From Veracruz to Los Angeles: The Tradition of Son Jarocho

The African Mexican music tradition of son jarocho comes from the Veracruz region of Mexico. As a performance practice, son jarocho has strong ties to social justice and civil rights, and is a thriving genre both in Mexico and in the United States. This article includes teaching suggestions for guitar or ukulele lessons in general music settings for elementary or middle school level students. The phases of World Music Pedagogy are applied to several son jarocho resources.

Mindfulness Access Points in General Music: Singing, Breathing, and Self-Awareness

The purpose of this column is to promote the use of focused breathing and singing as access points to improved student self-awareness in the general music classroom. Singing is a holistic activity with the healing potential to improve and transform many traumatic life experiences endured by our students. Similarly, mindfulness breathwork is a holistic approach used to enhance self-awareness in the moment and can reduce anxiety. Both pursuits have the potential to help students overcome difficulties of fear, stress, and anxiety. Both practices expose participants to new ways of understanding themselves and the world around them while creating important access points to mindfulness and self-awareness.

Considerations With Virtual Secondary Music Students

The global COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning environments, adding significantly to an already-challenging time for adolescents. In many cases, students and teachers have abruptly shifted to online learning platforms that may occur entirely in a home environment. Music often plays a significant role in adolescents’ processes of identity-building and social connection. Music classes might play an important role in coping during these times, even when learning is virtual. Music teachers may question students’ well-being and their own mentorship roles. This article includes concerns about teaching music with adolescents, specifically when adapted to virtual technologies. Considerations are detailed for pedagogical care and possible benefits of at-home learning that might enhance students’ music learning experiences.

Music for a Boss Fight: Creating for the Context of Video Game Worlds

Creating music increases student engagement, and drawing on students’ background knowledge is a respectful way to value students’ lived experiences. By challenging students to create music for the context of a video game world, teachers can build on students’ previous knowledge and bridge that knowledge to the elements of music and creating music for specific contexts and purposes. This column outlines a project for fourth graders to create video game music for specific contexts within the game.

Reflections on Teaching General Music Online During Lockdown

In this column, I reflect on my experiences teaching online during lockdown. In particular, I discuss the benefits and disadvantages of prerecorded lessons, when compared with live Zoom sessions, for elementary general music classes.

What Does Critical Race Theory Have to do With Music Education?

As more states pass bills banning critical race theory in schools, it is especially important for teachers to understand what critical race theory is and the implications of such bills. To understand what critical race theory is and intends to do. I look at its origins and how it has been employed in the field of education. Recognizing the legacy of European colonialism in music education, I propose that teachers critically examine our own subjectivities and engage with students’ counterstories to disrupt the dominant narrative.

Transformational Learning Strategies for the Secondary General Music Classroom

This article discusses transformative learning in secondary general music (SGM), while considering students’ transitions from elementary to secondary music classes. SGM is uniquely situated for expanded pedagogies and musicianship, yet a gap in music activities persists between elementary and secondary classes and between home and school. The authors suggest that autonomous learning opportunities can foster ownership and meaning making for students toward lifelong musicianship as well as toward transformative learning. Three overlapping aspects of transformative SGM are discussed: skill-building, exploring contextual understandings, and making time and space for creativity and ownership. Emergent curricula that take students’ interests and experiences into account is encouraged. The authors advocate for projects that encourage collaboration beyond the school walls to foster purposeful connections to prior learning and personal music growth.