Revolutionizing Music Education

About the Study

The Beginning of My Journey: Questioning the "Perfect" Narrative

When I was a child learning music, I was introduced to the piano, and someone demonstrated a "perfect fifth." I remember marveling at the idea that this interval was, in essence, Music—a pure expression of mathematical truth, untouched by human or cultural construction. At the time, it felt as though I had stumbled upon something universal, something divine. But as I grew older, this narrative began to unravel. When I became a music student in college, I was required to learn this same story over and over: that the intervals and scales of Western classical music were the foundation of music itself. It was presented as absolute, as if to say, "This is music, and everything else is either derivative or less than." It reminded me of the way English is often framed as the one true global language—essential for everyone to learn, its dominance attributed to some inherent superiority rather than historical and cultural forces. The truth, I later discovered, was far more complex. The so-called "perfect" fifth, octave, or fourth in the equal-tempered scale—while elegant in design—is not perfect at all, at least not in a mathematical or harmonic sense. These intervals are approximations, compromises made to suit the needs of a specific musical system, not universal truths. And just as English is one of thousands of languages shaped by culture and circumstance, Western music theory is just one of countless systems for organizing sound. There are millions of musical languages, scales, and theories that have been excluded or marginalized in the name of this singular narrative. The dominance of Western classical music has erased or suppressed alternative ways of understanding and experiencing music, systems as rich and complex as the cultures they emerge from. This realization was the beginning of my journey to debunking these false narratives. It pushed me to question not only the assumptions I had been taught but also the systems of power and privilege that perpetuate them. My work now focuses on reclaiming the diversity of musical expression and challenging the idea that one system can define the infinite possibilities of music.

What may seem like the noble preservation of Western classical music in education is, in reality, a harsh and exclusionary dominating cultural hegemony that marginalizes the rich musical traditions of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Currently, the traditions of Western Classical music dominates the space, where no other music is honored or celebrated. This rigid paradigm dominates music education in American schools, particularly those serving culturally diverse populations, and perpetuates a crisis of cultural devaluation and educational inequity (Ladson-Billings, 2022). Rooted in Eurocentric epistemologies, it fails to honor the vibrant cultural identities of BIPOC students, reinforcing societal messages of inferiority and exclusion (Bond, 2017; Bradley, 2012a; Doyle, 2012; Hess, 2021). As Bishop (1990) noted, when students cannot see themselves authentically reflected in their education, they internalize a profound lesson about their perceived worth. Research consistently shows that culturally sustaining music education, which integrates and celebrates students’ diverse cultural experiences, can transform learning outcomes and foster greater equity (Dreilinger, 2021; Sleeter & Zavala, 2020; Will & Najarro, 2023). By reimagining music programs to genuinely reflect the lived experiences of BIPOC students, we have the opportunity to dismantle this inequitable paradigm and create a system that uplifts and values all learners.

This study explores the entrenched dominance of Western classical music in education and its impact on BIPOC students.This study examines how the historical dominance of Western classical music in education has shaped opportunities and challenges for students from diverse cultural backgrounds. By focusing on the intersections of music, race, society, and culture, it reveals new possibilities for creating a more inclusive and transformative approach to music education.

Why This is Revolutionary:

Theoretical Brilliance: Merges major Critical and Cultural theories such as: CRT and CRP into a cohesive model that directly addresses systemic racism in a domain often overlooked—music education.

Practical Application: Provides educators with tools to deconstruct hegemony and build inclusive, affirming classrooms.

Scholarly Logic and Synthesis of Theory

Intersection of CRT and CRP in Music Education

Ko applies Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) to interrogate the dominance of Western classical music in educational systems. This fusion critiques systemic racism while offering actionable pedagogical strategies.

Music education can either expand students’ epistemological and ontological horizons or confine and imprison them.

This insight connects the philosophical with the practical, presenting music education as both a liberating and oppressive force.

Historical Contextualization

The analysis of music education as a tool of colonial oppression and cultural hegemony ties historical events (e.g., Indian boarding schools, missionary music programs) to present-day pedagogical practices.

Western classical music culture became a tool for spiritual conversion and cultural genocide, reinforcing settler colonialism.

Duality and Dialectical Tensions

Ko identifies the internal struggles of educators and students as they navigate Western paradigms while seeking to integrate non-Western traditions.

Educators must confront the duality of teaching within a system rooted in colonialism while striving to dismantle it.

The Gems of the Dissertation: Music as a Liberatory Praxis

Dr. Ko articulates a groundbreaking framework for decolonizing music education, utilizing Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) to challenge the entrenched dominance of Western classical music. This framework does more than critique; it offers actionable methods for transforming music classrooms into spaces of cultural affirmation, identity formation, and critical consciousness for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students.

Key Highlights:

Epistemological and Ontological Reframing:

Music education can either expand students’ epistemological and ontological horizons or confine and imprison them.

Dr. Ko redefines music not as a static discipline but as a dynamic language of liberation, emphasizing that students’ cultural traditions are not just valid but essential to the curriculum.

The dissertation uncovers the harmful effects of tokenizing "world music" without cultural context, revealing how this reinforces colonial hierarchies.

Merely including non-Western music without understanding its cultural significance reifies colonial hierarchies.

Practical Transformation:

Ko proposes innovative curriculum shifts that center on students’ funds of knowledge, including improvisation and co-creation activities that allow students to construct their own musical narratives.

Duality and Dialectics:

The work examines the duality faced by educators and students, navigating the dominant Western paradigm while striving to integrate diverse traditions, a profound reflection of the human condition in education.

This study represents a paradigm shift in music education, positioning it as a tool not only for skill development but for social justice, identity empowerment, and epistemic liberation.

Universal Implications: Extends beyond music to serve as a model for liberatory pedagogy across disciplines.

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