Social Justice in Social Justice in Music EducationMusic Education

Bridging a GapAlex Reynolds

Based on Gustein and Sleeter readings

Why Should We Include a Why Should We Include a Unit on Social Justice, Unit on Social Justice,

Anyway?Anyway? Through the Sleeter and Gustein readings, we can understand that marginalized students lack the power that the white middle class rules with.

We are constantly trying to “teach” that which is relevant to our students, and social justice is something that will be relevant throughout their entire lives.

So . . .

**Why not start them **Why not start them thinking critically aboutthinking critically aboutwhere equality may orwhere equality may ormay not exist in our may not exist in our nation? There may notnation? There may notbe anyone else encour-be anyone else encour-aging them to do so!**aging them to do so!**

But Here’s the Thing . . .

These marginalized groups we speak of include minorities, gays, lesbians, These marginalized groups we speak of include minorities, gays, lesbians, people of a low social and economic class, people with disabilities, etc. people of a low social and economic class, people with disabilities, etc. Many people who speak of multicultural education or social justice are Many people who speak of multicultural education or social justice are none of these things! In fact, many of us are a part of the white middle none of these things! In fact, many of us are a part of the white middle class… the “norm” of all “norms.” We are not the only ones who can start class… the “norm” of all “norms.” We are not the only ones who can start to bring social justice to our schools and communities, because we are to bring social justice to our schools and communities, because we are not part of this “constituent base,” as Sleeter calls the all-inclusive not part of this “constituent base,” as Sleeter calls the all-inclusive marginalized group.marginalized group.

Therefore, we need to start handing over some of our power to Therefore, we need to start handing over some of our power to parents and community members who parents and community members who areare part of the constituent part of the constituent group!group!

This is Not something that will just magically happen!

We educators have to take the initiative to get community members involved, and as Sleeter explains, we need to hand off some of our power; “Empowerment has come commonly to mean individual advancement” (Sleeter), but we need our definition to mean To give power to a constituent community.

Once we successfully start to get community members involved in the school and coming up with ideas of multicultural or social justice units, we must pass these ideas onto our students immediately, as we see some educators have in Gustein’s book.

In Gustein’s second chapter, he gave an example of an educator’s math students collecting data and bringing it to the city council’s attention: there was highly disproportionate number of liquor stores in the students’ neighborhood. It isn’t stated if anything was done to change this, but students took the first step in bringing it to the people in power’s attention.

How can we do this in music?

I remember my music program in high school brining in my friend’s father to play Indian tabla for us

once. My friend and her family are Indian, and her father is a master tabla player. He went

through the hand motions and techniques, and he went over the counting used for this instrument.

Some students got to go up on stage after the class and try it

themselves. It’s something small to start with, but the (constituent)

community got involved, and everyone got to “learn” about one aspect of a culture different from

their own.

Questions We Must Ask… Gustein asks, “To what extent can educators support the development of students’

cultural identities when we are outsiders to their communities, cultures, and languages?” (28).

I think this is why we go to our community--for help and support we need to bring in, and celebrate all of the cultures we come from. From day one we should be projecting the idea that each culture is fascinating and is valuable! We can start by finding out about the cultures of our students, researching and understanding what we can about them, and looking for parents and the community’s help for everything else.

Specifically in music, we can ask How can we change students’ orientation toward music? And ask them: Can colored students only listen to “black” music? Can white students only listen to “white” music? How do we come to think of “whiteness” and “blackness” and any other “ness” in our community? From there we must begin to think of how we can make all music seem readily available and valuable to all students.

The Minnow and The Trout

“He lp me out, said the minnow to the trout, I was los t and found myse lf swimming in your mouth…”

“Ple ase , I know that we ’re diffe re nt, but we we re one ce ll in the se a in the be g inning . And what we ’re made of was all the same once . We ’re not that diffe re nt afte r all.”