The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of two music contest formats on the music achievement, self-concept, achievement motivation, performance achievement, and attitude of elementary band students. The author randomly assigned 44 fifth-and sixth-grade instrumentalists to one of two treatment groups: (a) students receiving written comments and ratings or (b) students receiving written comments only. Pretest and posttest data were obtained on dependent measures of the Music Achievement Test (MAT) and the Self-Concept in Music (SCIM) scale; data on achievement motivation and attitude were gathered on a posttest basis only. After 1 month of preparation, all students performed unaccompanied solos for an adjudicator. The results showed significant gains (p < .05) in musical self-concept for both groups, but only the rated group made a significant gain in music achievement. In addition, there was no significant difference in achievement motivation scores for rated versus nonrated students. Of the students, 76% said they would choose to participate in a rated contest format in the future. Pretest scores on the MAT were the single best predictor of performance achievement.
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