I think the easiest way to go about collecting and providing this amount of information is to

boost any means of communication between home and classroom. For example, I have a
somewhat diverse group this year in my music appreciation classroom. If I could go back to the
beginning of the year and implement this new tool, I would start by distributing an initial survey
for both students and parents. On this survey, I would request basic demographic information
and begin to inquire about their musical tastes and cultural backgrounds. When building a class
meant to cover such a wide variety of musical cultures, it greatly helps to know what your
students’ families are already familiar with. Some families might be no stranger to polka or
eastern European folk music, while others may be well-versed in spirituals and folk songs of
African cultures.

The next thing I would do is create a weekly or monthly correspondence with home. Perhaps
sometimes it’s just an update about our progress in class, but other times I could request
information. For example, we could do some sort of musical taste family tree that documents
the lineage of musical tastes and abilities throughout generations. This would be a great way to
get parents involved while also pushing students to understand more about how we develop
our interests in music. Both of these simple tools would greatly enhance the connection
between home and classroom and create a positive connection between them.