yond that, neither our students nor our schools can be defined by the simplistic and often stereotypical label of “urban.” (p. 3) For individuals uncomfortable with the “urban” label, the author offers descriptors such as “under-resourced” or “underserved” as alternatives.
A Proactive Point of View
Prevalent throughout Fitzpatrick-Harnish’s book is a focus on students’ strengths rather than their weaknesses. This is a central and critical component of culturally responsive peda- gogy (Lind & McKoy, 2016). Accordingly teachers are en- couraged to actively learn about their students to determine ways to successfully engage them in meaningful musical ex- periences. Knowledge of students, families and communities is necessary in order to build a program that meets students’ needs while challenging them to grow and learn. Fitzpatrick- Harnish describes her book as a “counternarrative of urban music education”, one that dispels negative connotations and stereotypes associated with a deficit view of urban education (Delpit, 1995; Ladsen-Billings, 1994) and instead celebrates the unique possibilities inherent in this setting. At the same time her work doesn’t sugar coat the issues facing urban mu- sic educators and their students. Instead challenges are aptly described followed by positive steps teachers may choose to enact that can whittle away at the “opportunity gap” so prevalent in underfunded and under-resourced schools.
Real People, Real Teaching
A noteworthy feature of Fitzpatrick-Harnish’s book is an ongoing connection to real people and real teaching. This connection begins with the Foreword. Unlike most forwards that feature words from an academic expert, this is written by one of Kate’s previous students, now a captain in the United States Army. This young woman writes of the impact Kate and the music program had on her life. Her testament reflects first hand the value and power of how music programs can change lives, regardless of setting, when teachers put stu- dents first. Fitzpatrick-Harnish’s personal experiences as an instrumental music teacher in Columbus, Ohio are described in the Preface and woven throughout the book.
In the first chapter readers are introduced to five outstand- ing urban music educators. These individuals teach music in inner city schools, often with limited resources and sup- port, yet they all maintain high standards for their students and music program. Collectively their experiences capture over 102 years of music teaching in the areas of band, choir, strings, mariachi, and general music. Their stories feature prominently in the remaining chapters and their proffered advice should prove useful to readers. Often times the sug- gestions reflect common sense solutions to challenges typi-
cally experienced in under-resourced schools regardless of location. The inclusion of this information (i.e. stories, ex- periences, advice) lends a user friendly aspect to the book – music teachers will be able to relate to situations and experi- ences described and in turn discover strategies or approaches that apply to their own programs.
Fitzpatrick-Harnish’s book has much to offer, focusing as it does on a student-centered approach to teaching and learn- ing. And while good teaching is good teaching regardless of place, disparate opportunities framed by skin color, ethnic- ity, language, and social class status create an unequal play- ing field. Although typically associated with school setting, opportunity gaps can and do occur in a multitude of school settings. Hopefully readers will see beyond the book’s title and avail themselves of the valuable information residing within.
Delpit, L. (1995). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: New Press.
Ladsen-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Lind, V., & McKoy, C. (2016). Culturally responsive teach- ing in music education: From understanding to appli- cation. New York: Routledge.
Lind, V., & McKoy, C. (2016). Culturally responsive teaching in music education: From understanding to application. New York: Routledge. $39.95 (paper- back), 147 pages. ISBN 978-1138814714
Reviewed by Karen Salvador, Associate Professor of Music, University of Michigan-Flint
Culturally responsive teaching has developed as a re- sult of educators looking for ways to provide equitable educational experiences for all children. It requires teachers to develop strategies designed to connect schooling to the lives and learning styles of cultural- ly diverse student populations. Culturally responsive teaching celebrates diversity and sees it as an instruc- tional resource rather than a problem; it teaches the whole child and integrates all facets of the learning process and the instructional environment; it enables students to develop a sense of self-efficacy both within and beyond school; it challenges the educational sta- tus quo for the benefit of all learners; and it acknowl- edges the importance of including multiple perspec- tives in the quest to examine and explore the “truth” of a discipline (Lind & McKoy, 2016, p. 20).
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