Abramo, J. M. (2011).

Gender differences of popular music production in secondary

schools. ​Journal of Research in Music Education, 59​(1), 21-43.

● This article discusses research on how different gendered groups operate in a

secondary general music classroom.
● Research publication
● Gender has an effect across the fields of popular music. There are thoughts on
how genders communicate differently, approach playing instruments differently,
and there are even gender biases toward which style or manner an instrument
should be played in (electric guitar for males, acoustic for females to accompany
singing). In the case study discussed in the article, three types of musical groups
were observed: an all female group, and all male group, and a mixed gender
group. It was observed that the all male group utilized mainly nonverbal
communication when collaborating on their musical project; they would just play
and work things out that way. The all female group typically separated verbal
communication and playing when working on their musical project, and the mixed
gender group ran into conflict due to lapses in effective communication.

Allsup, R. E. (2011). Popular music and classical musicians: Strategies and

perspectives. ​Music Educators Journal, 97​(3), 30–34.

● This article discusses strategies on how to teach popular music in the classroom
using “classroom garage bands.”
● Practitioner publication
● Classroom garage bands are utilized to bridge the gap between classical
musicians and popular musicians. Each group is balanced in the sense of
instrumentation, popular/jazz music experience, ethnicity, etc. This allows for a
more democratic learning environment where students can share their
experiences and skills and draw from each other, and even balance out each
other’s strengths and weaknesses. These classroom garage bands function
similarly to chamber groups in the classical music world. The ensemble works
together to think critically and create music; it’s just a different genre of music.
The teacher takes on a more facilitative role in this more informal setting, where
they offer guidance and provoke thinking when needed. Popular music and
classical music do not need to exist in polarity, but can and should build off of
and from each other.
Davis, S. G., & Blair, D. V. (2011). Popular music in American teacher education: A
glimpse into a secondary methods course. ​International Journal of Music
Education​, ​29​(2), 124-140.

● This article is about how and why educators should incorporate popular music
into their classrooms.
● Research article
● Incorporating popular music into the classroom is essential to the future of music
education in America. More students are able to relate to music of a variety of
genres, as opposed to the more classical canon in music. If students are more
interested in popular music, why don’t we as educators meet them where they
are at? By utilizing popular music in the classroom the teacher can build a better
relationship with their students as individuals because the students can respect
someone that also respects their own interests.

Gracyk, T. (2004). Popular music: The very idea of listening to it. In C. X. Rodriguez
(Ed.), ​Bridging the gap: Popular music and music education ​(pp. 51–70). Reston,
VA: MENC.

● This article discusses the development of a curriculum that incorporates

technology and aesthetics in popular music education.
● Practitioner publication
● There is no current existing standard for how to teach popular music in a
classroom setting; in fact, there is not even an agreed upon definition for popular
music or secondary general music. This article sets a framework for popular
music pedagogy to provide a starting point to give the learning process some
level of consistency, which largely includes incorporating technology. This
popular music curriculum is aimed towards undergraduate preservice teachers.
The goal is to reach all types of music learners, not just students who play
classical instruments.

Hess, J. (2015). Decolonizing music education: Moving beyond tokenism. ​International

Journal of Music Education​, ​33​(3), 336–347.

● This article explains Canada’s current curriculum and how this curriculum tends
to value and emphasize specific kinds of music (western classical) over “other”
music and shows Mohanty’s three different curricular models that allow teachers
to diversify their curriculum to incorporate more feminist musical literature. This
 article specifically emphasizes the third curricular model, the “Comparative
Feminist Studies Model,” and how music educators can incorporate this model
and build upon it. The author emphasizes that this model doesn’t suggest that we
only study “other” musics, rather that we incorporate them into our everyday
curriculum. However, this also means that we don’t save the “other” musics for
their own “unit” or class period, rather we entangle “other” musics along with
western classical and compare the two and emphasizes how these genres are
interconnected.
● Research Publication

Kruse, A. J. (2014).Toward hip-hop pedagogies for music education. ​International

Journal of Music Education​, ​34​(2), 247–260
● This article discusses various hip-hop pedagogies, their implications in music
education, and lists resources for incorporating hip-hop into the music classroom.
● Research Publication
● This article begins by discussing various hip-hop pedagogies, specifically
pedagogies with hip-hop (hip-hop as a bridge), pedagogies about hip-hop
(hip-hop as a lens), and pedagogies of hip-hop (hip-hop as practice). Pedagogies
with hip-hop is geared towards connecting school lessons with hip-hop culture,
which can take the form of listening to hip-hop pieces, analyzing them, and
determining form and how that relates to the classical canon. Pedagogies about
hip-hop entails students and teachers critically examining hip-hop and how it
relates to sociocultural issues. Pedagogies of hip-hop is about applying hip-hop
worldviews to the classroom; this could look like students composing original
hip-hop music. Kruse argues that the use of hip-hop could revitalize the practice
and culture of our current day music classrooms.

Martignetti, F., Talbot, B., Clauhs, M., Hawkins, T., & Niknafs, N. (2013). “You got to
know us”: A hopeful model for music education in schools. ​Visions of Research in
Music Education​, ​23,​ 1-27.

● This article describes the perspectives of 5 different music educators in urban

settings, and demystifies or confirms various stereotypes and narratives in urban
school settings and these effects on urban music education. The article explains
that programs like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have made urban
schools increasingly more segregated (or re-segregated) by race and economic
status. It also points out that society as a whole has focused on the deficits
associated with urban public schools, and in turn views urban school teachers
and programs as lazy and lacking in progress. It also points out the issue of
 “white knights” (Mcintyre, 1997, p.123) coming into urban schools to “save”
disadvantaged students, yet rarely stay in urban schools very long.
● Practitioner publication

Niknafs, N. (2013). Free improvisation: What it is, and why we should apply it in our
general music classrooms. ​General Music Today, 27​(1), 29-34.

● This article explains free improvisation, why it should be used in the music
classroom, and how it can be implemented.
● Practitioner Publication
● This article defines free improvisation as an interplay between sound and silence,
the texture of sound, and how performers respond musically to one another. The
key features of it are that anyone can engage in free improvisation regardless of
age or ability, and it is the amalgamation of the participants’ musical identities. It
is beneficial for music educators because it allows them to get to know their
students better and resultantly create a more relevant curriculum. It encourages
collaboration within a group while providing space for individual creativity.
Creating a safe space where improvisation can be learned and practiced in the
music classroom allows for meaningful experiences.

Ruthmann, A. S. (2007). The composers’ workshop: An approach to composing in the

classroom. ​Music Educators Journal, 93(​ 4), 38-43.

● This article provides suggestions on how to incorporate music composition into

secondary general music classroom through “The Composers’ Workshop”.
● Practitioner Publication
● Ruthmann’s article explains how to utilize composing in the music classroom in a
way that connects to students’ musical interests. Rather than teaching
composition using written notation, Ruthmann suggests basing the composition
process on writers’ workshops, thus making the process more meaningful to
students. The central ideas of the composers’ workshops are to compose,
improvise, and perform. This means expressing musical ideas through sound,
analyzing musical works of students’ interests, and giving and receiving feedback
on compositions in a collaborative manner. Students will learn about the many
musical roles an artist has, and the teacher will develop skills on creating
mini-lessons and questions based on students’ experimentation process that
best help them grow.
Thibeault, M. D. (2013). Quite a lot on some problems with—and just a little on the
hopes for—secondary general music with regards to culturally responsive and
respectful music education. ​General Music Today​, ​26​(3), 35–38.

● This article identifies various aspects of music education that have been
historically lacking in cultural responsiveness in fiction, politics, and personal
experiences. Specific examples include ​The Good Times Are Killing ME​ (Barry,
2002) and a campaign speech by Barack Obama in 2008. In addition, the article
points out the lack of emphasis that secondary general music is given in music
education undergraduate curriculum, and how this lack of focus on secondary
general music at the collegiate level may be a reason that it is often overlooked
at the middle and high school levels. The article also suggests that a remedy for
low enrollment in secondary general music classes is to create classes that
appeal to a wide variety of students.
● Research Article

Tobias, E. S. (2013). Composing, songwriting, and producing: Informing popular music

pedagogy. ​Research Studies in Music Education​, ​35​(2), 213–237

● This article introduces methods to incorporate songwriting, composition, and

production of popular music in the classroom and reasons that these methods
can be beneficial for students. The main reasoning behind this study is the idea
that music as a whole is a broad and diverse practice, and the way we teach
music can be broad and diverse as well. The author points out that, prior to this
study, original music in music education was often limited to improvisation and
composition (in the standard-notation, “traditional” instruments sense). In
addition, the author explains that music production courses offer an alternative
composing tool. In the recording studio, technological aids can be used to
enhance a song. For example, if a student comes in to record with a melody and
chords written, they could additionally add synth or drum machine to this record.
● Research Publication

Waldron, J. (2009). Exploring a virtual music ‘community of practice’: Informal music

learning on the Internet. ​Journal of Music, Technology & Education, 2​(2/3),
97-112.

● This article explores the characteristics of online communities of practice, such

as informal learning, and their implications for lifelong music learning, formal
music education, and narrative research.
● Research Publication
● This article explains Waldron’s study, analyzed using a cyber ethnomusicology
methodology, on how community members learn Old Time music online and
whether or not that constitutes a community of practice (CoP). Communities of
practice are groups of individuals who learn their craft better and more
meaningfully by interacting with others. CoPs are characterized by meaning
(talking about ability to engage with life more meaningfully), practice (talking
about shared resources and perspectives in a way that encourages action),
community (place where ideas and participation are affirmed), and identity
(talking about how learning shapes us, which can inform and grow the larger
community). Waldron argues that online CoPs could potentially be a basis for
meaningful experiences in lifelong music learning, an important goal in music
education.