With new core standards, changing expectations for student learning experiences and broader, more thoughtful cultural representation, K-12 music education is undergoing meaningful change. Music curriculum is an art and a discipline that bridges learning and outcomes, guiding decisions on what to teach, how to sequence progression and how to assess students at every grade level.
With graduate study in music education, teachers can more effectively design curricula that can change and enhance experiences for K-12 learners. Learn how Eastern Washington University’s online Master of Music in Music Education program equips teachers with deeper knowledge in best practices and modern approaches to make an impact in different learning environments.
What Does a Strong Music Curriculum Actually Include?
A music curriculum provides an educational framework for students to critically engage with and appreciate various facets of music. Typically using a ladder approach to progression, a curriculum builds on prior learning in music education, covering the scope and sequence of skills and concepts that students encounter from kindergarten through the 12th grade. An effective music education curriculum covers these core domains:
- Music theory and notation: Read, write and analyze musical notation.
- Performance skills: Develop vocal or instrumental skills and ensemble collaboration.
- Music history: Understand the significance and historical context of music from different time periods, cultures and styles.
- Listening and analysis: Evaluating music and performance for style, technical competence and expression.
- Creative composition: Apply theory and stylistic knowledge to compose, arrange and improve music.
The National Association for Music Education (NAFME) updated the National Core Music Standards (NCAS) in 2014, with an emphasis on conceptual understanding in creating, performing, responding and connecting. The knowledge and practice gained through a music curriculum support students’ overall learning and development as they progress through education and into their careers. To adequately support student outcomes, music curriculum design must account for developmental progression from ages five to 18, as well as instrument access, ensemble formats and general music versus elective educational structures.
How Do Music Curriculum Standards Shape What Gets Taught?
The NCAS describes the objective outcomes for students, which help inform curriculum design. These standards organize music learning around four overlapping artistic processes rather than isolated skills.
- Creating: Conceiving and developing new musical ideas and work.
- Performing: Interpreting and presenting musical ideas.
- Responding: Understanding and evaluating the expressions of music.
- Connecting: Relating musical work with personal meaning, historical context and cultural importance.
Each process branches into two or three anchor standards that describe the general knowledge and skills students should demonstrate, and then into discipline-specific performance standards. In this way, the NCAS provides general direction for curriculum design but not repertoire or pacing. Teachers use the standards as an instructional resource as they consider how to implement these standards in programs for their specific students and communities.
EWU’s Theory and Composition for K-12 course explores different teaching strategies applicable to these settings. With this training, graduates can adapt their teaching approaches to develop and test music theory and composition strategies for K-12 instruction.
What Makes Music Curriculum Development Culturally Responsive?
Music teaching curricula that reflect a single cultural tradition are insufficient for engaging students and fostering a continuous learning approach. Expanding a repertoire to include a diverse range of musical traditions is important, but it does not fully capitalize on opportunities to deepen musical understanding.
Instead, a culturally responsive music curriculum should leverage students’ prior knowledge, experiences and interests to position them as active learners in musical diversity. Culturally responsive music education engages students in developing a deeper understanding of themselves, others and their global context through music, prompting them to challenge dominant narratives of the Western canon and connect musical study to their own cultural backgrounds.
In this way, culturally responsive education refers to how students learn, rather than what they learn, and promotes a constant learning mindset. At EWU, the Master of Music in Music Education incorporates social justice and critical philosophy, challenging students to view learning strategies through various lenses. Through courses such as Sociological Foundations of Music and Alternative Approaches to Music Education, graduate degree students examine the relationships between society, musical expression and education as well as the philosophical approaches to community-based music education.
How Can Graduate Study Prepare Educators to Lead Curriculum Development?
Curriculum leadership in music is a distinct professional skill set, encompassing program design, mentorship and technology integration that allows teachers to apply best practices and innovative approaches in educational settings. With a foundation in social justice and philosophy, teachers can also advocate for music education at the school and district level.
With a Master of Music in Music Education, graduates gain a broad educational experience and deeper content knowledge with perspectives in history, theory, performance and composition. Students examine pedagogical approaches for instruction in modern post-secondary settings and explore methods, tools and strategies for educational research. EWU’s 48-credit-hour program provides students with opportunities to apply their skills in an independent graduate project, whether a written document, portfolio, pedagogy manual or presentation.
Throughout this program, students receive support from internationally recognized faculty as they complete rigorous coursework and explore areas of interest or expertise. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), the Master of Music in Music Education credential gives candidates additional experience when pursuing career advancement in school leadership, district roles or community college instruction.
Grow As a Teacher and Leader in Music Education
To effectively support the learning of well-rounded, critically engaged students, a K-12 music curriculum requires pedagogical depth, cultural responsiveness, standards fluency and the ability to adapt teaching approaches to different developmental stages. EWU’s online Master of Music in Music Education program equips professionals to lead advanced-level curriculum design.
With six-week courses, seven annual start dates and an online, asynchronous format, EWU’s online Master of Music in Music Education program helps teachers overcome logistical constraints, allowing them to pursue advanced education without pausing their careers. Explore more program details or apply today to start developing your skills as a teacher in music education.
Learn more about EWU’s online Master of Music in Music Education program.
