Equity in Music Education: Avoiding Cultural Appropriation in the Music Classroom

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Photo of Tina Beveridge by MR Toomey Photography

The Black Lives Matter movement saw heightened publicity in the summer of 2020 as protests erupted in response to the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd at the hands of police. These protests were an awakening for many people to the realities of systemic racism. Music education, no exception to this movement, had a full-blown reckoning with the insidious ways racism manifests in the profession. Schools and universities grappled with the legacy of using Native American groups as mascots. A white male composer was outed for using a female Asian pseudonym in an attempt to lend authenticity and credibility to Asian-influenced works. ¹ A black professor gave a compelling presentation about the white racial frame of classical music theory, and an academic journal devoted an entire issue trying to refute him. ² These examples are easy to identify as problematic, even as they may not be easy to solve. But one way that systemic racism manifests in individual classrooms and programs, and one not always easily identified, is cultural appropriation.

One way to think about culture is through the metaphor of an ecosystem. The ocean, for example, is not one single ecosystem but many that flow in and out of each other, and all creatures in the ocean have certain characteristics that they share and some they do not. In the same way, how people interact with and live in multiple cultural realities largely depends on the individual context of both the person and the environments. In other words, while the majority of teachers are white and student populations increasingly not, the reality of multiple cultural identities implies more complexity in teaching and learning interactions. ³

Cultural appropriation is defined by author Richard Rogers as using or adopting artifacts from another culture, without consent, and in a way that causes harm. Rogers specifically names this type of appropriation “cultural exploitation.” ⁴ However, Rogers further divides cultural appropriation into four categories that imply some, but not all, appropriation is harmful. This distinction is important for educators who avoid all non-Western art music in an attempt to avoid being accused of appropriation or racism.

Cultural exchange occurs when the groups in question have equal power and are exchanging symbols, artifacts, or rituals. Artists from different ethnic backgrounds collaborating on a project, for instance, would be an example of cultural exchange, such as Beyoncé and Shakira’s song “Beautiful Liar.” A mixture of hip-hop, Latin pop, and a Middle Eastern tonality, the song is a clear nod to the ethnicity of the artists and an equal partnership. As cultural appreciation is a step toward exchange, introducing students to an unfamiliar cultural music would often fall into this category. For example, having a guest artist come in and teach students Ghanaian drumming, or learning a song in Mandarin or Vietnamese for Lunar New Year, is not necessarily exploitative if the teacher includes age-appropriate context.

Transculturation is the mixture of cultural elements that has created something new, and attributing it to a single origination point would be difficult or impossible. Examples of this are easy to find in the world of music: jazz, samba, salsa, and mariachi, to name just a few. For a classroom example, if students have already learned a specific drumming style and then use elements of that culture’s style in their own compositions or apply it to other instruments, that is transculturation. Depending on the context and guidance given, this might be especially true if they create something new without trying to copy or mirror the original.

Cultural exploitation is where the dominant group adopts practices of the subordinate group without “substantive reciprocity, permission, and/or compensation.” ⁵ This is the definition of cultural appropriation that is most commonly intended when the term is used in modern social and journalistic media. The previous example of the Lunar New Year song could land in this category if care is not taken to avoid harmful images or stereotypes. The mindset of “teacher as expert/student as empty vessel” can set up a situation where harm could occur from an activity that was not intended that way. The thoughtful phrasing of questions to avoid assumptions—such as “Is there anyone in here who celebrates Lunar New Year at home?”—is much different from asking an Asian student, “How do you celebrate this at home?” if a student was born in the United States and their family has not kept that tradition. The former question also allows students who do celebrate to be the authentic cultural teachers in that moment if they so choose, rather than the teacher.

Cultural dominance is where a subordinate group adopts practices imposed on them by a dominant group. An example of this might be the use of “code-switching”—the use of a dialect by a person of ethnic minority in order to assimilate and avoid discrimination. The best example of this phenomenon in education is the dominance of Western art music in the curriculum, often to the detriment of every other genre and form of music-making. A December concert that has a program of mostly Christmas music but includes a tokenistic Hanukkah song is not inclusive or transcultural.

Teachers who wish to avoid specific classroom or performance activities interpreted (or misinterpreted) as appropriation/exploitation rather than a valid educational exchange should ask themselves the following questions: What culture are we teaching and why? Is it relevant, and if not, how can we make it relevant? What cultural symbols (tone/timbre/sounds) are we teaching? What are the meanings behind these symbols? ⁶ In music education professor Randall Allsup’s book Remixing the Classroom, the author argues that “the reality of today’s pluralistic society makes it imperative that we multiply the methods and modalities employed in the pursuit of meaning.” ⁷ The open-concept classroom he proposes has several points to weigh the value of artifacts and approaches used in teaching: Are the voices and cultural heritages of the students represented, honored, and/or respected? Is dialogue about the symbols (sounds) and meaning occurring between the teacher and students?

Educators walk a fine line to borrow necessary cultural artifacts in teaching. As student populations continue to become more diverse, there is an understanding that we should move away from the dominance of Western art music. Expanding the curriculum is important not only for students of color to feel included and represented but also for white students to understand the world outside their immediate view. But while white teachers especially need to be cautious of how the curriculum is expanded, “cautious” cannot be used as an excuse to continue exclusionary practices. The approach a teacher takes will determine if it is dominance, tokenism, or exploitation or if it will be an experience of exchange and appreciation. And of course, the developmental stage of students matters, and age-appropriate dialogue must be chosen. Authenticity comes from the process of learning, not necessarily the product.

Authors Vicki Lind and Constance McKoy argue in their book that part of building a culturally responsive classroom involves understanding how teachers are educated. For teachers to build a culturally responsive environment, they must be able to identify their own bias and be able to continually adjust perspectives and habits of mind. A culturally responsive classroom is one that will purposefully navigate cultural issues, including appropriation, in order to make students feel they are in a safe and welcome environment. The authors suggest several ways of thinking that can help frame an inclusive classroom setting, but the two listed next apply most directly to cultural appropriation in the music classroom.

1. Stereotypes do little to help us understand the students in our classroom. ⁸

The difference between transculturation, exchange, and exploitation can stem from what teachers assume students want to learn or what the teacher believes they need to learn without actually asking them. An example of this is a teacher who demonstrates the “simplicity” of rap with a synthesizer or GarageBand without dissecting the sociological and historical context. It reduces the art form to its parts and devalues the context in which it developed. Cultural stereotypes can also manifest in generational differences. ⁹ Students are not a blank canvas to impose the teacher’s aesthetic preferences. As any middle or high school teacher can attest, students can be quite opinionated on what sounds good and what sounds “right” in styles they are familiar with. Listening to the students and honoring their expertise, experience, and knowledge can go a long way in avoiding appropriation in the negative sense and turn it into a positive by collaborating with the students and allowing their voice and unique cultures to shine through.

2. We are all unique, a product of our individual cultural heritage. ¹⁰

No person can be defined by one single cultural group. Life experiences cause bonding with different groups of people. This is to say that teaching Sousa in a concert band can still be culturally appropriate since that music is part of the history and culture of that ensemble. But it also means that the “canon” cannot be the only music a band class plays, since promoting a monocultural environment is an example of appropriation through dominance. ¹¹ Music-making in school is a way for students to understand themselves and others and to appropriate the knowledge of other cultures for the goals of expanding cultural understanding and fostering empathy. This makes students less likely to perpetuate ideas of exploitation themselves. ¹² Promoting an environment that celebrates multiple cultural identities may also help educators partially solve the participation gap between white students and students of color. ¹³

The possibilities for adapting curriculum are endless if perspectives on “right” and “wrong” ways of making music can be changed. Music teachers have a unique opportunity and space to help students learn about the world and use that knowledge in order to better coexist with others. Inclusive practices can help marginalized students feel represented and welcome. Once that is achieved, all students will be able to thrive in the music classroom.