Welcoming the Other—Pursuing Social Justice through Hospitality in the Music Classroom

Abstract

In recent years, the national discourse on social justice has inevitably bled into the music classroom. This article suggests ways in which these discussions can be welcomed into music pedagogy in a manner that can support those who have been marginalized by society. The author relates Jacque Derrida’s principle of hospitality to our pedagogy and explores how this principle could allow music educators to reexamine the way we teach music, from the names of the voice sections in our choirs, to the very names of musical genres, to the structure of lesson plans.