Civil rights advocate and law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term "intersectionality," defining it in 2020 as "a lens, a prism, for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other. We tend to talk about race inequality as separate from inequality based on gender, class,…

Children's literature, including picture books, can be appropriate for any age level and can help students understand complex concepts, such as music. It can also engage students in music learning. Students garner a deeper comprehension of both the text and music when bringing children's literature to life, and reading aloud enhances students'…

the National Jukebox at the Library of Congress represents one of the largest online collections of early-twentieth-century acoustical sound recordings. Since its initial launch in 2011, the National Jukebox has grown to include more than 16,000 recordings from the Victor, Columbia, and Harmony labels, made up of contributions from organizations…

In considering the audition as a barrier to an entry into both music and music education, the question of excellence emerges as an important site of reckoning. "Excellence" in a music school audition encompasses Western classical music, the ability to read notation, and knowledge and execution of Western classical technique. Auditions…

This article describes music educators' conceptions of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). We collaborated with six music teachers to consider ways in which DEI is conceptualized and practiced in their own teaching settings. The teachers were carefully selected to encompass a multitude of identities, including race, ethnicity, gender,…

In this article, the two authors talk about their vastly different trajectories that span international geographies and contrasting circumstances. By chance, their lives intersected in a music education program in an American prison. They trace their lifeworlds and how their musical engagement was a reciprocal learning experience for both of them.…

Many music educators view activism through the gaze and experience of the U.S. civil rights movement and the protests of the 1960s. This article examines how two Brooklyn, New York-based music educators engage in activism in their school communities by centering student identity and cultivating joyful musical experiences. The authors share their…

Music educators are responsible for teaching students with an array of personality types and must be able to reach them all. Introverted or quieter students may constitute up to 50 percent of participants in a given music class or ensemble. In this article, we discuss differences between extroverted and introverted music learners and synthesize…

In recent years, the national discourse on social justice has inevitably bled into the music classroom. This article suggests ways in which these discussions can be welcomed into music pedagogy in a manner that can support those who have been marginalized by society. The author relates Jacque Derrida's principle of hospitality to our pedagogy and…

An essential element of creative musicianship is the ability to seek, provide, and respond to feedback. This article presents a method of teaching elementary music students to respond to creative work in a way that is productive and uplifting, using a discussion protocol. Grounded in the work of Lerman and Borstel's critical response and Seidel's…

Autonomy-supportive teaching, self-determination theory, and self-regulated learning can be effective methods for increasing student motivation in a range of classroom settings. However, music educators struggle to apply principles of student autonomy in ensemble rehearsals. Using intent-based leadership as a practical model for guiding students…

With the ever-growing diversity of students in our schools, so too are the cultures and experiences that our students bring with them into the classroom. Yet many teachers feel ill-equipped to teach their students in a culturally responsive way. This article includes strategies for music mentors to successfully mentor beginning teachers toward…

This article presents a field-tested approach for integrating music arranging into middle and high school music ensembles. This project-based unit of study builds on scholarship in informal music learning and social constructivism. Reflections from former high school students who participated in the project help illuminate these connections. The…

A priority of music educators across the globe continues to be the incorporation of music from various cultures into the classroom. In this article, the term "authenticity" is introduced as it applies to music education. Authentic music teaching experiences for use in the classroom from the West African Ewe music, Cuban cha-cha-chá, and…

In this article, we situate songwriting in elementary spaces as a vehicle for personal and musical expression and informed by popular music practices. We offer insights for how educators can anchor students' work by encouraging them to create songs for a specific purpose like shedding light on social issues relevant to their lives. This article…