Culturally Responsive Music Education in Action - Anthony M. Rideout

Culturally Responsive Music Education in Action

Anthony M. Rideout Doctoral Student in Music Education - Rutgers University Music Teacher - Long Hill Township Public Schools arideout[at]scarletmail.rutgers.edu

It is commonplace to say that the foundation of American music education is rooted within the cultural heritage and musical styles of Western Europe (Bond, 2017; Kindall-Smith et al., 2011; Shaw, 2012). Most music method books, music text books, and music teaching methodologies are also framed in Eurocentric models and music. However, Western European inspired music may not be the main musical source that students are hearing in their homes. This can illustrate a disconnection in the educational process due to the riff between what students experience at home and at school (Gay, 2002, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 1995, 2014). It is important to acknowledge that music teachers possess great responsibilities by assisting in the formulation of student identity and providing rich musical opportunities through exploring, examining, and creating diverse music from around the world.

Culturally responsive teaching can provide all students, regardless of their cultural or ethnic heritage, the opportunity to cultivate lasting understandings, appreciation, and respect for the cultural and ethnic identities that make up their communities both inside and outside of school. These necessary insights allow future generations to be prepared to face the challenges of an everchanging, interconnected world with empathy, compassion, and understanding.

Music educators have an opportunity to create welcoming and effective music communities through culturally responsive teaching. In a myriad of classrooms, the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of teachers does not match the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of their students (Gay, 2002; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Kindall-Smith et al., 2011; McKoy, et al., 2009). This cultural and ethnic disconnect can create unproductive learning environments. Culturally responsive teaching practices —as examined in other TEMPO Magazine articles (e.g., Bond, 2021) and elsewhere mitigate this disconnect and therefore can facilitate more meaningful music lessons for all students.

The main tenet of culturally responsive teaching is student success. When educators use the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of their students during instruction, the opportunities for student engagement, comprehension, and achievement can dramatically rise. Culturally responsive teaching practices for music educators may concern themselves in three areas: cultural awareness, the use of culture bearers, and the authenticity of performance practices. Cultural Awareness

Possessing and practicing cultural awareness acknowledges, understands, respects, and celebrates the heritage(s) of an individual or community. Culturally responsive teachers become well versed with the cultures and ethnicities of the students in their classroom. Gay (2002) suggests that a “requirement for developing a knowledge base for culturally responsive teaching is acquiring detailed factual information about the cultural particularities of specific ethnic groups…” (p. 107). Thus, culturally responsive educators listen to and immerse themselves into the communities of their students to deepen their own cultural understandings.

Without this comprehension of student backgrounds, teachers may overgeneralize or stereotype the various cultures found represented in their classrooms (Abril & Robinson, 2019; Bond, 2017; Kindall-Smith et al., 2011; Shaw, 2012). All students possess their own personal relationship with culture and ethnicity. Because of this, overgeneralizing or stereotyping may lead to students feeling uncomfortable or unsafe in the learning environment. Culturally responsive teachers are diligent in continuing their edification in regards to the various cultures and ethnicities in their school communities. The cultural and ethnic backgrounds of students can provide favorable circumstances for music educators to think, in a culturally responsive way, how best to serve their students.

Culture Bearers

Music educators should not be expected to be experts in all cultures or ethnicities. Culturally responsive teachers can lean on culture bearers from inside and outside of the educational setting to assist during lessons (Bond, 2017; Ladson-Billings, 1995, 2014; Gay, 2002, 2010; Shaw, 2012). Culture bearers from outside the school can provide personal insights into a culture and its traditions. They may also be able to address any misconceptions, assist with language pronunciation, and model appropriate cultural nuances. Culture bearers provide the school community a chance to interact with individuals from various cultures or ethnic groups. Such engagement allows for interactive learning activities for the students, which cannot be interpreted and experienced from a text book.

In addition, students participating in school music programs can be a valuable cultural resource. Shaw (2012) states that “including music from students’ cultures of reference is one way to empower students by allowing them to serve as experts” (p. 77). Students from underrepresented cultures or ethnic groups have the opportunity to share what they know from their culture to others. This educational exchange helps to promote and enhance the cultural awareness and appreciation of students and teachers alike.

Authenticity of Performance Practices

Diverse populations of people learn, perform, and value music differently. Thus alternative teaching methods can provide students from various cultural and ethnic upbringings culturally appropriate styles of learning music, depending on the particular music explored. For example, if students are utilizing Western European standard notation when learning a piece of music that is culturally taught by rote, their music teacher is not engaging in culturally relevant teaching techniques. This kind of disregard of a culture’s musical tradition undermines the principles of culturally responsive teaching. Numerous cultures and ethnic groups have an oral tradition of passing music from generation to generation and it is of paramount importance to honor that tradition.

Music teachers may struggle to authentically perform music from various cultures or ethnic groups. Educators may be hesitant to use culturally varied repertoire due to potential issues in enacting musical modes of expression typically not housed in the school setting. This reluctance may be caused by a possible lack of specific instruments or familiarity with performance practices. Abril and Robinson (2019) suggest that “educators should strive to create culturally valid musical experiences, which is defined as being typical and characteristic of the represented culture” (p. 442). All music teachers have the ability to use culturally appropriate techniques when introducing new music regardless of the supplies they currently have in their classrooms. Educators therefore can respect cultural and ethnic performance customs and traditions and use appropriate performance techniques with the materials and/or instruments that are available in the classroom.

A Personal Teaching Narrative

There are particular strategies I employ when being and becoming a culturally responsive music teacher. For example, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are typically observed at the beginning of the school year while many teachers are establishing classroom procedures and reviewing concepts from the previous year. Unfortunately, these holidays can go unrecognized in our schools.

Being a culturally responsive educator, I contacted the Art Teacher, a culture bearer, who in turn made a short, pre-recorded video to share her experiences in participating in both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur customs. Before showing the video to each class, I asked if any student celebrated the two holidays. Many of our Jewish students were thrilled to have an opportunity to tell the class their family traditions. We listened to a shofar and discussed possible reasons why it is made from a horn of a ram. The students and I also participated in a short meditation to reflect on areas where we have fallen short and how we could make different choices.

At the end of the school day on Yom Kippur Eve, the Art Teacher visited the music room with tears of joy because a large number of students wished her “an easy fast,” the traditional acknowledgement of the beginning of the Yom Kippur fast. Being seen, heard, and honored are some of the reasons why cultural responsive teaching practices should be an essential part of every music educator’s pedagogical practice.

References

Abril, C. R., & Robinson, N. R. (2019). Comparing situated and simulated learning approaches to developing culturally responsive music teachers. International Journal of Music

Education, 37(3), 440–453. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761419842427 Bond, V. L. (2017). Culturally responsive education in music education: A literature review. Contributions to Music Education, 42, 153-180. Retrieved from https://login.proxy.libra ies.rutgers.edu/login?url=?url=https://www-proquest-com. proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/scholarly-journals/culturallyresponsive-education-music-literature/docview/1900107185/ se-2?accountid=13626 Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching.

Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2), 106–116. https://doi. org/10.1177/0022487102053002003 Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Kindall-Smith, M., McKoy, C. L., & Mills, S. W. (2011).

Challenging exclusionary paradigms in the traditional musical canon: Implications for music education practice. International Journal of Music Education, 29(4), 374–386. https://doi. org/10.1177/0255761411421075 Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory into Practice, 34(3), 159-165. Retrieved December 6, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1476635 Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74–84. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.84.1.p2rj131485484751 McKoy, C. L., MacLeod, R. B., Walter, J. S., & Nolker, D. B. (2017). The impact of an in-service workshop on cooperaing teachers’ perceptions of culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 26(2), 50–63. https://doi. org/10.1177/1057083716629392 Shaw, J. (2012). The skin that we sing: Culturally responsive choral music education. Music Educators Journal, 98(4), 75–81. https://doi.org/10.1177/0027432112443561