Representation of Women & BBIA Composers in the Teaching Music through Performance in Band Series

Author

Alicia M. TurnquistFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-2022

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Department/Major

Music

First Advisor

David Sanderson

Second Advisor

Amy Laursen

Third Advisor

Luis Viquez

Keywords

Music, Diversity, Curriculum, Band, Repertoire, Composer

Subject Categories

Curriculum and Instruction | Curriculum and Social Inquiry | Music Education | Music Performance | Music Practice

Abstract

One problem seen in music education curriculum today is the underrepresentation of Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian (BBIA), and female composers in the band ensemble repertoire. Throughout history, these composers have been excluded in the curriculum causing an overrepresentation of white non-Hispanic male composers. Some music education organizations are beginning to address this issue but, few, if any, have addressed the problem in the band classroom setting. This project examined the repertoires selected in the first ten volumes of the Teaching Music through Performance in Band series to examine how representative the composers included in the series were to the K-12 student population. The study found that BBIA and female composers are underrepresented throughout the first ten volumes of the series. This curriculum and other band curriculums should be researched, reevaluated, and revised for future use in the music classroom.

Recommended Citation

Turnquist, Alicia M., "Representation of Women & BBIA Composers in the Teaching Music through Performance in Band Series" (2022). Honors Thesis. 268.
https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/268