The purpose of the present study was to report on the mainstreaming and full-inclusion experiences of secondary school instrumental music students who were blind or visually impaired. Four research questions addressed the following topics: (a) informant's motivations for participation in instrumental music; (b) the extent to which informants' abilities to develop learning strategies for participation in instrumental music affected quality of experience; (c) the extent to which intervention of other people in instrumental music participation affected informants' quality of experience; and (d) informants' perceptions of social connection in instrumental music ensembles and quality of experience.

Eleven informants, who were identified through contact with a variety of national and local organizations serving blind and visually impaired students, participated in semi-structured telephone interviews with the researcher. Informants reported the following: (a) multiple motivations for participation in instrumental music ensembles; (b) positive and negative effects associated with self-developed learning strategies; (c) positive and negative effects associated with the intervention of other people in their music learning; and (d) social connection experiences that related to motivations for participation in instrumental music class.

When analyzing the data through the sociocultural perspective of James Wertsch, memorizing emerged as the most commonly employed strategy for participation in band and orchestra of study informants. Participants also accessed “tools” or “mediational means” such as Braille music notation, enlarged print notation, fellow ensemble members, parents, and ensemble directors to facilitate participation. Affordances and constraints accompanied the use of memory as well as the use of the various mediational means.

The researcher proposes suggestions for teaching students who are blind or visually impaired participating in school bands or orchestras. He further discusses implications for additional music education research that considers the experiences of these students.