Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practices and Policies in the Music Classroom and School

During my time at my 3rd block placement one of the practices I have observed was a required

book reading. The book is titled “Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain” by Zaretta Hammond.

Teachers are encouraged to read the book and attend a meeting to discuss it with other faculty

members. One thing that my cooperating teacher does that helps include diversity in repertoire choices

is note it in the music library inventory list. Things such as African American and LGBTQ composers are

included. Something that the school has done this year is the use of transgender bathrooms. These

bathrooms are in one location of the school and if a student is transgender, they are allowed to use

either bathroom that they are comfortable in. So far, the students have played one Spanish march and

an Egyptian piece. My cooperating teacher took the time when students first began working on the

music to discuss the countries of origin a little bit so students could get a little background on the music

they are playing. The band room is a safe space for students and if they have a name, they like to be

called by instead of their birth name, students are allowed to request to be called by that name. My

cooperating teacher is very inclusive and does not deny anyone who wants to join band. We have a

student who has a developmental disability and loves to play the wind chimes. So, every song that the

band plays that has wind chimes, that student gets to play the wind chimes part so that they can still

participate in the class. During Black History Month, I got the opportunity to be a part of a Jazz Band

assembly where the students played music by African American artists and presented different

information about the artists lives at the assembly. This was a really great way for students to learn

about different African American musicians and reach out to other students who are not involved in

band. I got the opportunity to observe a beginner guitar class one day that is taught by the orchestra

teacher. I really liked how inclusive the class was of different genres of music and student input. I think

that both are so important to keep students informed and interested in the music they are learning.