The purpose of this study was to investigate reported influences on Ghanaian Basic School band pupil’s instrument choices, to gain an understanding of reasons expressed by students for preferring certain instruments and not others, in addition, to explore whether Ghanaian children are gender-stereotyped in their musical instrument choices. A questionnaire was developed to gather information concerning students’ instrumental music experience, family participation in band, reported reasons for instrument choice, non-choice, and several other questions to give readers insight into how Ghanaian basic school bands operate. The sample consisted of 142 pupils from five basic school bands in the Accra metropolis. Results revealed strong gender/instrument associations. Pupils indicated that their choices were most influenced by their school band teacher. Other reported influences included instrument sound and programmes the school band attends. The results also revealed that girls in the Accra metropolis who are members of the school bands tend to prefer playing the “percussions” which are mostly regarded to be for boys. Gender association with certain instruments seemed to override professed reasons for instrument selection. 

This article concerns itself with the adaptation of some selected indigenous structural fugu fabric designs for textile prints. The objective of the study is to adapt the structural design concepts of Daboya fugu fabrics into fabric prints and fabricate fashion items from the adapted prints produced. The practice adopted the studio practice-based research design where an artefact is to be created with descriptions to give an understanding of the creation. Data was collected through interview and observation. The sampling techniques used for the study were purposive and convenience and a sample size of seventy (70) respondents were engaged. Findings revealed that the surface effects of structural designs from fugu fabrics can be adapted and produced with printing techniques and still maintain their unique characteristics. It was also noted that the applied designs were still recognisable by majority of users as true resemblance of the structural fugu fabric designs. The study recommended that Textile artists should draw inspiration from other cultural structural designs like kente, adinkra and others and develop design concepts for contemporary usage and applications. It was also recommended that educators in textile study should encourage more adapted designs from indigenous textiles and make them beneficial to the country in terms of economy gains through exports.