Item Detail
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24597
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0
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0
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English
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Performing a Mission : Purposes and Meaning in Latter-day Saint Institute Choir Tours
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Tempe, Arizona
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Arizona State University
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Masters thesis
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The Church Educational System (CES) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) currently promotes and sponsors performance tours of choral music groups from its institutes of religion. Recent CES limitations on the geographic distance of choir tours have prompted questions regarding the value of the touring practice of institute choirs: (1) What is the purpose of touring with institute choirs? (2) Who finds meaning in institute of religion choir tours? (3) What influences within the institute culture shape choir directors' perceptions of meaning derived by others? Qualitative research methods, employed through formal interviews of four institute choir directors before, during, and after their spring 2006 tours indicate that the directors identify four distinct groups of people that benefit from touring activities: (1) Church members in the areas they tour, including stake leaders, host families, LDS audience members, and seminary and institute students; (2) Individuals who are not of their faith, both in their audiences and in the communities they visit ; (3) The students in the choir; (4) The directors themselves. An examination of the LDS institute culture, combined with stated CES objectives for institutes and institute choirs, reveals that concepts of family, priesthood, and Church mission provide a structure within which institute choir directors perceive others having meaningful experiences related to choir tours. [Author's abstract]