Elementary General Music: The Parent Perspective

Music educators are no strangers to the importance of advocacy. Perhaps one way we can improve our methods for advocacy is by understanding parents’ views on music education. This intriguing Master’s Thesis by Hali Shepard is a qualitative, multiple case study that explores parent perspectives on elementary general music. The study took place in Western New York State, with one elementary school parent from each geographic region (urban, suburban, and rural.) Participants were interviewed and the data was analyzed using grounded theory to reveal emerging themes. The four themes discovered were exposure and foundation as purpose, social and developmental benefits, expectations of content and skills, and personal musical experiences of the parent.

Although the sample size of this study is small (three teachers from Western New York) the findings are quite intriguing and worth considering no matter where you teach. The three respondents spoke to the importance of exposing students to music to foster creativity and identify musical abilities. Parents specifically spoke of the positive effects music has on brain development, socialization, child confidence, memory, expression, and assisted learning of non-musical content.

As the author notes, there are parents out there that know the importance of music education. They are able to recall their own experiences as child musicians, and recognize their significance. Additionally, they are able to speak specifically to content, skills, and intrinsic and utilitarian advantages of having music class in elementary school. However, the author notes that the thoughts shared by parents were mostly related to their own experiences, not their child’s. The author encourages music teachers to be transparent with families and other stakeholders about their program, specifically the learning content, in order to establish a stronger community of advocates. Newsletters, board/community presentations, and informal performances were recommended.

Music teachers already know that music education is important, particularly for elementary aged students. So why are we finding ourselves in a constant state of desperate advocacy? I was inspired by this study to hone in on parents. This study presents a sample of parents that are supportive of their school music programs. A future study on the perception of parents whose children don’t participate in music could perhaps provide insight as to how teachers can reframe music programs to fit the needs of the school and community, become inclusionary, and in the end, build a stronger community of advocates.