This master's thesis studies work conditions, professional competences, and some particular character traits of children's choir choirmasters in Slovenia, as well as what they would need for higher-quality work. Potential differences between the most decorated and other children’s choir choirmasters have also been discussed. The results have been collected with the aid of an internet questionnaire, which was completed by five children’s choir choirmasters, who were most decorated at the Zagorje ob Savi national choir competition between 2006 and 2016. 74 other Slovenian children’s choir choirmasters, who also participated in the Zagorje ob Savi competition completed the survey as well.
The results have shown that children’s choir choirmasters in Slovenia have adequate professional competences to work with children’s choirs, and that they participate in professional training programmes to further improve. Said choirmasters have a wide set of positive character traits. By their admission, the participants do not particularly emphasize any of their character traits. The results have also proved that the majority of deficiencies that the choir conductors notice are in the field of work conditions, especially when it comes to the répétiteur, the amount of time devoted to choir rehearsals, and how they are rewarded for the hard work they put into the choir. The comparison between the most decorated and other children’s choir choirmasters has shown that the former have lesser needs regarding work conditions, professional competences, and character traits than others. Subsequently, the areas in which other choirmasters could improve to become as decorated as their more acknowledged fellow counterparts have been identified.
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