They call music the “Universal Language.” Music goes beyond cultural and language barriers, speaking to us emotionally as human beings. Music paints an auditory picture of a moment in time that encapsulates our rich history, culture, feelings, opinions, and many other subtle details of a cultural experience that enable its listeners to appreciate and understand that moment on a deep level. Music speaks to our hearts and is a great opportunity to break down stereotypes and prejudices about minority cultures in the music classroom. This article will discuss how to include cultural diversity in your music curriculum through the music you share and the lessons you teach.
What Is Cultural Diversity in the Music Classroom?
Cultural diversity in the music classroom begins with a music curriculum that includes musical instruments and songs from around the world, new and old. It is a time to begin conversations about culture, about how music has been influenced over time by people from many countries, and to help students feel proud of their own heritage.
How to Incorporate Cultural Diversity in Your Curriculum
- Folk Music – Using folk music in the music classroom is a great way to link cultures from around the world with music education. The use of pentatonic scales in many folk songs makes learning the melody easier for elementary students. You can easily use Solfege with Curwin hand signs to teach students these simple songs. Folk songs were passed down orally, so often have very catchy melodies or are accompanied by a dance or game. There are many folk tunes to choose from, giving endless teaching possibilities throughout the year.
- Modern Music in Different Languages – Let’s face it, kids want to sing songs that sound like the ones they listen to at home. But there are many songs from around the world that are pop-oriented. You can add a song from a different country to your concert. You can also sing part of a familiar American song in a different language. Try adding one song with foreign lyrics every year to your concert.
- History of Instruments – The history of instruments can be fascinating and be a great time to highlight how other cultures have influenced music today. One example is the banjo. It’s origins had originally come to America from West and Central Africa through enslaved Africans who brought a similar instrument with four strings crafted from a split gourd. The “banjar” was popularized by minstrel shows and then developed further by Joel Sweeney, who helped create the five-string banjo we know of today.
- Percussion Instruments – Many music classrooms are filled with percussion instruments which were collected over the years. Each instrument has a name, an origin, and a great story to tell students who are eager to take a turn to play them. These instruments are great opportunities to open a conversation about that country and its culture. You can also tie in a song from that same place and center the entire lesson around a particular country.
- A Culturally Diverse Concert Theme – Concert themes can be focused on cultural diversity with Holiday songs from around the world or other such concert themes. For more ideas about concerts, you can check out my article about Holiday Concert Themes.
- Guest Artists – Guest performers can show students how they play their exotic instrument and tell them a little bit about the instrument and the music’s history. If you have the resources in your area, this would be a great way to get music students excited about new cultures. Think about people who play the sitar or possibly a koto. These are just two examples of many wonderful instruments from around the world. If you are wondering how to find someone that knows how to play a koto, you can ask a nearby college for recommendations or check online.
- Music Projects That Explore A Student’s Own Heritage – You can develop a project that allows a student to explore their own heritage. One example is to let students choose a song from their heritage and share it with the class. They can do a presentation about the culture the song comes from and even be allowed to dress up in traditional clothing. This can help build confidence in students and help bring awareness of the diversity right in your classroom.
- Scales and Tunings – From the semitones of an Indian scale to the Japanese Hirajōshi scale, there are many beautiful scales and tunings that can allow students to expand their cultural horizons and develop an appreciation for music that sounds different from their own. Try introducing a new scale every month along with listening to a song using that scale.
- Study of How Genres Were Influenced By Culture – American music is made up of many musical genres. All these genres were inspired by earlier genres. The transition of one popular music genre to another is often marked by a significant historical event or cultural change. Middle school and high school music classes can include these lessons to help bridge there own music with the music of the past, giving them an overall appreciation for their own history.
- Don’t be Afraid to Learn From Your Students – A classroom is a unique space with many people who come together from all ethnicities and cultural backgrounds to learn a common thing. Allow students to help with pronunciation if they know the language of a song. They may also be excited to go home and ask their grandparent or parent to help them with a song they are learning bringing their own family together and helping foster confidence in their own heritage. You can have a class discussion about what kind of music they listen to at home. Maybe it’s Bollywood, Latin Music, or something less common. You can ask them to bring in a song they like from that genre to share with the class.
The Challenge
Music educators can be faced with challenges when it comes to cultural diversity in the classroom. There may be prejudiced remarks or giggles from students who don’t understand a new culture and its music. Be ready to address this in a kind way. Setting expectations at the start of a lesson will allow students to feel safe in expressing their own link to those cultures. There may even be prejudices within the school or community. Start to introduce music slowly so you can adjust your lesson to suit the needs of the class and the administration.
Conclusion
We live in a time when the internet has made access to music from around the world very easy. My own kids were listening to Japanese music when they were in elementary school just because they liked anime and they found it all by themselves! This is a great time to break down cultural barriers and give students a deep appreciation for all music. What things have you tried in your classroom? Leave a comment below.
References:
“Banjo” Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjo (Accessed 5-18-2024)
“The Indian Scale” https://www.ism.org/images/ismtrust/files/Takeaway/The-Indian-scale.pdf (Accessed 5-18-2024)
“Japanese Scales in Music Theory” https://www.musicnotes.com/blog/japanese-scales-in-music-theory/ (Accessed 5-18-2024)
“Our List of Music Scales From Around the World” https://www.hoffmanacademy.com/blog/our-list-of-music-scales-from-around-the-world/ (Accessed 5-18-2024)