Strategies for Addressing Social Marginalization

Music teachers committed to addressing social marginalization can create composition communities (Kaschub & Smith, 2009; Stringham, 2016) in which every student has an opportunity to grow and develop at their own pace. Such environments foster a sense of belonging (Pendergast, Allen, McGregor, & Ronksley-Pavia, 2018) that allows students to become active contributors to group efforts and to be appreciated by their classmates. Some students, however, may need additional support to find entry into working groups or the larger communal mainstream. Strategies that teachers may find helpful include identifying social strugglers, planning partnerships, and social skills coaching.

Identifying Strugglers. Establishing an open and welcoming compositional community requires finding ways to make everyone feel included. While teachers may be able to quickly “read the room” and note which students seem to be ostracized from their peers, acts of social marginalization can be subtle and additional information may be required. To gain access to what students think about their classmates, give each student a class list and ask them to draw a circle around the names of the peers with whom they would like to work with on a class project. If language is a potential barrier, it may be possible to substitute photos of each student. Collect the responses and notice who is absent or indicated just a few times across the datasheets.

Next, create a series of composition activities that will allow everyone in the class to practice welcoming and inclusive behaviors. Young children will benefit from exploring a common experience through cultural variation. For example, the books Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World by Selby Beeler (1998) and Don’t Throw My Teeth on the Roof! by Sujatha Fernandes (2013) presents examples of a cross-cultural tradition and how crossing cultures can lead to misunderstanding. Students could create musical accompaniments to support the narration of short tooth tradition stories or might discover through class discussion other common areas of daily life where classmates practice different family or cultural traditions. Accompaniments might be “lightly composed/slightly improvised” in response to the narration.

With slightly older children, guide the entire class in composing an “I greet you” song. Once composed, future class meetings might begin with students singing the song and using different physical greetings (e.g., wave, handshake, bow, foot tap, etc.) as they signal an “I see you” to each classmate. As Merrell and Gueldner (2010) have noted, this simple acknowledgment of presence can have a big impact on students’ sense of well-being and academic success.

Students in middle and high school music classes may be able to share cultural traditions through musical storytelling. Students might compose an original ballad or other narrative song that shares a traditional story. They may retell the story from their point of view or add other twists or innovations that allow them to put their own spin on tradition. Comparison and analysis of compositional products across the class will allow students to discover similarities and differences in songwriting styles as well as the special content of each story.

Partnerships and Pals. Every student needs a friend who has similar interests and with whom they can share new experiences. To help students discover potential pals, ask students to create a list of activities, hobbies, and music that they enjoy. Gather the lists and create composition teams or small groups based on a common interest. Students might write songs about a shared sports interest, score an excerpt from a film they admire, or create new music for a video game they love to play. These and similar activities can create common ground for learning about music composition and may provide a stepping-stone toward new friendships.

Social Coaching. Some students struggle to develop the social skills needed to comfortably join their classmates in learning activities. Teachers can approach this situation in a few different ways. First, consider if there are cultural behaviors, like talking over peers or not speaking until being invited to do so, that may be impacting interactions. Address these differences directly so that students can collaborate more easily. Second, observe students who are having a hard time fitting in. Note where they might benefit from a few pointers. For example, students may need to learn to take turns, or they might learn to acknowledge a peer’s contribution to a project before suggesting a change to that musical idea. Model these behaviors and then discreetly encourage each student to try their emerging skills with classmates who are likely to be receptive. Once students have tried their new skills, offer feedback concerning behaviors that need to be modified. Be sure to explain why you are suggesting a behavioral change as students may not know how to reflect on social interactions to learn from unsuccessful encounters. Finally, some students may benefit from a referral to a guidance counselor or social worker to participate in groups specifically designed to foster the development of social skills.