Grounded Framework for Culturally Relevant and Responsive Music Teaching

Building upon the work of Ladson–Billings, Lind and McKoy, and Shaw, our proposed framework takes into consideration the depth and breadth of musical experiences and contexts, musical content, and the diversity of musical cultures. The proposed framework includes four quadrants: (a) teacher competencies, (b) informed choices, (c) authenticity, and (d) holistic and comparative lessons. The framework provides K–16 teachers with tangible, accessible, and actionable methods for implementing a teaching pedagogy that has often been misunderstood or implemented without fidelity, and therefore ineffective. Each quadrant’s description and detail provide educators with guidance, supporting their individual musical growth, facilitating authentic relationships with students, authentic performances, and careful idea development for lesson planning that is inclusive of multiple musical perspectives and origins. Muñiz and Richards et al. acknowledged that community support and teacher capacity are essential for culturally relevant pedagogy to be implemented effectively, thus increasing students’ academic growth.

Jammin’ the Blues: Experiencing the “Good Life”

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics, attitudes, and perceptions of older musicians who participated regularly in a local blues jam. Six core dimensions of eudaimonic well-being and their conceptual foundations provided a framework for examining the way that music-making contributes to subjective well-being during the lifespan of an individual. The following research questions guided this investigation: (1) In what ways do biographical factors and engagement with music influence the lives of older adult blues/rock musicians who participate in a local blues jam? (2) What implications for subjective well-being with regard to music learning might be used to inform music education practices? Interviews and observations over a 2-month period provided data for understanding how lived experiences impacted personal well-being, and musical growth and development over time. Findings suggested that eudaimonic well-being is the result of active engagement in human activities that are goal-directed and purposeful, and a good life involves the self-realization of individual dispositions and talents over a lifetime. Implications for music education include individualized pedagogical approaches that encourage learners to discover a sense of well-being in and through music.

Planting the Seeds: Orchestral Music Education as a Context for Fostering Growth Mindsets

Growth mindset is an important aspect of children’s socioemotional development and is subject to change due to environmental influence. Orchestral music education may function as a fertile context in which to promote growth mindset; however, this education is not widely available to children facing economic hardship. This study examined whether participation in a program of orchestral music education was associated with higher levels of overall growth mindset and greater change in levels of musical growth mindset among children placed at risk by poverty. After at least 2 years of orchestral participation, students reported significantly higher levels of overall growth mindset than their peers; participating students also reported statistically significant increases in musical growth mindset regardless of the number of years that they were enrolled in orchestral music education. These findings have implications for future research into specific pedagogical practices that may promote growth mindset in the context of orchestral music education and more generally for future studies of the extra-musical benefits of high-quality music education.

Understanding the Learners

Chapter 4 examines the sequencing of undergraduate instruction in relation to student musical growth. Sample purposes and goals for undergraduate music education and typical degree outlines are provided from the National Association of Schools of Music. Vignettes written by music students are provided for each level of undergraduate student—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior, which highlight student musical needs at various stages of development. The chapter encourages readers to reflect back on their own musical growth as undergraduate students, and provides instructors with suggestions for differentiating musical instruction.

Preparing Music Teachers to Nurture the Musical Growth of Young Children

Preparing preservice music teachers to support the innate musical abilities of young children begins an exciting pedagogical journey at a time when musical development is rapidly progressing. Through a well-designed early childhood music methods course, preservice music teachers can learn how to nurture young children’s musicality through playful and joyful music experiences that are developmentally appropriate. With these points in mind, this chapter features ways in which to construct curriculum for early childhood music methods courses. Topics include characteristics of music development, cultivating a practice grounded in a pedagogy of play and informal guidance, teaching early childhood music in varied contexts, starting and maintaining a business, the role of policy in early childhood music, and professional development. Through a course of this kind, preservice early childhood music teachers will learn how to establish a practice that fosters young children’s musical development.

Developing Growth Mindset in the Ensemble Rehearsal

Growth mindset, or the belief that talents and abilities are malleable and can grow, is known to hold immense benefits in the world of education. What benefits could it hold for our students’ musical growth as well? This article explores the many benefits of instilling a growth mindset into our ensembles by examining research in educational psychology and general music. This article provides an overview of the benefits of a growth mindset as well as strategies to help ensemble instructors implement the concept into the classroom.

Finding meaning through musical growth: Life histories of visually impaired musicians

The purpose of this study is to examine in depth the lives of visually impaired professional musicians via the life history method. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with eight visually impaired professional musicians. The data analysis considered three facets of life history proposed by Mandelbaum: dimensions, turning points, and adaptations. The dimensions of life (families, schools, private music teachers, and performance groups) were analysed first. The turning points of life involve accepting and overcoming an impairment and choosing to major in music. Adaptations to life involve persevering in a harsh social environment, living as an impaired musician, aspiring to a successful career as a professional musician, and learning from vigorous musical activities. Most participants suggested that families and performance groups are the most important dimensions of their lives. With respect to turning points, choosing to major in music has enabled the participants to accept and overcome the difficulties associated with being visually impaired. Through adaptation, the participants appear to have found their value, role, and meaning both as members of society and as professional musicians. This implies both the importance of expanding performing opportunities for visually impaired musicians and the importance of acknowledging their professional activities, affording visually impaired musicians better livelihoods by offering them more fulfilling roles in the field of music along with significant, long-term public support.

Music for life: a Japanese experience of spirituality, ageing and musical growth

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the role of musical engagement in later-life spiritual development and ageing. The nexus of music, spirituality and ageing has been relatively unexplored. Change of styles, means of expression and ways of engagement are among the transformation that older musicians often encounter. Based on an ethnographic study of Japanese music practitioners, the paper introduces a community music practice in which spiritual cultivation is a collective goal of musical pursuit. A case introduced in this paper suggests that music helps to develop a sense of purpose and enhance the meaning of life by instilling the feeling that people are still able to develop musically and spiritually. Some of the transformation identified in the study included changes of repertoire, the purpose of practice and the meaning of progress, all of which was characterised in the dictum of less-is-more. The paper highlights the process in which spiritual development and musical growth are linked and support positive ageing.

Motivational and Social Network Dynamics of Ensemble Music Making

Whereas musicians may be driven by an intrinsic desire for musical growth, self-determination theory suggests this drive must also be sustained and nurtured by the social environment. Integrating the theoretical frameworks of self-determination theory and social network analysis, the chapter investigates the relationship between participatory motivation and social networks in a collegiate marching band. This study documents that members are predominantly self-determined to participate and are particularly motivated for social reasons. Highly intrinsically motivated members are more integrated into the band’s friendship and advice networks and tend to be motivated by the value that other band members ascribe to the activity. This suggests these members are internalizing those values and seeking others with similar viewpoints. The findings highlight the centrality of the social experience in the band for individual’s motivation to participate in music making and leisure and have implications for sustaining and promoting motivation and well-being in musical ensembles.