As music educators, we must realize that when our students leave our classrooms, very few will become performers, and most, if not all, will continue to interact with music as consumers.

The study of a hip hop dance crew reveals a symbiotic relationship between community and self-expression, which may serve as a model for music educators tackling issues of multiculturalism in their classroom culture and curriculum.

As music educators, we must realize that when our students leave our classrooms, very few will become performers, and most, if not all, will continue to interact with music as consumers.

Reception, consumption, and audience remain understudied topics in music studies (Wong, 2001), and these are forms of music-ing that educators must consider. Dance theorist Randy Martin’s conception of the audience opens up the notion that when people listen to music, they are making an act of choice and perception; this is a critical moment of representation and they are, in a way, listening to themselves (Wong, 2001).

What More Can I Say?

As music educators, we must realize that when our students leave our classrooms, very few will become performers, and most, if not all, will continue to interact with music as consumers.