SDA adults are passive in choral singing is

because of their voice problem. Aside from being busy Teresa stated also that she doesn’t

have a god voice.

My voice is not good

-Teresa
On the other hand, Junel a member also of Putting Kahoy SDA Church is ashamed

to participate because he believed that he has a bad voice.

I am fond of music, now the problem is, my voice is not good that’s why I feel
ashamed to participate in the choir, but I really love listening to chorale music in the
church.
-Junel
Aging may contribute to the loss of flexibility of the larynx. The joints of the larynx

may thin, and its cartilage may calcify further. The vocal cords may lose flexibility and

elasticity, and dry out. Sometimes, the muscles of the larynx can atrophy, become thinner

and weaker. Nancy and Junel shared the same problem about having a bad voice for singing

(Family Medicine 2017). Junel is willing to join in church but because he thinks that he

has a bad voice he can’t push himself to join the he doesn’t want to be tease because of his

voice. When it comes to Teresa she is firm that she doesn’t want to the choir because just

what she stated from the first theme she is busy and also she knows that she doesn’t have

a good voice which contribute a lot to why she is passive in joining a choir.

Feeling of Burdensome. The last theme that emerged from the responses is the

Feeling of Burdensome. Lindo’s response about his reason for not joining a choir is
 24

different from the others. He wants to join the choir but because of lack of musicianship it

stops him to participate. He is also concerned about the burden that he can put to the

director because he doesn’t know how to study and to memorize the musical piece.

I wanted to join the singing in the church especially the choir for adults but I know
that I am slow in learning and memorizing the songs… I also don’t want to give a hard
time on the one teaching me because I know that what he is doing is hard.
-Lindo
The phenomenon, generally termed ‘self-perceived burden’ has been defined as:

“empathic concern engendered from the impact on others of one’s illness and care needs,

resulting in guilt, distress, feelings of responsibility and diminished sense of self.”

(McPherson et al., 2007b, p. 425). The above response demonstrates about the reason of

not joining the choir. Junel wants to join the choir but because of lack of musicianship it

stops him to participate. He is also concern about the burden that he can put to the director

because he doesn’t know how to study and to memorize the musical piece.

To sum this study, there are four reasons why adults are not joining the choir:

change of priority, voice problem, limited mobility and feeling of burdensome.

The matrix of findings for Research Question No. 1 is shown in the following page.
 25

Table 2. Reasons of SDA Adults on their passiveness in joining a choir

RQ Codes & Themes Responses

Categories
1. What are the Priorities A. Change of For me, one of the reasons
reasons why priority why I don’t join the choir,
Seventh-day is once you are old just
Adventist like me 53 years old, your
adults do not priorities change.
join the church -Nancy
choir? (Lines 20-21)

None, that’s it. I’m busy

-Teresa
(Line 161)
Hard B. Limited Because you are old, it’s a
mobility bit hard for your body to
move
-Nancy
(Line 23)

At my age I embarrassed
to join. And also,
shouldn’t the youth be the
ones doing that? Because
they have good physique
unlike us aged people,
right sir?”
-Myrna
(Lines 224-226)
Voice C. Voice My voice is not good
problem -Teresa
(Line 149)

I am fond of music, now

the problem is my voice is
not good that’s why I feel
ashamed to participate in
the choir but I really love
listening chorale music in
church.
Junel 67
(Line 58)
 26

slow in D. Feeling of I wanted to join the

learning and Burdensome singing in the church
memorizing especially the choir for
adults but I know that I am
slow in learning and
memorizing the songs… I
also don’t want to give a
hard time on the one
teaching me because I
know that what he is doing
is hard.
-Lindo 57
(Line 201)

Suggestion of the Participants.

To answer Research Question No. 2, “What do the study participants suggest to the

local church to encourage them to join in the church choir”, 2 themes emerges: attention

and compliments, and enlightenments.

Attention and Compliments. The first theme emerge on the suggestion of the

participants is attention and compliments.

I think they have to visit those who are not active like me. The elders should visit
those women who are not active in church because most of them have talents.”
-Nancy 53

For me, I think it’s good if they will talk to aged adults or those so-called senior citizens
nicely. Then give some compliments on their singing in the church.
-Jonel 67
Both participants suggested that the church or the elders must give an attention and

a compliment to boost their confidence so they will have the guts to involve their self to

the singing. Compliments can boost up performance and self-esteem. Studies have proven

that a single compliment on a person’s performance or work will directly contribute to their
 27

improved skill or performance on that given task or other similar tasks. Compliments

improve the overall environment of a workplace. A few well-placed compliments in a

workplace can serve to bring up the satisfaction temperature of the whole group (Threlfall

2016).

Enlightenment. The second theme that emerged is enlightenment. Lindo and

Myrna are both from Frisco Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Hopefully, we will be taught how to memorize the tones (laughing). Well, I don’t
know the right way on how to because the person who used to teach me will just proceed
directly.”
-Lindo

“I think it’s good to hold a seminar to for us to know the importance if it’s really
important for us old people to sing in church for us to be enlightened.”
-Myrna 61
The suggestion of the participants show that they are willing to sing, but the only

problem is they want to be enlightened on how to catch up in the choir rehearsal. For Lindo,

it is hard for him to join the choir because he saw how the director teaches the choir in a

very fast phasing. Andragogy, also known as adult learning theory, was proposed by

Malcom Shepard Knowles in 1968. Andragogy refers to a theory of adult learning that

details some of the ways in which adults learn differently than children. For example, adults

tend to be more self-directed, internally motivated, and ready to learn.

The matrix of findings for Research Question No. 2 is shown in the following page:
 28

RQ Codes & Themes Responses

Categories
What do the visit A. attention and “I think they have to visit
study participants compliments those who are not active
suggest to the like me. The elders should
local church to visit those women who are
encourage them not active in church
to join in the because most of them
church choir? have talents.”
Nancy 53

For me, I think it’s good if

they will talk to aged
adults or those so-called
senior citizens nicely.
Then give some
compliments on their
singing in the church.
Jonel 67

Teach and B. Enlightenment “Hopefully, we will be

enlightened taught how to memorize
the tones (laughing). Well,
I don’t know the right way
on how to because the
person who used to teach
me will just proceed
directly.”
Lindo 57

“I think it’s good to hold a

seminar to for us to know
the importance if it’s
really important for us old
people to sing in church
for us to be enlightened.”
Myrna 61
 29

Chapter 5
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents the summary, conclusion and recommendations based on the

results of the study.

Summary of Findings

1. The results of the study revealed the reasons why most Seventh-day Adventist adult

members are passive when it comes to choir singing are: change of priority, limited

mobility, voice problem and feeling of burdensome.

2. These are the suggestions accumulated from the study on what can the church do

to encourage the adults to join the choir. The adults want to be visited in their homes

by the elders so they will be encouraged to join the choir. Research shows that

adults inside the Seventh-day Adventist church are also longing for compliments

from the church members and leaders. In addition, the study also revealed that some

adults want to be educated about basic musicianship through music seminars for

them to be encouraged.

Conclusion

Numerous adult members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church do not want to join

the church choir even though the availability of a choir is right on hand. It will however be

more fully realized if everyone in the church, especially the adults, understood the

importance of choral involvement as an integral part of worship as Christians and also the

health benefits it can give. Most of the participants’ reasons for not joining the choir can
 30

be solved if the church will intervene and make efforts to gain the interest of the members

more so the adults. When it comes to dealing with the older members of the church, much

planning and follow ups are needed to carry on with the activities like chorale participation.

These adults understand their situation and have given solutions to make end meet. They

but need a little push and persuasion to be involved. After all, they are part of the flock that

needs to be tended.

Recommendations

Much can be benefited from having a church choir, but it takes constant nurturing

and patience for it to grow and be appreciated. To the Church Elders, tending a flock large

or small seems a hard task but its their job to keep in touch with their members and fulfill

their needs in the church. As a fellow adult, they should be more connected to the adults in

trying to make the church active especially when it comes to worship services. Hold

seminars about music and musicianship, visit them and give compliments as much as

possible.

To the Future and Choir Directors, it is important that they not only know music

and musicianship but instill the core value of musicianship in their members. Though

knowledge in directing is vital, it is essential that the members understand why they need

to sing. To the Music Majors, you are blessed to have chosen a field that is fundamental

in heaven. Bear in mind that you are a key holder in making the worship joyous and holy.

All the knowledge you have learned are for naught if you don’t impart the essence of music

our church upholds.

 31

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