Unintended State-Sanctioned Curricular Violence: A Critical Content Analysis of Large Group Choral Festival Literature

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Twelve
  In Roundtable Session: Considering Music Teaching and Pedagogy (Table 12)

Abstract

This critical content analysis (Short, 2017) examines the Iowa High School Music Association's Large Group Festival's required repertoire list for mixed voice choices. The application of both curriculum violence (Ighobar & Wiggan, 2010) and educative psychic violence (King & Woodson, 2017) to critical readings of 308 of the required pieces showed an over abundance of White, Christian, male, cisgender representations and the omission of composer with marginalized identities. While unsurprising, the analysis rendered pieces with harmful narratives rooted in minstrel and domestic abuse, as well as the omission of non-dominant identities.
This preliminary research, paired with Elpus and Abril's (2011, 2019) work on decreases in secondary ensemble enrollment, especially in regards students with marginalized identities, offers the potential for curricular change.

Author

• Travis R. Gratteau-Zinnel, Iowa State University
  Presenting Author