Popular Music Pedagogies: An Approach to Teaching 21st-Century Skills

Abstract

Changes in the world economy and U.S. educational policy present music educators with the challenge of reassessing traditional pedagogy to ensure they are instructing and assessing in ways that contribute to students’ development of 21st-century knowledge and skill sets. Educators are responding by incorporating pedagogical approaches that challenge students to think critically, problem solve collaboratively, and use technology and media efficiently. Popular Music Pedagogies (PMPs) invite students, music teachers, and music teacher educators to take risks, learn alongside one another, and address 21st-century knowledge and skills through engaging with the music that students choose and create. In this article, we define PMPs and discuss how music teacher educators can incorporate PMPs into music teacher education programs to better prepare preservice and inservice music teachers to function within a Partnership for 21st Century Learning framework.

Perceptions and Preparedness: Preservice Music Educators and Popular Music Teaching Skills

“…Although many teaching skills are transferable between popular music and Western art music, popular music instruction requires the addition of some pedagogical approaches that do not come naturally to many classically trained musicians. According to researchers and pedagogues, informal learning strategies are essential in the popular music classroom (Green, 2002;Isbell, 2016;Vasil et al, 2019). This means shifting away from teacher-centered instruction in favor of student-led learning.…”

Integrating popular music into urban schools: Assessing the effectiveness of a comprehensive music teacher development program

“…Popular music education pedagogies require specific skill sets that empower teachers and students to “take risks, learn alongside one another, and address 21st-century knowledge and skills through engaging with the music that students choose and create” (Vasil et al, 2019, p. 85). Green (2006) argued that the inclusion of popular music in K–12 classrooms requires a change not only in instrumentation and repertoire but also pedagogical approaches and described popular music pedagogical approaches as ones that include ongoing communication and mentorship, trial and error, and innovative approaches.…”

A New Definition of Music Literacy: What, Why, and How?

“…There are also increasing opportunities to offer a variety of music-learning settings, tapping into various popular musics as well as diverse cultures. Informal learning practices 28 may also be further explored for literacy development that is substantially self-initiated and only guided by the teacher. I look forward to further music literacy-related journeys into a variety of settings and approaches, including ways to reach a larger segment of school populations.…”