What is multicultural music education and why is it important?
What is multicultural music education?
“Dancing is every child’s cultural birthright…Music, too, is the memory of our people brought to life…[In music and dance] our children can awaken to a knowledge of themselves—their community and their country—in ways that cannot be duplicated (D’Amboise, 1991, p. 5).” Multicultural music education is both the teaching of music from diverse cultures as well as teaching students from diverse cultural backgrounds. Multicultural music education developed from three distinct, yet interconnected fields, music education, multicultural education, and ethnomusicology (Herbert, 2010, pg. 7). Today, both music and general education teachers strive to incorporate multicultural themes into their lessons. In the past, great strides have been taken in the field of multicultural music education. In 1953 for example, the founding of both the Society for Ethnomusicology and the International Society for Music Education, began the push toward greater awareness of multicultural music education. Similarly, the Tanglewood Symposium of 1967, organized by MENC, addressed the question of content of school music programs and encouraged "polycultural curriculums." In 1972 the Music Educators Journal released a special issue entitled "Music in World Cultures" that discussed multicultural music education and included recorded samples of the music it discussed. For a detailed history of multicultural music education, see the section of this webpage entitled MME History.
Why is multicultural music education important for preschool and pre-kindergarten students?
Although there has been a wealth of research on multicultural music education, the bulk of this exploration focuses on the elementary through college years. Little research has been conducted on the value of multicultural music education for preschool and pre-kindergarten children. However, we do know that, throughout the world, music and dance are an integral part of the bonding process across generations. Through participation, sharing, and cooperation, music connects children with other members of their culture and the greater society. Music can help familiarize children with the musical heritage of different cultures, regions, and ethnic groups. When children listen to and respond to music from different cultures, they play a part in preserving and passing on cultural traditions. Children are exposed to languages, customs, and beliefs of varying cultures through music (Isenberg & Jalongo, 2010, p. 190-191).
How can early childhood teachers incorporate multicultural music in the classroom?
With these ideas in mind, preschool and prekindergarten music and general education teachers can utilize multicultural music education in their daily lessons. Children need to experience music in its fullest to fully appreciate and respond to it. When children listen, dance, and sing to music from diverse cultures, they also gain knowledge about diversity, tolerance, and cultural understanding. Not only do children learn valuable lessons, multicultural music is fun and engaging. Children love to dance and sing, particularly to things that are new and interesting. For ideas on topics and techniques for incorporating multicultural music education in the classroom, please explore the rest of this website. The Videos section contains examples of multicultural video clips that can be used in the classroom. The Online Resources section provides links to websites that contain valuable information about multicultural music. The Recorded Resources section is a list of available recordings of multicultural children's music. The Books sections provides examples of picture books and teacher resource books to consider when planning multicultural music lessons. Enjoy!
D’Amboise, J. (1991). Quoted in Music Educators National Conference, Growing up complete: The imperative for music education (p. 5). Reston, VA: Author.
Herbert, D.G. & Karlsen, S. (2010). Editorial introduction: Multiculturalism and music education. The Finnish Journal of Music Education , 13(1), 6-11.
Isenberg, J.P. & Jalongo, M.R. (2010). Creative thinking and arts based learning: Preschool through fourth grade (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
“Dancing is every child’s cultural birthright…Music, too, is the memory of our people brought to life…[In music and dance] our children can awaken to a knowledge of themselves—their community and their country—in ways that cannot be duplicated (D’Amboise, 1991, p. 5).” Multicultural music education is both the teaching of music from diverse cultures as well as teaching students from diverse cultural backgrounds. Multicultural music education developed from three distinct, yet interconnected fields, music education, multicultural education, and ethnomusicology (Herbert, 2010, pg. 7). Today, both music and general education teachers strive to incorporate multicultural themes into their lessons. In the past, great strides have been taken in the field of multicultural music education. In 1953 for example, the founding of both the Society for Ethnomusicology and the International Society for Music Education, began the push toward greater awareness of multicultural music education. Similarly, the Tanglewood Symposium of 1967, organized by MENC, addressed the question of content of school music programs and encouraged "polycultural curriculums." In 1972 the Music Educators Journal released a special issue entitled "Music in World Cultures" that discussed multicultural music education and included recorded samples of the music it discussed. For a detailed history of multicultural music education, see the section of this webpage entitled MME History.
Why is multicultural music education important for preschool and pre-kindergarten students?
Although there has been a wealth of research on multicultural music education, the bulk of this exploration focuses on the elementary through college years. Little research has been conducted on the value of multicultural music education for preschool and pre-kindergarten children. However, we do know that, throughout the world, music and dance are an integral part of the bonding process across generations. Through participation, sharing, and cooperation, music connects children with other members of their culture and the greater society. Music can help familiarize children with the musical heritage of different cultures, regions, and ethnic groups. When children listen to and respond to music from different cultures, they play a part in preserving and passing on cultural traditions. Children are exposed to languages, customs, and beliefs of varying cultures through music (Isenberg & Jalongo, 2010, p. 190-191).
How can early childhood teachers incorporate multicultural music in the classroom?
With these ideas in mind, preschool and prekindergarten music and general education teachers can utilize multicultural music education in their daily lessons. Children need to experience music in its fullest to fully appreciate and respond to it. When children listen, dance, and sing to music from diverse cultures, they also gain knowledge about diversity, tolerance, and cultural understanding. Not only do children learn valuable lessons, multicultural music is fun and engaging. Children love to dance and sing, particularly to things that are new and interesting. For ideas on topics and techniques for incorporating multicultural music education in the classroom, please explore the rest of this website. The Videos section contains examples of multicultural video clips that can be used in the classroom. The Online Resources section provides links to websites that contain valuable information about multicultural music. The Recorded Resources section is a list of available recordings of multicultural children's music. The Books sections provides examples of picture books and teacher resource books to consider when planning multicultural music lessons. Enjoy!
D’Amboise, J. (1991). Quoted in Music Educators National Conference, Growing up complete: The imperative for music education (p. 5). Reston, VA: Author.
Herbert, D.G. & Karlsen, S. (2010). Editorial introduction: Multiculturalism and music education. The Finnish Journal of Music Education , 13(1), 6-11.
Isenberg, J.P. & Jalongo, M.R. (2010). Creative thinking and arts based learning: Preschool through fourth grade (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.