https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2955-2354
![Sample our Education journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5932/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Education.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Music education in the United States is typified by students in large ensembles, like band and orchestra, learning to perform pieces of Western art music. One organisation working to expand curricular offerings within the field is Little Kids Rock (LKR), which has invested millions of dollars training music teachers and providing instrument resources for popular music pedagogy. Though this organisation has demonstrated success in its ability to propagate 'modern band' programmes, the effects of its investment are not known. LKR administers an end-of-year survey to its participating teachers to assess teachers' perceptions of their music programmes. However, LKR do not publish meaningful information regarding the outcomes and impact of its activities. The present study examined free-response data from the 2018 end-of-year survey. Using the passive and active identity and learning realisation (PAILR) model as our analytical framework (Froehlich, Hildegard C., and Gareth Dylan Smith. 2017. Sociology for Music Teachers: Practical Applications. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315402345), the authors analysed themes using grounded theory to produce a logic model to describe the effects of LKR's investment. Results indicate participating teachers perceive a positive impact on students, including being more engaged in their learning, and more musically independent. Additionally, teachers believed they were more engaged and committed to their profession, and more able to teach previously disengaged students.
Disclosure statement
One of the authors is a part-time employee of the organization Music Will, who provided the data for this study. The authors describe their potential conflicts of interest more fully within the article.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
David H. Knapp
David Knapp is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at Syracuse University, where he teaches music technology, modern band, and philosophy of music education. He received his Ph.D. in Music Education from Florida State University. Knapp directs the Music in Community programme at SU, which facilitates music-making partnerships that support community needs. This includes the New American All-Stars, a vernacular music ensemble for refugee youth, and the Digital Music Lab, a community-based music production studio for urban high school students. His research interests include community music with marginalised communities, vernacular music making, and music technology. His research has been published in the International Journal of Community Music, General Music Today, the Journal of Popular Music Education, and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education.
Bryan Powell
Dr. Bryan Powell an Assistant Professor of Music Education and Music Technology at Montclair State University where teaches classes in music technology and popular music. Prior to joining MSU, Bryan served as the Director of Higher Education for Little Kids Rock, and the Director of Programmes for Amp Up NYC, a partnership between Berklee College of Music and Little Kids Rock. Bryan is the founding editor of Journal of Popular Music Education, author of Popular Music Pedagogies: A Practical Guide for Music Teachers (Routledge), and editor of the Bloomsbury Handbook of Popular Music Education. Dr. Powell has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals including International Journal of Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, International Journal of Community Music, Journal of Music Technology and Education Update, Education 3-13, Music Educators Journal, and Action Critique and Theory in Music Education. Bryan is the Executive Director of the Association for Popular Music Education and currently serves as the Chair of the NAfME Popular Music Education SRIG.
Gareth Dylan Smith
Gareth Dylan Smith is assistant professor of music (music education) at Boston University. His research interests include drum kit studies, popular music education, sociology of music education, and punk pedagogies. His first love is to play the drums. Recent music releases include progressive smooth jazz tracks with The New Titans, the Sun Sessions EP with Stephen Wheel, and the Ignorant Populists EP with Build a Fort. Gareth is working on an album of duets titled Permission Granted and a riff-rock concept album with Stephen Wheel called Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Rock. His recent scholarly publications include Eudaimonia: Perspectives for Music Learning (with Marissa Silverman) and an essay titled ‘Rap, Racism and Punk Pedagogy’. In late 2021, his monograph, Magical Nexus: A Philosophy of Playing Drum Kit, will be available through Cambridge University Press. Gareth co-hosts, with Christopher Cayari, the Music 2gether podcast.