Equitable Curricula in Music

One of the most important ongoing conversations in music education is that of composer diversity. However building an equitable community in music education extends beyond just composer diversity, and towards the generation of an equitable curriculum. In my view, this is the watershed from which strides in all other forms of equitable outcomes can be created. For instance, a music education curriculum that incorporates the cultural identities of composers and musicians from around the world will help students to develop the critical-thinking skills necessary to analyze the impact a population's cultural heritage has had on their music and the ways social inequities have shaped outcomes for musical communities. 

At the local level, many schools do not include nearly enough emphasis on composers of diverse background. One reason for this is that the study of the theory and history of European music has been classified as 'musicology', while the study of the theory and history of non-European music has been classified as 'ethnomusicology'. Though this, it can be observed that even at the university level disparities exist in the treatment of European (Western) music versus non-European (Western) music. Many general music teachers must include both of these subjects in their curriculum, and in doing so are cornered into perpetuating the exclusion of non-European (Western) composers into their curriculum. Whether by choice or not, their students are educated to distinguish music of European origin as 'better' than music of non-European origin because of the way that curriculum requirements hamper teachers into instructing in a certain manner. This is systemic: notation systems, musical jargon, and instrument families reflect the curriculum policies and traditions of administrators creating course curriculums for teachers. Although large gains have been made in identifying areas of exclusion and underrepresentation in music education, there is still a long path ahead towards the inclusion of all peoples in the music education curriculum.

What can be done to address these challenges, and what steps can be taken to build a more equitable community in music education?

While I don't know all the answers, I think there are a few things that teachers can do right away to build better communities in music education. Of course, many changes that have (and are currently) taking place in music education have occurred in decade long-plus cycles. To quote Paul Graham, "With ambition, you tend to get one step below what you aim for. So unless you try to be the best, you won't even be good." To this end, I think that teachers should aim to include, as much as they can, the perspectives of music makers from across the world and the ways in which groups have been included while others have been excluded from the mainstream dialogue of music education in the United States. It's better to attempt to convey these ideas than not at all: even if one falls short, they have still achieved more in creating an equitable community than one that has not tried in the first place. I'm always looking to learn more about this topic, and would love to hear from you if you have any thoughts on this topic.