Decolonizing the Music Room

EDUC 3871 – Fall 2020

Brianna Nolan

Questions:

What does it mean to decolonize the music room? How do the principles of DTMR inspire you to actively

adapt your worldview as an emerging educator? How might DTMR shape your decisions moving forward

as an educator? What you want to accomplish?

Position Statement:

To me, to decolonize the music room means to wait, to have patience, a willingness to change,

and to really consider what we are putting into the hands and heads of the children in our schools. To

accomplish the change that is needed, a whole-group approach is needed rather than an individual

approach. However, one individual can spark the light for a group to get moving towards the needed

change. This is how Decolonizing the Music Room (DTMR) began – one individual saw a need and acted

on it. The mission of DTMR is to “help music educators develop critical practices and center BBIA (Black,

Brown, Indigenous, and Asian) voices, knowledge, and experiences in order to challenge the historical

dominance of white Western European and American music, narratives, and practices” (DTMR Website,

2020). With this, I am inspired to learn more. I want to be an active part in making change for my

students and help them to be aware of the situation we are living in. I believe that change must start

somewhere, and if I can be a part of that change, I feel as though I am doing my part as an educator in

general.

For change to happen in terms of decolonization, individuals must understand colonialism as a

whole. To make this understanding complete, one must know what it was, the impacts, and how it is

currently affecting the world (Waller-Pace, 2020). Information can be found by taking time to do some

research, so as I branch out into this field, researching the effects and lasting impacts of colonialism is

something that I need to do. By focusing on change and the way it can impact the classroom, the
curriculum is brought forth in a different way. Rather than strictly teaching by the book, it can be

presented in such a way that it promotes the stories and experiences of the students in our classrooms

(Urbach, 2020).

As an educator moving forward from an early place in my career, DTMR is going to impact my

teaching in big ways. As an individual who grew up in Brooks, Alberta, the City of 100 Hellos,

multiculturalism needs to play a big role in the decisions that are made, inside and outside of our

schools. As time goes on, more and more children from countries all around the world are moving to

Brooks and are becoming a prominent part of the classroom. This multiculturalism that surrounds me

needs to influence my teaching in the music classroom and beyond because these students exist in more

than just the music classroom. By realizing their differences and being open to change, I can make their

learning experience more powerful as I give them opportunities to showcase their home cultures. A part

of this involves planning with a purpose – plans must be made with the past experiences of all students

in mind (Willis, 2020) – in the music classroom, if a song is insensitive for one culture then by using that

song we are teaching other students that same insensitivity. This is the teaching style we need to move

away from as times have changed and continue to change everyday. I believe that students can be

teachers – if they have lived and experienced a concept, they should be the ones to share about it. In my

teaching, I will do my best to remain open to change and I will help to make sure each student’s light can

shine in my classroom.
 References

Room, D. (2020). Mission. Retrieved October 03, 2020, from

https://decolonizingthemusicroom.com/mission

Urbach, M. (2019, August 31). Emergent Strategies For An Activist Music Education. Retrieved October

03, 2020, from https://decolonizingthemusicroom.com/in-practice/f/emergent-strategies-for-

an-activist-music-education

Waller-Pace, B. (2020, July 21). Why Decolonizing? Retrieved October 03, 2020, from

https://decolonizingthemusicroom.com/in-practice/f/why-decolonizing

Willis, F. J. (2020, March 22). How to F.I.N.D. the Brilliance In Our Students. Retrieved October 03, 2020,

from https://decolonizingthemusicroom.com/in-practice/f/how-to-find-the-brilliance-in-our-

students