Curricular Change in Collegiate Programs: Toward a More Inclusive Music Education

Despite decades of discussion, debate, and incremental gains, acceptance of popular music education in collegiate institutions is still in its inception. Higher education (and indeed, education in general) in the United States is rife with pervasive inequality and injustice, excluding large numbers of potential students on the basis of race, class, income, and cultural orientation. If music education is to continue and thrive in the 21st century and beyond, widespread curricular changes are needed in preservice music teacher education to move toward a model that is inclusive, equitable, diverse, and culturally responsive. The purpose of this paper is to illuminate several music programs across the United States as samples of the numerous collegiate institutions wrestling with curricular change. Though differing in size, scope, and population, these programs have one thing in common: faculty with a desire to enact change. Through the examples illustrated here, it is our hope that others wishing to initiate change may have some possible paths from which to choose on their journey toward making music education more accessible for all