Leading the Charge: Incorporating Popular Music in Curriculum

This study examines the attitudes, values, and beliefs of a sample of New York music teachers toward the inclusion of popular music in school programs. Teachers participated in a survey that asked the following questions: 1) To what extent are K-12 teachers interested in teaching a variety of popular music instruments and styles? 2) What attitudes and beliefs do music teachers express about popular music education? 3) What popular music approaches are used most frequently by music teachers? and 4) What are the opportunities or barriers associated with popular music classes and ensembles in school settings?

This research expands upon previous literature that discovered music teachers in the United States are resistant to integrating popular music in their curriculum in part because of their personal views on the value and quality of the music. Additional barriers emerged from this new data set including school scheduling, large-ensemble structure, and Western notation. Increased course offerings combined with fewer class periods (often as a result of “block scheduling”) prevents students from registering music courses, a potential reason for not expanding course offerings. Additionally, the large-ensemble structure that exists in most school music programs is contradictory to the small group nature of popular music. Only 61.8% of teachers reported that their students had the opportunity to work in small groups during the school day. Western notation can pose another barrier because it is contradictory to the aural nature of learning of popular music. Only 17.3% of respondents indicated that students had frequent opportunities to learn music by ear. Despite these challenges, the authors provide substantial evidence for why popular music education is vital to the longevity of school music programs. The authors suggest approaching popular music education through the lenses of inclusivity, access, and “musical amateurism.”

While Northern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, have made significant advances in popular music education in schools, the United States has been slower to progress. The authors suggest this is a result of insufficient teacher training in popular music pedagogy. Governing organizations of Music Teacher Preparation programs, such as the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), have been calling for an inclusive curriculum for years. However, scholars have found that undergraduate programs still focus on the Western European canon almost exclusively. As a result, new generations of teachers continue to facilitate learning for students that is heavily influenced by Western European tradition and practice.

Description goes hereThe times are changing as new generations of music teachers are seemingly more open-minded about including popular music. However, teacher preparation programs do not offer enough opportunity to prepare preservice teachers to authentically teach contemporary music genres. Furthermore, this lack of exposure and support may prevent teachers from embarking on their own learning because they may feel incompetent or not know where to begin. Another concerning finding from this study was that respondents were more interested in teaching rock and pop styles than hip hop and electronic music. Rock and pop music are heavily influenced by white music history and generously spotlight white/hetero/male musicians, while hip hop and electronic genres are rooted in Black history, culture, and style. Rock music in particular has a history of spotlighting white, male musicians and songwriters. Therefore, I wonder how music educators can embrace popular music while ensuring all identities and histories are represented in curriculum.