feature
• Interrogate gender practices in your school/classroom. Can you avoid the use of gender in class- room management (e.g., pairing or choosing based on “boys” or “girls”)? What can you do when you see gender-related teasing or bullying? Think through the names of classes/ensembles. Could you have a “treble choir” instead of a “women’s choir?” Consider your uniforms and uniform policy. How can you make sure that all students are comfortable on stage?
• Consider adding to (or breaking out of) our current focus on band, orchestra, choir and sometimes jazz, by foregrounding high- status creative projects. How can you create experiences that focus on individual musicianship, individual creative voice, and/ or music that our students (and their families) enjoy? Are there music classes available that focus on collaborative and creative
musicianship? Can students study instruments that are more common outside of Western Classical music, such as guitars, keyboards, drums and voices?
What does this mean for our MEA? MEAs have reputations as “old boys clubs.” In interacting with state and na- tional leadership, I have observed that we do have some of those characteristics… and also that our “old boys” love music, and love students. Further, many want to create more inclusive and equitable school music programs and MEAs, even if they do not always know what to do or where to start. Here are some suggestions:
• Examine required lists for festival. Purge racist material such as min- strel songs. Add new pieces so that the composers and styles reflect more of the diversity in our country (and the world).
• Showcase music programs for rea- sons other than their achievement of a particular set of performance practices on a narrow selection of music. How could we recognize programs for exemplary a) Student creativity? b) Quality of inclusion for students with exceptionalities? c) Fusion of school music with community musics? What else?
• Offer professional development that helps practicing teachers learn about inclusion, equity and justice in practical and applicable ways, perhaps reflecting the list above.
• Find out what students and teachers who are underrepresented in your current programming want and need, and commit to creating it.
• Create participatory music making (Turino, 2008) opportunities as a part of state and regional MEA activities.
Continued on page 41
4 Get the 21st-century advocacy support and resources you need to protect your music program.
4 Become part of the network of serious, committed music educators addressing issues such as standards, assessment, scheduling and diversity.
4 Access to professional development experiences including journals, national and state conferences, books, e-learning events and online mentoring.
4 Spotlight your students with opportunities such as national and state honor ensembles, music honor society and composition contests.
4 Download the NAfME mobile membership app for iPhone or Android and experience NAfME in your pocket.
To join or renew visit
www.nafme.org
Wisconsin School Musician
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