“Heavy Is the Head That Wears the Crown”: Crafting an Intersecting CRiT-Hop Music Education Pedagogy

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Revolutionizing Education Through Hip-Hop: Narratives of Empowerment and Liberation (Table 9)

Abstract

Hip-hop musicians like Kendrick Lamar, Little Simz, Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Lil’ Nas X, and others, have spoken about their experiences with disability and neurodivergence through their music. In this literature review and conceptual paper, I examine the intersections between hip-hop pedagogy and Critical Disability Race Studies (DisCrit) in general and music educational research, including related literature on teacher education. Using these interactions, I conclude the review with a new framework of “CRiT-hop” music education pedagogy as a tool for music teachers to center the experiences of disabled individuals. Along with creating a liberatory space for racially minoritized students with disabilities, this framework provides disability representation and musical materials that are culturally relevant to and representative of contemporary student populations.

Author

• Christian Michael Folk, University of Texas at Austin