Music Education for Some: Music Standards at the Nexus of Neoliberal Reforms and Neoconservative Values

Scott Joplin was an African American composer and pianist of singular merit and influence. This article is the final entry in a three-part series considering the biographical, artistic, and cultural contexts of Joplin’s life and work and their use in K–12 general music education. “Ragtime Spaces” focuses on cultural globalization and the modernist entertainment aesthetic which supported Joplin’s work. Scott Joplin’s creative and entrepreneurial activities embodied humanism, racial uplift, and craftsmanship at a time when society became increasingly racially segregated and dehumanized. The discussion is followed by suggested student activities written in accordance with National Association for Music Education’s 2014 National Music Standards.

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Accountability Concerns

Theory and Practice of Technology-Based Music Instruction ◽

10.1093/oso/9780199795581.003.0011 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Jay Dorfman

Keyword(s):

Music Education ◽

Music Educators ◽

Music Instruction ◽

National Standards ◽

Music Listening ◽

Educational Culture ◽

The Arts ◽

Music Educators National Conference ◽

Music Standards ◽

Teachers And Students

With the advent of technology-based music instruction, we are at an important juncture in terms of standards and accountability. To date, there are no sets of standards that directly address the ways in which TBMI teachers and students work, and therefore there is a lack of clarity as to how we are accountable to the larger educational culture. Several sets of standards exist that come close; they address either the musical or the technological portions of TBMI, but not both. Others address teachers’ roles or students’ roles, but not both. In this chapter, we will examine relevant sets of standards and explore how they imply accountability for TBMI teachers and students. In 1994, the Music Educators National Conference (now the National Association for Music Education) released a document outlining the National Standards for Music Education, in coordination with similar standards in theater, art, and dance. The nine music standards from 1994 were the following: Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines. Reading and notating music. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music. Evaluating music and music performances. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts. Understanding music in relation to history and culture. The NAfME standards suggest curricula that are distributed among performance, musical creativity, and connections between music and context. These are noble goals for which teachers should strive. The NAfME standards are widely accepted, and many teachers refer to them as benchmarks to assess the completeness of curriculum. In no way do the NAfME standards suggest that musical learning should be achieved through technology, nor do they contain suggestions about how students should meet any of them. In this way, the shapers of the NAfME standards are to be commended because the standards are flexible enough that they can be addressed in ways teachers see fit. Therefore, the standards passively suggest that technology-based music instruction is as valid a means of music learning as are other forms.

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“I Dream a World”: Inclusivity in Choral Music Education

Music Educators Journal ◽

10.1177/0027432117735875 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 104 (2) ◽

pp. 38-44

Author(s):

Rhonda Fuelberth ◽

Christy Todd

Keyword(s):

Music Education ◽

Choral Music ◽

Universal Design For Learning ◽

Music Educators ◽

Choral Music Education ◽

Inclusive Practice ◽

Barriers To Access ◽

Music Standards ◽

Design For Learning ◽

Choral Programs

This article explores how choral music educators can facilitate access to meaningful music experiences for all students in their schools. In a changing landscape that honors equity and diversity, music education environments must also change to align with these values. To provide the optimal environment for successful inclusive practice, choral music educators should evaluate barriers to access in terms of scheduling, reconsider current curricular offerings, and imagine new solutions that support music learning for all students. Instead of structuring choral programs around traditional choral concerts and adjudications, directors can use the 2014 Music Standards and the framework of Universal Design for Learning to drive classroom content and acquire the flexibility needed to build inclusive classrooms.

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Composition in the Ensemble Classroom: Ideas From Eight Researcher-Designed Methods

Update Applications of Research in Music Education ◽

10.1177/8755123319846542 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 25-33

Author(s):

Seth A. Taft

Keyword(s):

Elementary School ◽

Music Education ◽

Human Activity ◽

Music Instruction ◽

Composition Instruction ◽

Starting Point ◽

Music Standards

Composition is a natural human activity that can both support other music instruction and help students develop creativity that is applicable to their extramusical endeavors. It also constitutes a major strand within national and state music standards. However, it is not consistently taught in ensemble classrooms, which are often students’ only form of music education past elementary school. In this article, I briefly summarize arguments in favor of composition instruction, then describe and analyze eight composition units and activities developed by researchers for use in the ensemble classroom. I conclude the article with a synthesis of the implications of the methods, along with other research on composition, into eight key ideas to help ensemble directors implement composition instruction in their classrooms. This article serves as a starting point for ensemble directors hoping to implement composition while also directing them to several other resources they might use.

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How Music Education Policies Come to Be and What Teachers Can Do

Music Educators Journal ◽

10.1177/0027432120945011 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 107 (1) ◽

pp. 62-67

Author(s):

Ryan D. Shaw

Keyword(s):

Education Policy ◽

Music Education ◽

Policy Implementation ◽

Arts Education ◽

Policy Making ◽

Music Educators ◽

Collateral Damage ◽

Education Policies ◽

High Quality ◽

Music Standards

Policies often directly impact teachers’ lives and practice, requiring them to engage in spite of extremely busy schedules. This article offers encouragement to music educators wanting to be active—and become activists—in education policy. Before becoming active, one must understand how music education policies come to be. I argue that arts education policies mostly come to be indirectly, as an afterthought. This operates in numerous ways, involving collateral damage in other policy-making processes; nongermane, eleventh-hour negotiations; and incomplete or subverted policy implementation. To demonstrate these processes, I reference examples including access to a high-quality music education, content of national and state music standards, and music graduation education requirements. I also offer general recommendations for music educators who wish to advocate for positive change.

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