Music Teachers’ Preferences for Diverse Traditional and Contemporary Popular Songs and Their Use in Classes

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  In Roundtable Session: Issues in Music Education (Table 12)

Abstract

We examined in-service music teachers’ personal and external preferences for culturally diverse traditional and contemporary popular songs and the extent to which they predict their use in class. Music teachers (N = 97), from 23 to 70 years old, completed an online survey, which included 24 musical excerpts in traditional and contemporary popular styles from Africa (Ghana & Kenya), Asia (China & Korea), and South America (Brazil & Chile). Results indicated consistently high correlations between personal preference and external preference. Multivariate and univariate test results show significant effects of continent, style, and their interaction on personal preference, external preference, and classroom use. Music teacher’s external preference for these culturally diverse musics was the most prominent predictor for classroom use.

Authors

• Victor Fung, University of South Florida

• Sangmi Kang, Eastman School of Music

• Hyesoo Yoo, Virginia Tech