Education

Overview

–Kennedi Johnson

The intersection between ethnomusicology and music education is generally referred to as multicultural music education. Rather than relying on the “traditional” Western European music curriculum found throughout K-12 schools in the United States, multicultural music education “reflects the cultural diversity of the world in general and the United States by promoting a music curriculum that includes songs, choral works, instrumental selections, and listening experiences representative of a wide array of ethnic-cultures” (Anderson and Campbell, 1).

Educators can form their curriculum in a number of ways; they can focus on musical concepts, performance (instrumental, choral, movement), guided listening, or integrated learning. Although there is no “right” approach to structuring a curriculum in multicultural music education, there are certain pitfalls educators should be aware of such as essentialism, Westernization, music universalism, or general misrepresentation of a culture or group of people.

Brief History

Music educators began taking a multicultural approach in their curriculum at the beginning of the 20th century. This can mainly be attributed due to an influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe. In its origins, educators tended to view “world music” through an ethnocentric lens—meaning educators evaluated music on European/Western classical music standards. In the face of increasing diversity in the United States, there was a desire to view music as a universal, or rather, as a unifier. A primary goal in music education, and education in general, during this period was to assimilate the new arrivals to Anglo-Saxon culture in the U.S. Music educator Sangmi Kang writes “Because social unification was the primary goal of education in this time period, people had to put effort into finding ‘similarities’ rather than ‘differences’ (Kang 2016).

In the second half of the 20th century, there was a general shift away from this notion of music universalism. Influenced by studies in anthropology, ethnomusicology, and psychology, educators began to embrace the cross-cultural differences. Kang writes, “Whereas the previous view had people focus on the universal function of music and overlook the various styles of music, this new view rather helped people recognize, tolerate, and appreciate the rich differences in music of other cultures” (Kang 2016).The embrace of cultural differences is more or less the desired approach to multicultural music education today.

For a more thorough overview of the history of and current approaches in multicultural music education, see the following sources:

  • Kang, Sangmi. 2016. “The History of Multicultural Music Education and Its Prospects: The Controversy of Music Universalism and Its Application.” Update: Applications of Research in Music Education 34 (2):21-28. https://doi.org/10.1177/8755123314548044.
  • Anderson, William M., and Patricia Shehan Campbell. 2011. Multicultural Perspectives in Music Education. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
  • Volk, Terese M. 1993. “The History and Development of Multicultural Music Education as Evidenced in the ‘Music Educators Journal’, 1967-1992.” Journal of Research in Music Education no. 2:137-155.

Challenges and Possible Solutions

–Kennedi Johnson

Universalism

  • Universalism in music education may lead to the neglection of the diversity in world cultures and musics. A universalist approach to multicultural music education may take on a romanticized view of whatever music/culture/society is being studied or taught. A romanticized view can lead to a whitewashed, reductionist presentation of the material.
  • A possible alternative to a universalist approach in multicultural music education would be to view and teach music as a “nonuniversalism.” Rather than distilling musics and cultures down to their similarities, nonuniversalism highlights and celebrates their differences

Notions of Authenticity and Eurocentrism/Westernization

  • “World music” has been readily available to music educators for decades—arrangements and transcriptions can be found in the standard K-12 music textbooks. There are a few issues to be aware of when using these arrangements. For example, many of these arrangements may have been “Westernized” through the inclusion of piano accompaniment where there was none, incorrect text translations, rhythm and pitch modifications, addition of “Western” harmonies, etcetera. These common amendments bring up issues of authenticity.Although recreating how a piece of music is performed in its cultural context is not always possible, some degree of authenticity matters in order to “reflect stylistic differences of musics from various cultures” (Kang 2016). If an educator uses these arrangements, be sure to have students listen to an “authentic” recording of the piece and have them identify the differences.

Current Scholars and Bibliography

–Kennedi Johnson

Michael Bakan, professor of ethnomusicology at Florida State University

  • Bakan, Michael B., Benjamin D. Koen, Megan Bakan, Fred Kobylarz, Lindee Morgan, Rachel Goff, and Sally Kahn. 2008. “Saying Something Else: Improvisation and Music-Play Facilitation in a Medical Ethnomusicology Program for Children on the Autism Spectrum.” College Music Symposium 48:1–30.

Patricia Shehan Campbell, professor of ethnomusicology and music education at the University of Washington

  • Campbell, Patricia Shehan. 2002. Music Education in a Time of Cultural Transformation. Music Educators Journal 89 (1):27-32.
  • Campbell, Patricia Shehan, Ellen McCullough-Brabson, and Judith Cook Tucker. 1994. Roots & Branches: A Legacy of Multicultural Music for Children. Vol. 2. World Music Press
  • Campbell, Patricia Shehan. 2004. Teaching Music Globally: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. Oxford University Press.
  • Campbell, Patricia Shehan. (2016). “World Music Pedagogy: Where Music Meets Culture in Classroom Practice.” In Teaching General Music: Approaches, Issues, and Viewpoints, edited by Carlos R. Abril and Brent M. Gault, 89–111. Oxford University Press.

Ann Clements, professor of music education at Penn State

  • Clements, Ann C. 2010. Alternative Approaches in Music Education: Case Studies from the Field Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Kay Edwards, professor of music education at Miami University

  • Edwards, Kay L. 2012. “Becoming a (World) Musically Inclusive Teacher: Preparation for Pre-Service Teachers.” Triad 79 (4):127.
  • Edwards, Kay L. 1998. “Multicultural Music Instruction in the Elementary School: What Can Be Achieved?” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, no. 138:62–82.

Amanda C. Soto, professor of music education at Texas State University

  • Soto, Amanda Christina, Chee-Hoo Lum, and Patricia Shehan Campbell. 2009. “A University—School Music Partnership for Music Education Majors in a Culturally Distinctive Community.” Journal of Research in Music Education 56 (4):338–56. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022429408329106.

Christopher Roberts, professor of music education at the University of Washington

  • Roberts, J. Christopher, and Patricia Shehan Campbell. 2015. “Multiculturalism and Social Justice: Complementary Movements for Education in and through Music.” The Oxford Handbook of Social Justice in Music Education, 272–286. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199356157.013.19.

Other Selected Works

Books

  • Barrett, Janet R., and Peter R. Webster. 2014. The Musical Experience: Rethinking Music Teaching and Learning. Oxford University Press.
  • Moore, Marvelene C., and Philip Ewell, eds. 2010. Kaleidoscope of Cultures: A Celebration of Multicultural Research and Practice. Lanham, VA: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
  • Schippers, Huib. 2009. Facing the Music: Shaping Music Education from a Global Perspective. Oxford University Press.
  • Volk, Terese M. 2004. Music, Education, and Multiculturalism: Foundations and Principles. Oxford University Press, USA.

Articles

  • Abril, Carlos R. 2009. “Responding to Culture in the Instrumental Music Programme: A Teacher’s Journey.” Music Education Research 11 (1):77–91.
  • Alarcio, Katherine, Kim Minhee, Cathlyn Momohara, Kevin Morita, and Janice Okimoto. 2017. Multicultural Music Education: Through the Eyes of the Next Generation. Orff Echo49(4):28-33.
  • Chen-Hafteck, Lily. 2007. “In Search of a Motivating Multicultural Music Experience: Lessons Learned from the Sounds of Silk Project.” International Journal Of Music Education 25 (3):223–33.
  • Hess, Julie. 2015. “Decolonizing Music Education: Moving beyond Tokenism.” International Journal Of Music Education 33 (3):336–47.
  • Karlsen, Sidsel. 2012. “Multiple Repertoires of Ways of Being and Acting in Music: Immigrant Students’ Musical Agency as an Impetus for Democracy.” Music Education Research 14 (2):131–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2012.685460.
  • Nethsinghe, Rohan. 2012. “Finding Balance in a Mix of Culture: Appreciation of Diversity through Multicultural Music Education.” International Journal Of Music Education 30 (4):382–96.
  • Southcott, Jane, and Dawn Joseph. 2010. “Engaging, Exploring, and Experiencing Multicultural Music in Australian Music Teacher Education: The Changing Landscape of Multicultural Music Education.” Journal of Music Teacher Education 20 (1):8–26.
  • Szego, C. K. 2005. “Praxial Foundation of Multicultural Music Education.” In Praxial Music Education: Reflections and Dialogues edited by David J. Elliot, 196–208. Oxford University Press.

Workshops, Courses & Lesson Plans

–Kennedi Johnson

 

Upcoming Smithsonian Folkways Workshops and Courses

“Get to the grassroots of teaching and facilitating an understanding of music across world cultures. In its fifth year, the Smithsonian Folkways intensive course in World Music Pedagogy has trained and certified hundreds of musicians and teachers of various levels and contexts (including K-12 teachers and tertiary-level professors) to know more of the performance of the world’s musical traditions and how to teach them.”

  • June
    • West Virginia University’s School of Music will host its fourth Smithsonian Folkways certificate course in World Music Pedagogy, June 17-21, 2019.
    • The University of Washington will hold its second seminar on Teaching World Music in Higher Education. The seminar is co-sponsored by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, and is intended for university faculty who are in the process of diversifying undergraduate studies in music, June 22, 2019.
    • The University of Washington will host its 11th annual Smithsonian Folkways Certificate Course in World Music Pedagogy, June 24-28, 2019.
Smithsonian Folkways Lesson Plans

These lesson plans are free and available to the public. Folkways “Network of Music Educators” provides these lessons that touch on music and culture from Africa, Asia, Australia and Oceania, Europe, North America, South America, and Other.

There are lesson plans available for all stages of K-12 music education and may involve performance, guided listening and readings, or forms of integrated learning. The lessons also include the National Music Education Standards they meet and if the lesson is cross-curricular any other subject. Lessons may be printed and downloaded in PDF format.