This study is a hermeneutic phenomenology that interprets the lived experiences of self-taught choral directors in school-based choirs. The phenomenon simply refers to choral directors who major in a different field but are handling choirs even without formal music education and have been chosen due to their musical experiences and interest. They are graduates of a non-music related degree and other non-allied fields. Through purposive sampling, nine participants from public and private junior and senior high schools in Tacloban City, Philippines which has established choral groups provided significant responses relative to their lived experience which was then treated with thematic analysis. The results coming from the interpretations of their lived experiences revealed that upgrading musical competence and being resourceful, collaborative, and disciplined were the secrets of the self-taught choral leaders to becoming successful in the field of choral singing. Moreover, factors such as the unavailability of qualified choral directors, the lack of support from the school, and the lack of training and workshops provided for choral singing and management for both the conductor and choristers have been the prevailing problems for the self-taught choral directors. Therefore, to provide substantial experience to the choristers, self-taught choral directors must ensure that they upgrade their musical competence through further studies and collaborations and that schools should ensure that the essential needs of the performing group be provided.  

Phenomenology

Self-taught Choral Directors

School-based Choirs

Phenomenology