1: Music Curriculum Perspectives with Emily Bilodeau

Listen and Subscribe to Imagining Possibilities for Music Learning and Teaching on your favorite podcast platform.

Themes and Ideas

In this episode Emily Bilodeau and I discuss her experiences and perspectives on music curriculum and curriculum development. We discuss themes and ideas such as:

• Differences between lesson plans and curriculum
• Curriculum should be empowering to teachers
• Curriculum as a guide rather than prescriptive pacing guides
• Music educators are curriculum makers
• We should champion diverse types of ensembles
• Curriculum should be ever changing

Notes, Resources, and References

Note: Some links to books are affiliate links

• Massachusetts State Standards: MassMEA | DESE Music Frameworks
  
• Early in the interview Emily mentions “essential schools,”,which is a reference to the Coalition of Essential Schools, started by Ted Sizer.
  
• Learn more about the CES with these links
  • Whatever Happened to the Coalition of Essential Schools? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
  • A Farewell to the Coalition of Essential Schools | Edutopia
  • Farewell Tribute: The Influence of the Coalition of Essential Schools & Ted Sizer | MyPBLWorks
  • Check out Ted Sizer’s book Horace’s Compromise that eventually led to the Coalition of Essential Schools – the book follows the experiences and reflections of Horace, a teacher involved in a curriculum development initiative
    
• Emily makes some references to the ways that youth are positioned by adults. Although she doesn’t use the term adultism explicitly. For information on adultism and related youth perspectives check out this youth panel (2020) on adultism hosted by the National Guild for Community Arts Education – the panel was a project of the Creative Youth Development National Partnership.
  
• Learn more about Wayang puppet theatre – UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
  • Museum of International Folk Art | Exhibition Details
  • Introduction to Puppet Theater (Wayang) of Indonesia – Education – Asian Art Museum
  • In Javanese Wayang Kulit and Contemporary Shadow Puppetry, the Medium Is the Message | Folklife Magazine
    
• The dance group that Emily mentions is Ammaya Dance and Drum
  

Thank you Emily Bilodeau for sharing your insights, experiences, and perspectives!