Music educators must meet the needs of students with diverse characteristics, including but not limited to cultural backgrounds, musical abilities and interests, and physical, behavioral, social, and cognitive functioning. Music education programs may not systematically prepare preservice teachers or potential music teacher educators for this…

Music educators sometimes enter the workforce un(der)prepared to design and implement inclusive instruction. The purpose of this descriptive interview study was to explore practicing teachers' self-reported changes in mindset and practice as they worked to become more inclusive. Participants (N = 20) were music educators with between 1 and 17…

By examining beliefs and values and striving to enact these mindsets in classroom practices, music educators can find the inner strength to persist and even create change toward more inclusive and equitable music education. Considering the views of some thinkers on the topics of justice, inclusion, and honesty and how to achieve these in life and…

Elementary general music teachers have differing perspectives on the meaning and value of assessment, and few studies have examined how the results of assessment are applied in the classroom. In this case study, I investigated how one elementary general music teacher used information from assessments to individualize instruction. Over the course…

In music education professional associations (MEPAs), volunteer member-leaders collaborate to guide music education and provide services such as professional development. Recently, we observed some MEPAs creating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, positions, or committees. The purpose of this survey study was to examine the…

Although many music teacher candidates begin university studies planning to teach secondary ensembles, most will ultimately be certified to teach younger children and may be called to do so. The purpose of this study was to examine how music teacher education programs prepare preservice music educators to teach music to children from birth through…

Teaching music is an act of vulnerability. Our connections with music and with our students give our jobs--and perhaps our lives--value and purpose. However, these connections are also why it hurts so much when we feel undervalued or attacked. In this article, I describe research-supported strategies for nurturing courage, peace, and resilience…

Because teaching is an inherently political act, it is important for music teacher educators to consider their role in the public discourse and how they approach the political dimensions of teaching with future music educators. In this interest article, we offer a theoretical basis for engaging preservice music teachers in critical reflection and…

To increase equity in music education, teachers can strive to know each student as a whole child, proactively remove barriers to learning, and seek to honor students' multifaceted and intersectional identities. In this article, we first define intersectionality and examine demographics in music education. Then, we summarize three asset-based…

The purpose of this study was to investigate processes that led practicing music educators in a graduate course to examine their beliefs and practices regarding inclusion, responsiveness, equity, and justice. Using Charmaz's constructivist approach to grounded theory, we interviewed 22 participants from MUS 8XX: Philosophy of Music Education.…

Given the shifting demographics in American education, the rising likelihood of students with special needs being taught in inclusive classrooms, and the increasing openness with which students are challenging gender and sex norms, social justice has become a prevalent research topic in music education. This survey sought to investigate the…

In this article, a music teacher educator and a music therapy clinician and educator discuss special education policy and arts instruction at the district level. To illustrate the gulf between federal and local policies with regard to exceptional learners and arts instruction, we examine the intersections of music therapy and music education with…

Although elementary general music specialists teach students with a variety of exceptionalities every day (Chen, 2007; Hahn, 2010; Hoffman, 2011), many music teacher preparation programs do not adequately address exceptionality (Salvador, 2010). Articles regarding "strategies that work" appear perennially in the professional literature…

The first content standard of the National Standards for Music Education requires that students sing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. Although state and district elementary music curricula vary widely, many are based on the National Standards for Music Education and therefore include singing as a primary content area and…

Music teachers in all specialties seem to struggle with voice problems. Although little research has been done specifically regarding music teachers, teachers in general are known to be at risk for developing voice disorders that can lead to difficulty teaching or even to leaving the profession. In an attempt to prevent this, some teachers have…