Music Education for All?

Bledsoe, R. N. (2015). Music Education for All?. General Music Today, 28(2), 18-22.

Summary
In this article, Bledsoe, writes about his own experiences in high school as a saxophonist.  He talks about how he valued large ensembles and all that entailed in current public music education.  Bledsoe also recognizes that not everyone gets the same satisfaction or meaning out of the current music education programs offered in public education.  He talks about how public education hasn't changed in many many years.  Bledsoe brings up three other people who have excelled in music after secondary education.  These three people are unique because none of them actively participated in an ensemble in high school for more than a year.  These three people focused on electric guitar, voice (rockstar), and piano.  All of these professions are not offered a place in the current curriculum.  Yet all three of the students attended college with a focus in music.  Bledsoe tells us that as music educators we need to be versatile in the genres of music we teach.  He tells us of the instrument that no one wants to call an instrument, the computer. He also tells us that getting rid of large ensembles isn't the answer.  Adding options and opening more opportunities is the best way to expand the music curriculum.  

Thoughts
I agree that our current music curriculum is very westernized and narrowed.  I stray from the fact that music teachers should be teaching multiple genres based purely on students interests.  I think that if we cater to every students individual needs, a sense of curriculum will disappear.  I think a better solution would be to have more electives that focus on things like making music through computers and how to excel on non westernized instruments.  I think that Bledsoe was on the right track that we need to broaden, but I think broaden and expand is a better use of words.  Music education needs to expand to the needs of the students.  Music education needs to expand, not band specifically.  When we look for the source of our problem in music education, its lack of funding programs.  Why don't we hire rock singers, and electric guitar teachers.  I don't necessarily think its because we don't think of them as musicians.  I think its more because schools don't have the funding or opportunity to hire them.  I understand that enrollment is down, but I don't think it directly links only to the lack of inclusion of all instruments.  A lot of the time a decrease in enrollment is due to the style of teaching and the goals that teachers make for their programs.  It the whole ego vs experiences problem.  Students can learn more in a grade 2 piece than a grad 6 if you focus on the experience and not your own ego.  The whole purpose of band is to come together and make music.  When we lose sight of that and begin to put our own ego first, band becomes less fun. 

Questions
What are some examples of ways we can include rock/hip-hop (non-"band") music in the classroom?

What are some ways we can prepare future teachers to be versatile enough to be able to teach multiple genres?