PRE-SESSION VIDEO: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_Ko9oa5JpMjcydZg_tzyVTABteb3ix-K/view?usp=sharingABSTRACT:
In music education, there is a need to prepare preservice teachers to embrace inclusive and socially just educative practices throughout the degree program (Ballantyne & Mills, 2008; Hourigan, 2009; Jones, 2014; Laes & Westerlund, 2018; VanWeelden & Whipple, 2014). To this end, students enrolled in a music and special education course at a Midwestern university were given the option to participate in an inclusive and intergenerational community chorus outreach project. The purpose of the project was to expose senior music education majors to “…a naturally inclusive music-making opportunity wherein individual contributions are valued, musical growth is championed, and all members become partners in the experience of creating high quality music” (Fuelberth, 2018, p. 6). A case study was conducted to gain a better understanding of the ways in which this community choir is different from other choral experiences. Data were collected from student reflections (n=8) and participant observations.
Results indicate that chorister teaching and performing as well as building relationships with choristers reduced insecurities of pre-service music teachers towards individuals with exceptionalities. Cooperative learning groups and universal design for learning were amongst the most observed ways in which skill development occurred during rehearsal. After the experience, pre-service teachers were excited to apply what they learned to their future classrooms.
Keywords:
community choir, pre-service music teachers, inclusivity, universal design
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