Participants firmly believed that their students were capable of whatever any child anywhere could do. Examples in- cluded students memorizing instrumental songs in less than a week, teaching themselves jazz, and realizing their po- tentials as musicians. One participant spoke of a parent of a band student providing opportunities for students by apply- ing for grant funding to assist with purchasing of instru- ments. Once an initial financial foundation was established, band parents then took over fund raising responsibilities for repair of instruments and purchase of additional instru- ments. Teachers also facilitated interactions with visiting artists and cultural institutions. Finally, teachers worked to create meaningful relationships with students by creat- ing a collaborative class and school environment that went beyond a feeling of “us versus them” (students and teacher in opposition to each other) and, instead, emphasized the feeling of “we” (collaboration and cooperation between teacher and students).
Mixon (2005), a music teacher in the Syracuse (New York) City School District, shared his successful strategies on how to elicit parental and administrative support and how to create viable avenues of funding for urban instrumental music programs. Due to high poverty levels in urban areas, Mixon strongly suggested that urban school districts pro- vide instruments for its students. Financial resources, how- ever, may be scarce for capital purchases such as instru- ments. Mixon recommended that educators collaborate with a school district’s grant writer or another music teacher and apply for appropriate grants. Fine arts administrators may be able to provide additional financial assistance from their budgets. Building principals may also be willing to secure funds for a quality instrumental music program, particularly if interest in the program has been cultivated in parents, community members, faculty, and district-wide administra- tive officials.
Mixon noted that support at home is crucial for student success in urban schools and encouraged educators to reach out, establish lines of communication, and create relation- ships with families. The traditional beginning of the school year open house may not draw many family members. Thus, educators may need to be proactive with communi- cation. Calling home with positive news about students is almost always welcome and can help establish relation- ships with parents that could become particularly useful in the event of concerns of progress or behavior. When no phone number is available, notes may be mailed home or sent home via students. Mixon encouraged urban instru- mental music educators to consider creating non-traditional performance ensembles, also known as culturally relevant ensembles, so students can perform music that represents their culture, thus creating relevance and interest. These non-traditional performance ensembles can include drum-
11
lines, steel drum bands, popular music, and mariachi and salsa ensembles. Mixon admonished educators to learn about the style of the music of the culturally relevant en- semble they are teaching to ensure performance quality and authenticity.
Recommendations for Teaching Practice All three authors described the need for urban music educa- tors to create collaborative relationships with students and families. Fitzpatrick (2011) also spoke of creating a “safe space,” a warm and caring environment in which students could feel comfortable. Maslow’s (1970) hierarchy of needs stipulates that higher level needs and processes cannot take place until the most fundamental levels of the hierarchy, including physiological and safety needs, are met. Due to the possible challenges one may find in an urban environ- ment, including high levels of poverty and violence (Mix- on, 2005), the school may be the only safe refuge for some students and the only place where Maslow’s fundamental levels of the hierarchy can be satisfied. Urban music educa- tors, therefore, need to create environments where students feel safe, feel welcome, can be themselves, and contribute positively to the learning process. Urban music educators also can create a collaborative classroom environment by building a sense of community, looking out for each other, and soliciting student input on classroom processes and community events.
Fitzpatrick (2011) and Bernard (2010) also referred to the importance of being student-centered in one’s teaching. Just like their suburban and rural counterparts, urban students are able to achieve at a high level, given proper mentoring and effective teaching from those that hold students at high standards and are student-centered in their teaching prac- tices. Teachers should reflect on their teaching processes to ensure that their actions are always in the best interests of the students, that students will be successful, and that stu- dents are being challenged at a level that is appropriate for them. A student-centered philosophy in the classroom can result in increased levels of student ownership and input in the learning process. Students will tend to meet or exceed teachers’ expectations, thus assisting with creating a sense of professional satisfaction in teachers.
Culturally relevant ensembles can be a student-centered context to be used as a means for both recruitment and retention of instrumental music students. Students can be very excited to perform “their own” music in a social, col- laborative, and educational environment with their friends. Students can also arrange relevant songs and then teach those songs to their peers, creating an informal music- learning program (Green, 2008) within the confines of the school. This type of educational structure can create a sense of student ownership, thus assisting with retention of
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48