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.

Teaching World Music

For teaching musicians and music educators who work in elementary, secondary, and tertiary teacher education programs, questions of cultural diversity and social justice have triggered the development of teaching models, methods, and movements. One such program is the week-long intensive course in World Music Pedagogy by the University of Washington in partnership with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, a Smithsonian Institution nonprofit record label that documents music from across the world. The course features an examination of audio, video, print, electronic, and human resources, with the aim of learning as well as developing an understanding of ways to teach music of the world’s cultures. Attention is given to learning cultural heritage through songs, movement and dance experiences, instrumental music, and contextualized cultural components. Musical experiences are tailored for use at various levels, including in classes for children, youth, and adults in university and community settings. Going on ten years of development, the course has succeeded in offering pathways to teaching world music at all levels. It has also been a labor of love for those in education and ethnomusicology who have fashioned it, and who have lived the challenges of connecting ethnomusicological principles to classroom practice. This essay tells the story of a “two steps forward and one step back” in shaping music education practices that center on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the design, delivery, and full facilitation of lessons in music of the world’s cultures.

Demystifying World Music Education: From Guiding Principles to Meaningful Practice

Over the past several decades, music education scholars have put forth a variety of convincing rationales for world music education. Yet the gap between theory and practice in this area persists. In theoretical ways, practicing music educators acknowledge the value of world music learning experiences, but many remain reluctant to fully embrace and embody this approach in practice. Through this article, one practicing general music educator shares her personal experience of writing, implementing, and subsequently observing another music educator use a new world music curriculum resource, inspired by the music traditions of the Fon people in southern Benin. As our understanding of world music pedagogy continues to evolve, more practicing music educators should share their unique perspectives and experiences. These “snapshots” from the field can help other (perhaps more hesitant) music educators envision what this pedagogical approach might look like in their own classrooms.