Preparing the Successful Urban Music Educator

I began my career teaching in an urban high school where the band program had been in a steady state of decline for some time. When offered the position, I was very eager and had all kinds of ideas about what type of program I would have. However, my first job was nothing like the band program I was a member of in rural South Georgia. The daily challenges that my students faced far exceeded what I had experienced in my youth. Quickly I learned the importance of being able to relate to the urban student, galvanize parental support, and articulate the importance of proper scheduling to the administration. These are skills that are not necessarily taught in undergraduate or graduate music education courses; however, they are indispensable components of effectiveness in the urban setting.

I attended inner-city public schools in a fairly large district in North Carolina. My teaching career began at a school with an economically and racially diverse population. I quickly realized that my own experiences as an inner-city student guided my success more than my college training did. The challenges of working with students with various cultural, psychological, and social differences actually paled in comparison to the lack of resources I received from the school and district. As I worked to obtain instruments, instructional equipment, and other necessities for my program, I was reminded of the same struggles that my own high school music director had encountered. Despite my personal experiences, I felt a void in training to deal with these challenges, which were common among my colleagues at other urban schools. Fellow directors from suburban and rural schools could not relate to or were not interested in solving the problems inner-city teachers faced. Nevertheless, I welcomed the challenge of overcoming these obstacles and providing the best possible music education for my students.

Society is continuously changing, with new advances in technology, the latest fashion trends, and constantly evolving educational reforms and social norms. If it fails to adapt and change to meet societal needs, music education risks becoming irrelevant. Urban school populations are becoming increasingly diverse. In 1988, Rene Boyer-White wrote that “despite the fact that ethnic populations are increasing in numbers throughout the United States, many teacher education programs still lack appropriate curriculum and staff to address the problems created by these changes.” ³ Music teacher preparation programs have the unique challenge of preparing music educators for the diverse classroom settings. This involves creating experiences that directly reflect the urban classroom. However, teacher preparation programs are frequently limited based on the often narrow experiences of the faculty members. Music teacher preparation programs need to include faculty members who have taught in urban settings to share relevant and accurate experiences. MEJ authors such as Marsha Kindall-Smith stressed the importance of partnerships between urban universities and urban school districts for successful internships. ⁴

After teaching for two years and not having the necessary tools to move my music program forward, I decided to go back to school. In contrast to my undergraduate experiences, many courses at the graduate level effectively incorporated field experiences. Students benefited from having microteaching experiences and observing great teachers in a variety of settings. By establishing a partnership with local schools, professors gave us real experiences in culturally diverse classrooms.

After interviewing twenty urban music teachers in 1995, Richard K. Feise and Nicholas J. DeCarbo indicated that the majority felt “woefully” unprepared to teach in urban schools. ⁵ Lisa C. DeLorenzo affirmed in 2012 that during preservice training, future music educators primarily receive training from majority white professors who teach material typically applicable to suburban settings and predominately use suburban schools for field experiences. ⁶ Culture shock can occur when an urban educator enters a program with minority students as the majority and less than ideal resources and support. To obtain a realistic picture of urban teaching, university education professors should provide field experiences in successful urban classrooms. Student teachers should learn that regardless of the resources or backgrounds of the students, a respected, well-prepared, and reflective teacher is the primary catalyst for a successful music program.

In addition to the vast differences in the resources that exist between many urban and suburban schools, Lisa DeLorenzo and Adria Hoffman separately identified the dangers of ignoring the color differences of the majority of black and Latino urban students and the majority white teaching force. ⁷ They asserted that teachers trained to not see color are also trained to not see the true identity of the students. In her 2012 article on the lack of black and Latino students in orchestra, DeLorenzo asserted that “avoiding conversations about race or the special skills that one needs to teach in an urban school allows preservice teachers to persist in seeing teaching through their own cultural lens.” ⁸ According to Boyer-White, as instructors who design and implement teacher preparation programs, we must realize that it is our job to ensure that prospective music teachers possess the tools necessary to function intelligently in any environment, including the multiethnic environments found in many of our inner-city areas. ⁹

As a cooperating teacher, I was very cognizant of the culture shock that some preservice educators experienced when entering my classroom. Classrooms with minorities as the majority were intimidating to them. My advice to them has always been to become comfortable as possible in their skin before trying to relate to other cultures and experiences. My students always responded better to instructors who valued the similarities and differences they shared. Positive rapport with students is easily gained when mutual respect is established between parties.

In my experience, establishing a relationship with students is key. In addition, a teacher must provide excellent musical experiences. Often music educators have to gain the trust of the students in order to be most effective. When my students realized I was remaining honest and had their best interest at heart, the band began to grow. Once the teacher and students are on the same page, the teacher is able to implement their ideas for the program.

According to MEJ writers since 1970, teachers “in the trenches” may actually provide more beneficial strategies and advice than college and university professors do. Preservice educators who entered my classroom for field experience relied heavily on my advice to navigate their experiences in a real urban classroom. MEJ authors have also identified mentoring as a key practice for preparing and nurturing novice urban music educators. ¹⁰

Often, practical experience and learning from others’ trials and errors are the hidden treasures that lead to emerging as a successful urban educator. Recruitment methods, practice schedules, classroom management techniques, and fundraising ideas are common topics for discussion among music educators but may encompass special considerations for urban teachers. College professors, in-service educators, and novice urban educators should stay in ongoing dialogue with experienced urban educators to stay abreast of current, successful techniques.

Funding for the arts in urban settings is often very limited, and garnering funds can be a monumental task. Donorschoose.org was a huge source of resources for my band program. Donorschoose.org is a website designed for public school teachers to receive supplies needed for their classroom. Many projects posted by teachers are often eligible for matching grants from corporate donors. During the 2013–2014 school year, my program received more than $22,000 in instruments and other resources. I highly recommend all urban educators to create a project through Donorschoose.org and take advantage of these opportunities to receive instruments and other supplies with no cost to their programs.

The late Bennett Reimer said it best: “For general music education, the attributes of excellent schooling translate into, first, materials of excellent musical and pedagogical quality that bring children into contact with the best music of common Western heritage, of their own social group, of the many groups in America.” ¹¹ Typically music education majors choose a track during their undergraduate studies and specialize in one area. While this model serves a purpose, the chances of a band director teaching a general music class are very high. Music teacher preparation programs should help prepare students to teach general music and music appreciation courses by structuring experiences that incorporate music activities that students might encounter outside the music classroom. Incorporating various genres of music, cultures, and technology into our teaching can help foster a deeper appreciation and understanding for music in our multicultural society.

My first year of teaching was at an urban high school in Atlanta, Georgia. I taught band and general music. I was totally perplexed by the challenges of teaching general music. I approached general music from a historical standpoint and taught it much like a music history course. For the typical high school student, this is not of interest. In my graduate music education program, I took a course, Organizing and Teaching General Music. We explored general music course material appropriate for elementary through high school, incorporated software like GarageBand and iMovie, experienced examples of world music and dance, and examined a number of other creative ideas to help make teaching general music informative and fun. This was also very useful for an urban educator who often did not have the resources to purchase materials.

I have experienced challenges in communication in urban settings. More often than not, students and sometimes parents may communicate in a manner very different from mine. For example, I was working with my beginning French horn players. One particular student had been missing the notes for quite a while. When he finally got it, and I commended him for his accomplishments, this young African American student said, “Like a boss.” I was confused because I was not sure what he meant. I asked what “like a boss” meant. He replied, “It means I did it like I own it.” Being able to communicate with students in a personable manner exhibits a deeper form of respect for students’ culture and identity and enables educators to better relate to their students. Hoffman suggested that “we should find ways to inform our students of the ways they might be understood and misunderstood in the context of a diverse school.” By doing so, “we show them that we listen to what they are saying and hear them.” ¹²

In the 1970 special focus issue of MEJ, Reimer asserted that students may sense that teachers are condescending to the music of their culture and their abilities to appreciate music other than their own. As early as 1998, Boyer-White stated the necessity for teachers to learn the music of the cultures that their students represent. Kate R. Fitzpatrick also eloquently summarized the importance of cultural sensitivity in the music classroom. ¹³ As we prepare future music educators to teach in all environments, we should encourage them to respect and value the musical culture of their students and use this understanding as a primary catalyst for planning and instruction. June Hinckley spoke directly to the importance of teaching music of relevance and variety to urban students. ¹⁴ To prepare future educators to teach a wide variety of music, teacher preparation programs must incorporate pedagogical practices for teaching music representative of students’ musical tastes.

I thoroughly enjoyed identifying, learning, and teaching music of my students’ cultures. A major tool for recruitment and retention in marching band was the performance of primarily popular music. I tutored AP Music Theory students on how to use the skills and knowledge they learned in class to arrange their peers’ favorite popular tunes using Finale or Sibelius. Lessons in form, texture, notation, voice leading, and ear training transferred directly to this fun and rewarding activity. As early as middle school, students can begin voicing melodies and even chords of their favorite tunes for their peers (with your guidance) to strengthen their ear-training and notation skills. For authentic high school performances, helping students arrange multiple styles for combos and garage bands add effectiveness to learning and performance.

Additionally, welcoming students in for tutoring on guitar, piano, and singing in popular styles (pop, R&B, gospel, alternative, rock, hip-hop, country, etc.) bridged the gap between student musical practices outside of school and in my classroom. Chord substitutions in gospel piano, drum-set fills for church and garage bands, tuning and breath support in vocal runs, and learning guitar and piano accompaniments to popular music were common in brief and extended sessions. In many cases, students taught me techniques from styles that I was not as familiar with. Through coaching students who would not normally enroll in large ensemble courses, I provided musical instruction that resonated with their musical identities. As these students learned more about music that they valued and understood that I respected and valued their musical identities, they were much more receptive to learning music of the school curriculum.

Many novice music educators enter the classroom with minimal to no experience in teaching and performing jazz and popular genres. Additional university courses and conferences are not the only way to gain this experience. If the majority of your musicians are playing gospel and R&B outside of school, take the extra step to learn the styles in authentic settings, with a master colleague or buying a few method books. The local music store and the Internet are full of resources on playing in popular styles not typically covered in university courses (your students are already taking advantage of these resources). Most important, be comfortable with the reality that you may not be an expert in every style of music and that you too can benefit from extra instruction. For example, welcome a community expert in mariachi playing into your classroom to instruct you and your students authentically. Your students will appreciate your honesty and diligence to continue to learn, especially if you are learning styles that they personally identify with.

In an introductory music education course, I teach aspiring music educators that students do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. In encouraging them to be personable, I continually remind them of the importance of showing that they are cognizant of their students’ viewpoints, emotions, and experiences. Feise and DeCarbo also recognized that the complex emotions that students from differing social and economic backgrounds bring to the classroom make this task more challenging for teachers in urban settings. ¹⁵ Fitzpatrick reiterated, “knowing about your students’ cultural backgrounds—as well as recognizing your own—can foster greater respect, clearer understanding, and better connections in the music classroom.” ¹⁶

Challenges associated with nontraditional families, poverty at home, lack of resources, and social injustices have been popular topics in recent MEJ articles. Students needing transportation, school instruments, and scholarships from the band boosters to pay fees (and sometimes even meals on field trips) were commonplace in my program. I was well aware that many students would not be able to attend practices and performances if they relied on their parents to transport them. For one student in particular, I knew his participation in the band program was dependent on my consistent support, far beyond that of a teacher from 8:30 to 4:00. When meeting with his mom, I learned that he was regularly moving between her apartment and group homes because she did not feel she had the time, patience, or resources to consistently provide for him. I then understood why I was finding his personal belongings hidden in corners in my classroom: The band room was one of the most stable places in his world. His sharing of personal ambitions, accomplishments, and disappointments with me was because I was the most trusted and consistent adult in his life. We understand that students like these live with unique circumstances and depended on us to help level the playing field.