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Considering the Value of Diverse Repertoire in the Music Theory Classroom

Cora S. Palfy, Elon University

SMT, Pedagogy Interest Group Session (Nov. 3, 2018)

During the 16th-18th centuries, a massive colonization of Cuban (and its surrounding islands, such as Haiti,
Trinidad and Tobago, etc.) began because of the sugar, fruit, and man-power available for harvest and export. European
settlers also emigrated, resettling on the tropical islands and bringing with them important aspects of European
culture—importantly, musical ideas.

Though Cuba had rich traditions of its own before it was colonized, there are some interesting results that
occurred because of its position within the slave trade (as a way-point part of the triangle between Africa, Europe, and
the United States). Many of the “Classical” ideas from European Western Art Music that were imported were adopted,
but slightly altered to fit pre-existing Cuban culture. Further, there were some oversights in the execution of some of the
“Classical” forms, ideas, rules, etc. because they were often being communicated secondhand; for example, in the
Renaissance counterpoint of the time, Cuban composers sought to avoid the “prohibited” parallel octaves and fifths by
just filling their counterpoint with only consonant intervals—parallel thirds and sixths abound (see an example from 16th
century composer, Teodora Ginés, below).

Listen to the following score, Two Cuban Dances “Por que, eh?” by Ignacio Cervantes, and answer the following
questions:

1) Is this piece binary? Does it fulfill the expectations that we have for key areas?

2) What kind of binary is it? (Balanced vs. regular; continuous vs. sectional)

3) What are some distinctly “Cuban” elements that you hear that set it apart from the European Classical dance
forms we listened to last class?
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2017 Survey of 121 N. American Students

“Do you have suggestions that might make a music theory classroom more diverse?”

Number of Participants
Response who responded within
this theme
Don’t include diverse repertory, the standard WAM repertoire is fine as it 10
stands.
Include repertoire falling outside of the Western art or Western tradition 23
(such as from east Asian, Middle Eastern, African, Latin American
cultures, etc.)
Exploration of music from the standpoint of instrumental development 1
and how they influenced music from different cultures.
Study non-classical, popular genres, and modern pieces. 20
Include more 20th and 21st century art music pieces and less from earlier 3
eras.
Include modern theoretical techniques. 2
Don’t prioritize harmony and melody over other musical elements (such 2
as timbre, location, rhythm/meter, etc.).
Include more composers of color/non-Westerners/women. Provide a 27
focal point section that studies only composers from these demographics
deliberately.
Expand/change theory requirements to cover more ground outside of 5
standard theory courses.
Student suggestions for composers or artists to study. 1
Compare and contrast exercises that allow the Western canon to help 5
draw stylistic distinctions from other genres and musical cultures.
Be transparent with students about the lack of diversity, discuss the 29
exclusion of people of color and women from the curriculum.
Composition projects/ Composition of non-traditional music. 3
Include ideas from musicology and ethnomusicology in the music theory 5
classroom.
Discussion of current events; tie it to the music and concepts being 1
studied.
Encourage group work in the classroom so that students also are 1
experiencing diversity amongst themselves in the classroom community.
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 Graphs from: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cha.asp

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Selected Bibliography

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Stainback, Susan Bray, and William C. Stainback. Inclusion: A Guide for Educators. P.H. Brookes Publishing Company, 1996.
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