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It was my first year teaching at a bilingual charter school in Washington, DC where the vast majority of my students were from Spanish speaking backgrounds, primarily from South America. Not being a strong Spanish speaker myself (I had taken a study abroad trip after college to Venezuela and did know enough Spanish to get by), I was nervous about how I could effectively teach when I did not know the first language of most of my students.
My new colleagues were a mix of native Spanish speakers and native English speakers and the school itself was located in the community of Columbia Heights, a neighborhood known for it’s strong ties to Hispanic culture. It was not unusual for my colleagues and my students to speak to me in Spanish and expect me to figure out what they were saying. At first, this was confusing to me, I remember thinking, “they know I don’t speak Spanish, right? So why do they keep talking to me like I do?”
What I realized was that what made the school and the community unique was the fierce protection of their culture. As a bilingual school in Columbia Heights, they were not going to bend to the dominant narrative; they were going to preserve their culture, and everyone else needed to figure out how they would fit in. This was very different from my other experiences teaching in schools where non-English speakers had to do the fitting in.
I had always thought of myself as a “culturally sensitive” person up until that point, but it became very clear to me that there was a lot of flaws with the way I was thinking. I realized that I had a lot to learn because I had heard the terms ‘culturally competent’ and ‘culturally proficient’ before, but the reality was that I didn’t fully understand what those terms meant.
In this blog post, let’s talk about cultural proficiency and understand what it means for us as music educators.
What is Culture?
In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the term “culture” has become one of those buzzwords that everybody knows, but few seem to really understand. So, let’s start with some definitions:
Culture: the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time (Cambridge Dictionary)
It’s important to note that culture isn’t just about race or ethnicity. There are also social cultures (think of your friends groups), occupational cultures (think of the culture in your school building), as well as organizational culture (think of the culture of your school system). These different cultures aren’t all about the race of the people, the culture is shaped by the people’s shared history, beliefs, values, and behaviors.
If you’ve ever taught in multiple school buildings, you probably have experienced a difference in culture that you needed to navigate. I remember a time when one school I taught at was very welcoming and accepting (even though I only taught there one day a week!) and I instantly felt a sense of belonging regardless of the fact that I didn’t know all the other teachers well. While in the other building where I spent the other four days of my week, I didn’t always feel like I “fit in.” This was about a difference in values, not a difference in race.
What is cultural proficiency?
When it comes to cultural proficiency, it’s so much more than just being “culturally sensitive” (by the way, I now cringe when I remember describing myself as “culturally sensitive”!). It’s also more than just respecting differences.
Cultural proficiency is “the policies and practices of an organization, or the values and behavior of an individual, that enable people to engage effectively with people and groups who are different from them. Cultural proficiency is an inside-out approach… and a lens for examining one’s work and one’s relationships” (definition from “Culturally Proficient Instruction,” Nuri-Robins, Lindsey, Lindsey, and Terrell).
I want to mention here that cultural proficiency is an ongoing journey with multiple milestones along the way. Moving towards and becoming culturally proficient doesn’t have an ‘end’, instead it is something that we all continuously need to reflect on, refine, and make adjustments to as we learn more about ourselves, others, the world and the skills to be able to effectively engage with others who are different (not better or worse) from us.
Why Cultural Proficiency Matters for Music Educators
Cultural proficiency matters for all people and educators, and especially so for us as music educators.
Music is a reflection of culture and because of that, we must take extra care with how we engage with our students as well as how we engage with the music so that we can be sure that we are aware of when differences are present, celebrate them, and affirm them rather than engage in harmful practices that are destructive to others’ cultures.
In the U.S., so much of our field of music education is eurocentric, meaning focused on white, western European music traditions. Being unaware of this could lead a music educator to dismiss other forms of music as inferior because of the general culture of our field. However, when you are aware that this eurocentricity exists in our field, you can be more intentional about reflecting on your own views, understanding why you have them, and take action to counteract them.
It’s critical that we as music educators recognize that our own interpretations of music, what’s “good” and what’s not, is all influenced by our own cultural backgrounds. When we understand this and understand how to continuously reflect on it, we can move away from a “colorblind” approach and towards proficiency.
All of our students deserve to see themselves affirmed in our music curricula as well as expand their world view to learn about others. This is one of the best things about teaching music! Because music is already a reflection of culture, we as music educators already have a pathway to present “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” to affirm our students, help them celebrate differences, and develop understanding for others.
While the pathway is already there, music educators need to have the dispositions, the knowledge, and the skills for how to navigate differences in culture so that we are always valuing and affirming, not merely tolerating, or worse – erasing and being destructive. This is where cultural proficiency comes in. Learning how to develop cultural proficiency is how you can develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions you need to demonstrate that you value and affirm other cultures in your music program, both your students and the music itself.
Cultural Proficiency in Music Education: The Key to a Thriving Music Program
As our U.S. classrooms become increasingly diverse in all the ways, cultural proficiency isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have. Music educators must develop the skills for cultural proficiency so that we can continue to have a thriving field where students are excited to engage with and join our music programs. This is the key to how music programs will continue to flourish and be a place where all learners can feel safe to take the necessary risks for deep learning to occur.
Embracing cultural proficiency as a necessary tool in our music educator’s toolbox is how we ensure that what we’re teaching is supporting not only the next generation of musicians, but the global citizens who can celebrate the beauty of diversity through music.
How are you moving towards cultural proficiency?
I would love to hear your thoughts on how you’re moving towards cultural proficiency as a music educator? Share in the comments below!
Is cultural proficiency an area you’re looking to explore further? Here’s how I can help!:
- Register for an upcoming session of “Cultural Proficiency for Music Educators”
- Ready for a deep dive into Culturally Responsive Music Education? Register for an upcoming section of our course, “Foundations of Culturally Responsive Music Education”
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