Abstract
This study is a qualitative investigation of the perspectives of seven music educators with “nontraditional” backgrounds–individuals who play instruments that are not part of the traditional large ensemble, and/or those whose musical specialties lie in genres other than Western classical music–based on their lived experiences as preservice and in-service music educators. The three most robust themes from the interviews included: insecurities about previous training and background, striving for relevance, and flexibility. Coming to better understand the perspectives of music educators with “non-traditional” backgrounds contributes to two active streams in the current conversation in the field of music teacher education: the desire to update the curriculum of music teacher education programs to make them more relevant for preservice music educators and K-12 students of the 21st century as well as the growing interest in popular music and popular music pedagogy.
Recommended Citation
Bernard, Rhoda
(2012)
"Finding a Place in Music Education: The Lived Experiences of Music
Educators with “Non-Traditional” Backgrounds,"
Visions of Research in Music Education: Vol. 22, Article 4.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/vrme/vol22/iss1/4