80s Metal and Friends' Bedrooms: A New General Music Model

• In Event: Exploring General Music Classrooms

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate one teacher’s musical background as a learner and teacher to understand the development of his popular music curriculum. Music teachers follow a rigid, self-perpetuating educational pathway where band, choir, and orchestra students become band, choir, and orchestra teachers. Jeffrey’s past musical experiences look different from other music teachers’ backgrounds, which led to Jeffrey’s pedagogical values and beliefs. I conducted a case study of Jeffrey that included five semi-structured interviews. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory to guide my data analysis, I argue that Jeffrey’s classroom setup and curriculum are a direct consequence of his unique musical pathway as a music learner and teacher, one that falls outside the typical music teacher pathway.

Author

• Bri'Ann Wright, University of Maryland - College Park