Abstract
Photo of Bryan Powell is by Warren Gramm.
The propagation of modern band programs and increased access to affordable music technology have led to the expanded presence of popular music in school music classrooms over the past few decades. 1 Music educators in these classrooms now have the opportunity to bridge the gap between the music that children experience in schools and the music they experience in their communities. By focusing on music that is familiar to students, music teachers can allow students to see themselves reflected in the curriculum, thus creating a more welcoming space for all students. Ideally, educators who teach popular music can validate the musical identities of their students while forging stronger bonds between traditionally marginalized students and the schools that serve them.
Recent research on the impact of modern band in music classrooms has demonstrated that the addition of modern band programs to K–12 music programs can increase the diversity of school music programs and attract students not currently participating in school music. In a study of student enrollment data in a school district in New York State, researchers found that a student of color was nearly twice as likely to participate in modern band than was a White student at the high school level, and students who qualified for free/reduced lunch at the high school were also nearly twice as likely to participate in modern band classes than were students who did not qualify for these services. 2 Whereas proponents of modern band (of which I am one) often tout the benefits of modern band in the classroom to address issues such as equity and diversity, they often present an “ideal” version of modern band in the classroom. This vision of modern band often involves students choosing the songs and the instruments they want to play, creating their own arrangements of songs, writing their own songs, and engaging in peer learning and informal learning practices. The “ideal” modern band teacher functions as a facilitator, rather than a director, who incorporates informal learning, nonformal teaching approaches, and culturally responsive pedagogies to address issues of equity and social justice in the classroom. 3
Although this “ideal” version of modern band is certainly laudable, the application of these strategies in music classroom sometimes misses the mark. And as more educators seek to break out of the Western European classical music ensemble paradigm to expand access to relevant music education through the incorporation of popular musics, the music education profession needs to be cautious that they are not replacing one hegemonic structure with another. 4 In this article, I seek to examine the promises and pitfalls of modern band in the classroom and discuss how music educators might meaningfully address equity and social justice through the incorporation of popular music education.
Song Selection
Modern band provides an opportunity for students to take an active role in the selection of songs. In most modern band programs, students start by covering existing songs written by other artists. This can be a great opportunity to empower students to make musical decisions about which songs to play, what instrumentation to use, and what the arrangement will look like. Too often, however, music educators are hesitant to release the reins of repertoire selection, which results in modern band classes covering songs that are more familiar to the teacher than they are to the student. This can result in students playing music that is not any more connected to their musical identities than traditional music education repertoire. Because most modern band programs in the United States incorporate the guitar as a primary instrument, 5 there is a tendency for some modern band teachers to gravitate to guitar-based musics even though the majority of current popular music no longer features the guitar. Indeed, if the song selection in popular music ensembles is focused primarily on guitar-based music, then “the musical identities of the students, especially in urban environments, might not be validated, and the aims of diversity and inclusion might be lost.” 6
Those who teach popular music education in K–12 settings tend to canonize “good” popular music, whether it is student-centered or not. And in so doing, “it conjoins rather than dismantles the same evaluative axes upon which classical canons are built.” 7 Although the modern band music educator certainly has a role to play in the song-selection process to facilitate conversations around lyrical content and feasibility, music educators must be careful not to deny students leadership roles in the selection of songs because doing so undermines the potential to democratize the classroom and break down existing power structures.
Songwriting
One of the potential benefits of modern band is that it can provide the opportunity for students to explore their thoughts, feelings, and emotions through songwriting. When students engage in songwriting, it provides them with opportunities to express their emotions and connect the music that they make in school to their lives outside of school. Some students might even be able to express emotions or ideas through a song lyric or a rap that they would not normally feel comfortable sharing. Unlike most approaches to ensemble music in schools, where students focus on performing the compositions of others, songwriting in the modern band classroom allows students to create music that is connected to their lived experiences.
Despite the potential benefits of songwriting, research has demonstrated that the majority of modern band students (68 percent) do not write original songs in their music classrooms. 8 This statistic is likely a reflection of the lack of comfort most music educators feel about facilitating songwriting opportunities. Many music teachers do not write songs themselves, and so they are hesitant to incorporate songwriting in a meaningful way into their modern band classrooms. Focusing on recreating the music of others through cover songs to the exclusion of creating new songs through songwriting misses out on the potential to empower students to understand their potential as music creators. Without embracing songwriting, modern band teachers are creating a generation of students who are telling other peoples’ musical stories without figuring out how to tell their own story.
Engaging with Social and Cultural Issues
Modern band also presents opportunities for music educators to meaningfully address social concerns within the school music curriculum. Because students can engage in writing music to express ideas that are personally meaningful to them, there is the potential to promote artistic citizenship, which is centered on the practice of “music-making as ethical action” and includes a focus on social justice and care for oneself and for the health of social communities. 9 Recent scholarship has showcased the inclusion of activist music education praxis in modern band through the incorporation of protest songs, liberation drumming, and the songs of the Black Lives Matter movement. 10
Through engaging with issues that are relevant to the students and their communities, modern band teachers have the potential to meaningfully address equity and social justice. In the first “Equity in Music Education” feature in Music Educators Journal, Juliet Hess reminded us that social justice is the work of challenging structures that oppress through action. 11 Modern band teachers must allow this work to complicate their professional lives by continually striving to provide students with the skills and opportunities to become catalysts for social change in their schools and communities. This work toward equity and social justice can only happen when teachers engage in dialogue with students so that the students can “name their world” 12 and use music to work toward positively transforming their world to be more socially just and equitable.
Closing Thoughts
Including modern band in music classrooms can provide an exciting opportunity for music educators to facilitate opportunities that are responsive to the lives and musical preferences of the students. However, incorporating popular music in schools does little to address issues of equity and diversity unless there is a fundamental reexamination of the pedagogies and approaches used. Popular music education is about more than just the instrumentation and genre. Through democratizing the classroom by empowering students to make musical decisions while facilitating opportunities for songwriting and engaging with social and cultural issues, modern band educators have the opportunity to engage more students in culturally relevant music education practices. If we in the music education community are serious about addressing issues of diversity and inclusion, it is imperative that we widen the door to participation in school music through the inclusion of more diverse and inclusive ensembles.
Footnotes
Notes
Bryan Powell is an assistant professor of music education and music technology at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. He can be contacted at