U.S. Music Education Professional Association DEI Leaders’ Recommendations for Inclusive Praxis

Abstract

Music Education Professional Associations (MEPAs) are membership-based non-profit organizations that advance music education through professional development, policy work, and advocacy. We interviewed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leaders (N = 16) from MEPAs in the United States to learn about their recommendations for inclusive praxis in music education, particularly given the current “DEI Backlash.” Participants urged MEPA leaders, PK–12 music educators, and music teacher educators (MTEs) to listen, “walk the walk,” allocate funds, develop skills and knowledge, and confront the role of politics. Participants indicated that PK–12 music educators should prioritize building relationships with families/communities, increasing the relevance of PK–12 school music, and persisting through mistakes. Finally, participants encouraged MTEs to resist replicating their own learning experiences, decenter Western classical music, discuss their positionalities, and ensure that preservice music teachers (PMTs) have field experiences with diverse populations. We conclude this article by contextualizing their suggestions within scholarship on the DEI backlash.