The Importance of Context: Who's Teaching Music?

Abstract

This article presents the results of an examination of the music instruction in two urban schools as part of a larger context of music and the other arts in school settings. The role of music in the schools, as viewed by arts agencies, psychologists, administrators, or teachers, is expressed in contradictory terms. Music education is either dead in urban schools or revitalized through arts partnerships, is optimally delivered by classroom teachers, music specialists, or artists, and exists either for its own sake or to enhance student understanding of other disciplines. These contradictions create a context for this study of two urban schools. The findings included: 1) most of the music instruction is done by classroom teachers with some assistance from music specialists; 2) the assistance from music specialists is long-term and designed to fit the unique needs of the school community as expressed by the instructional staff and school leadership; 3) the curricular orientation is more than functional: teachers are capable of moving to a more musically-sophisticated orientation; 4) the music instruction in both schools requires the classroom teachers to become expressive performers and teachers; and 5) at the academically-pressured school, many of the teachers do not view the arts instruction as a threat to academic success. The teachers viewed music involvement as a subject in its own right as well as a part of integrated instruction. These two schools represent a new paradigm for urban arts instruction: a context in which teachers are supported in collaborative and innovative methods of instruction that are specific to the needs of a given class, grade level and school.