Abstract
We know the demographics of our students are changing at a very rapid pace. Students in our schools are engaging in music in a multitude of ways based on personal choices of what is relevant to them. This could mean they are a member of a large performing group. To others, it’s a garage band after school at someone’s home. Students are exploring the creative aspects of making and enjoying music through electronic and eclectic smaller ensembles of mixed instruments and voice with or without music instruction in our schools.
Every school or district offers a variety of courses, and there is no standard for what to teach in music classes across the United States. We, as teachers, need to take a frequent inventory of our strategies and practices to ensure that what we teach is relevant to our students. This could mean surveying students to learn what their musical interests are, and incorporating some of these styles in our existing courses or creating a new course. Take a look at this list (http://www.musicgenreslist.com/) of many styles of music, and challenge yourself to try something new each year. Seek out professional development opportunities at conferences or through online offerings (bit.ly/NAfMEAcademy) to become familiar with strategies to authentically incorporate a new style into your instruction.
This may be an uncomfortable practice at times, and it may require us to step outside our comfort zone to try new things and think about music education in different ways.
Your NAfME National Executive Board and state leaders are working together to create a culture of embracing the many ways music is made—through large ensembles, eclectic smaller ensembles, impromptu ensembles, and electronic ensembles. Anything is possible, and the sky is the limit. It’s your existing courses “and,” not one or the other. Be very clear that we are not advocating one or the other. NAfME values large-group ensembles and is also working to encourage new ways of reaching students we are currently not engaging.
Isn’t our bottom line to bring the joy and power of music to every student’s life? Every human being has a desire to be included and accepted, and music teachers have reached millions of students, but we can do more through targeted music offerings in our existing classrooms or via new courses.
We all want students to feel the power of music: Power to communicate a culture. Power to portray the spectrum of human emotions. Power to entertain and share with others. Power to heal and connect with those who have challenges communicating. Power to unite a nation and offer comfort in time of need. Music empowers students by allowing them to belong, contribute, and grow as individuals.
A thought-provoking quote by Gary R. Howard in his 7 Principles of Culturally Responsive Teaching video says, Teach and lead in such a way that more of our students across more of their differences achieve at a higher level and engage at a deeper level more of the time without giving up who they are.
The last part of the sentence is key: “without giving up who they are.” Sometimes we ask students to assimilate to become the people we think they ought to be, and we forget to accept who they are and what they can bring into our classrooms.
My challenge to you is to learn about the music your students (and students not in your music programs) enjoy and to bring it into your existing music classes or create a different kind of music course that addresses the interests of the students at all levels.