Frishkopf, MichaelSallis, FriedemannHoffart, Danica2017-04-262017-04-2620172017http://hdl.handle.net/11023/3728The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the impact of a choral leadership practice that aligns with transformational leadership and an ubuntu ethic on the rehearsal and performance practices of a youth choir, and on the development of choristers as global citizens. The secondary purpose was to examine these rehearsal and performance practices and the youth choir’s repertoire in light of the canon of Western art music and traditional choral practice, specifically notions of music as performance (Auslander 2006, 2013; Cook 2001, 2003, 2013) and musicking (Small 1998). The study investigated the leadership practice of Scott Leithead, one of Canada’s foremost youth choirs, and his work with Kokopelli of Edmonton, AB. Kokopelli was selected because of its excellence as evidenced by frequent invitations to perform in national and international festivals and conferences, its innovative programming and repertoire, and its ongoing outreach program, African Projects, which supports Kokopelli’s sister choirs in Namibia and South Africa. Ethnographic data collection included interviews with Leithead, five current choristers, four former choristers, and an African Projects exchange student; observations of rehearsals, workshops, and concerts; and artifacts from one choral season. Two main research lenses were used to analyze the data: transformational leadership (Bass 1985, 1998; Bass and Riggio 2006), specifically its four components of idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration; and ubuntu, a southern African philosophy of humanism. Findings indicate that Leithead’s behaviours align with transformational leadership and his moral motivation is consistent with an ubuntu ethic, a combination which corresponds to Bass’s (1998) categorization of an authentic transformational leader. The study presents suggestions for choral directors, although implications from this research are applicable to leaders outside of music as well.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.MusicEducation--MusicchoirchoralLeadershiptransformationalubuntuYouthempowermentInnovationmotivationdoctoral thesis10.11575/PRISM/26538