A Place in the Choir:Inclusive Practices in Choral Music Education

Duane CottrellSince the passage of Public Law 94-142 in 1975 and its renaming and re-authorization in the 1990s, the inclusion of students with special needs in the educational mainstream has become a legal mandate as well as an ethical obligation. Because of this, many such students have been included in music classes. The topic of inclusion in music is blooming, with many contributions from scholars such as Hammel, Adamek, Darrow, and Hourigan. However, the topic of inclusion in choirs in particular is not as explored, aside from smaller pieces of literature that mostly contain practical tips. This research seeks to expand upon the current body of literature by discovering current practices in inclusive choral music education, then outlining a framework for success in inclusive choral classrooms. Using a combination of observational and survey-based research, this literature ultimately reveals a complex current state of inclusive music education. By and large, students with disabilities are included in choral classrooms, and teachers use a variety of adaptations to facilitate this inclusion. However, there are many inconsistencies from teacher to teacher and classroom to classroom. Despite these differences, teachers agree on several key points, which represent the beginning of a framework of inclusive choral music education.Music Educatio