module 10 post 2

The culture in my band or orchestral ensemble class would be of Western music.

Potential cultural differences in my music classes might include differences of religion. A lot of really good “Western” music, which is what’s taught in American music classes, comes from the church of Christianity, origins and/or lyrics. If a student of an opposing religion feels intimidated or offended by the music, they might refuse to play it, and will fall behind in the musical progression of the class. International students or exchange students from places such as Africa, South America, Caribbean locations, may fall behind in my music classes because they are used to non-Western music styles and may fall behind because they haven’t ever thought of classical/instrumental music in the way that Americans do. The music will seem very complicated to them because of this extreme cultural difference.

As a teacher, I would also need to be very aware of the students who can’t speak English as well as others, especially Hispanics who learned Spanish as their first language. I would need to continually and frequently ask the class if they understand the concept at hand, and tell them to be completely honest. I would make sure that students don’t feel less intelligent than the other students because of their cultural differences, and to keep their self-efficacy at high and confident levels through praise. I would make sure to show great passion for the subject, and be as motivating about the music as I can be.