A chi-square analysis revealed that females who selected music education as a career were significantly less in number than expected. A univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) also produced significant differences between the two academic major groups (music education and other major) for high school grade point average. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed and revealed significant differences in career choice attitudes between the two academic majors. An ANOVA test on each of the eight career choice scales revealed significant differences in attitudes between the two academic major groups for parent influence, teacher influence, ego satisfaction, confidence in talent, interest, and economic considerations while there were no significant differences for status and experience. Finally, a discriminant analysis was performed to determine which attitudes could best predict an outstanding band student's selection of academic major (music education or other). The discriminant analysis produced six variables (attitudes) that correctly classified 82.9% of the originally grouped cases.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the career choice attitudes of outstanding band students. A researcher developed survey instrument was used to gather demographic information as well as assess the career choice attitudes of outstanding band students in eight different categories. Six hundred ten college band students from nine different institutions of higher education in Oklahoma and Arkansas completed and returned the survey.