Rethinking Middle Level General Music: Five Democratic Principles to Enhance Student Engagement Stephanie Cronenberg Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Mason Gross School of the Arts The present moment in education in the United States, with its focus on standardized learning and testing, challenges educators who desire to cultivate democratic learning communities (Elliott, 2016; Michelli & Jacobowitz, 2016; Wall & Wall, 2016). While the idea of integrating democratic principles into music education is not new (see Allsup, 2016; DeLorenzo, 2016; Woodford, 2005), specific democratic principles may help to reshape middle level general music. Randall Allsup (2016) argues that “music teachers in public schools are endowed with an obligation to alter – to (re)form, to (re)musik – the quality and character of their music forms to ensure that student life and learning is enlarged, deepened, and enriched” (p. 23). In what follows, I put forward five democratic principles that, if employed, could help remusik middle level general music, increase student engagement, and potentially create a positive musical space for all students and teachers involved. Middle Level If you teach general music to fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grade students, it is likely that you have wondered something like, “what on earth went wrong during that lesson?” Hopefully, you have also had the opportunity to think, “that was great, how can I do the same thing next class?” I purposefully use the phrase “middle level” here because this term is inclusive of all students and teachers, fifth through eighth grade, regardless of school context. Students at this age—variously referred to as middle schoolers, young adolescents, or middle level learners— face a time of significant change, cognitively, physically, emotionally, and socially, as they mature into full adolescence. As a result, they can be unpredictable to their TEMPO
teachers, parents, and even to themselves. Educators and researchers who examine middle level education from all academic disciplines share a common goal of improving education for young adolescents. Their focus puts young adolescent developmental needs at the center of all educational decision-making (see NSMA, 2010). So, what would a general music classroom in this vein look or sound like? How might democratic principles influence classroom experiences and provide new energy to classroom curricula? Five Democratic Principles for Middle Level General Music I define middle level general music as developmentally appropriate musical learning for all young adolescents, music learning that inspires students to continue learning formally or informally in music. Importantly, developmentally appropriate musical learning is key to fostering student engagement both within and beyond the classroom. The ability to cultivate young adolescent engagement rests upon a foundation of five democratic principles drawn from middle level education or music education. They are: 1. Educating the Whole Student 2. Making Connections 3. Integrating Students’ Perspectives 4. Including All Musical Forms 5. Teaching All Students When combined together, these five democratic principles can guide general music teaching-and-learning. Briefly, I describe each democratic principle and provide a tip for teacher development or classroom application. 28
APRIL 2020
