Cultural responsiveness: is music optional?

We speak with Dr. Anne Smith, longtime music teacher in Northern Virginia, about accommodating cultural differences. Dr. Smith created an alternate curriculum for students whose traditions don’t allow secular music-making. We discuss the extent to which parents should be able to influence what their students learn. We also talk about why music and art are treated as lesser (“special”) subjects. Overview 00:00-00:35 Intros 00:35-07:57 A parent asks to opt her daughter out of music 07:57-09:48 Finding a balance in a class with culturally and linguistically diverse children and families 09:48-12:02 Importance of conversation between professionals and families 12:02-14:15 Are parental objections to music different from objections to literature and science? 14:15-16:39 Teachers need to articulate why they are teaching what they are teaching; importance of teaching music 16:39-19:03 Music should be part of everyone’s life—a loss if parents opt out 19:03-20:30 Importance of music foundation before children go on specific tracks 20:30-24:30 Teachers’ responses to Va. governor’s  push for parents to object to aspects of education he doesn’t like 24:30-27:01 “Old Black Joe” 27:01-29:15 Using the arts to educate and promote equity 29:15-32:22 Why schools treat art and music as dispensable 32:22-36:16 Treating the arts seriously as subjects 36:16- Outro T...

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