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Research Report

Bryan E. Nichols, editor

Culturally Responsive, Relevant, and Sustaining Pedagogies:
An Introduction to Seminal Contributions and Selected Empirical Studies in Choral Singing

by Julia T. Shaw

While choral singing in American schools has are intended to be responsive to or informed by indi-
historically been based on Eurocentric paradigms, viduals’ cultural backgrounds and identities, including
teacher-conductors are increasingly seeking pedagogical those that are the focus of this column. The scholars
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approaches that prioritize and meaningfully build who coined these terms have used them in nuanced
upon culturally diverse learners’ ways of knowing ways to refer to precise concepts, and they are not di-
about and engaging with music. Chief among these rectly synonymous or interchangeable. One common-
are culturally responsive, relevant, and sustaining ality that culturally responsive, relevant, and sustaining
pedagogies—approaches to teaching that developed pedagogy share is that they are asset-based approaches
in the broader realm of general education that hold to pedagogy. This means that the knowledge, experienc-
transformative possibilities for choral education. es, languages, literacies, and ways of being that Black,
As the choral profession works to incorporate these Brown, Indigenous, and Asian students bring to their
pedagogical approaches, it is essential to understand the education are honored, respected, and treated as valu-
premises underlying them, distinctions between them, able bases for learning.
and ways that they complement and build upon one These pedagogical approaches are not intended to

another. In this column, I provide definitions for each serve as a recipe or a prescription for practice. They

and summarize some of their central tenets, drawing on offer broad principles that can guide teachers’ eff orts

contributions from scholars who originated these terms to tailor their approach for specific individuals situated
and approaches. I then highlight examples of research within particular school, community, and broader cul-
studies that explore these topics within choral music tural contexts. Accordingly, culturally responsive, rele-
settings. vant, and sustaining pedagogy will not be approached
The term culture “encompasses worldview, thought identically within each choral classroom, but instead will

patterns, epistemological stances, ethics, and ways of be designed specifically for particular learners. Consid-
being along with the tangible and readily identifi able ering the vital role of singing within many of the world’s
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components of human groups.” Culture is fl uid and cultures, and the potential for singing to serve as a means

dynamic, and while individuals are shaped by culture, of cultural expression, choral ensembles offer ideal con-
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they also hold agency in shaping culture. Several terms texts in which to pursue these approaches to teaching.
have been used to refer to approaches to teaching that

CHORAL JOURNAL October 2022 Volume 63 Number 3 51