Nuestra Música: An Exploratory Study of the Musical Lives of Spanish-English Emergent Bi/Multilingual Children

• In Event: Social Justice in Music Curriculum and Instruction

Abstract

Schools are increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse, yet music education continues to lag behind these measures in enrollment (Elpus & Abril, 2011, 2019) and music teacher preparation (Elpus, 2015). Centering diversity in general music education (GME) can reverse this trend (Abril, 2023). GME provides an entrypoint to learning through language, especially for English Language Learners, or emergent bi/multilinguals. To connect with these students, teachers must know about their musical lives. This qualitative study aims to reveal the multilingual and multimodal ways that Latinx, Spanish-English emergent bi/multilingual children engage with music. Themes include family engagement, dominant musical discourses, technology as music education, and negative self-esteem toward music-making. Implications include adapting instruction to leverage students’ assets through culturally sustaining pedagogies.

Author

• Victor Antonio Lozada, University of North Texas - Dallas