A Theoretical Framework of Trust in Large Community Ensembles

Abstract To better understand the psychological and social dynamics within a large ensemble rehearsal, many researchers of community ensembles have turned to theories such as social capital theory (Putnam, 1995) and self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2002), and documented key observations of behaviors and beliefs. Among those beliefs, trust stands out as the social lubricant of the cooperative endeavor of making music in a large ensemble—what Reimer (2003) called “the bedrock of musical endeavor” (p. 123). However, until now there has not been a detailed description or method of understanding trust within the context of music-making activity. Borrowing from a model of trust oft-cited in the field of organization management, I suggest a framework for understanding trust and related constructs, sources, and outcomes as a jumping-off point for future studies of this phenomenon and behaviors associated with the building of trust within the medium of music ensembles.