“If it fits into their culture, then they will have a connection”: Experiences of two Latina students in a select high school choir

Authors

Joshua Palkki, California State University, Long BeachFollow

Abstract

In the United States, Latino/a students are underrepresented in secondary school music programs (Elpus & Abril, 2011). By understanding the needs of Latino/a students, music educators can create programs that will better serve this student population. This intrinsic case study chronicles the experiences of Cassandra and Elena, two students enrolled in a high school choir in a mid-sized Midwestern community. The main research questions were: (a) Which lived experiences of these Latino/a students play a role in school choral music, and (b) Which elements of culturally relevant pedagogy have played a role in choral music education of these two students? Emergent themes related to these students’ experience include that: (1) family and community were vital in their musical education, (2) bilingual status and power structures were sometimes difficult to navigate in a majority Latino/a school, (3) culturally relevant repertoire was a priority, and (4) their family members sometimes had difficulty connecting to the choral program. Cassandra and Elena’s Latina heritage and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy serve as lenses for this case study.

Recommended Citation

Palkki, Joshua (2015) "“If it fits into their culture, then they will have a connection”: Experiences of two Latina students in a select high school choir," Research & Issues in Music Education: Vol. 12: No. 1, Article 5.
Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/rime/vol12/iss1/5