Thoughts on Modern Music Education

Pop Music & Cultural Influences on the Elementary Music Classroom

Holy pearl clutching Batman!!

So I am an elementary school music teacher. Specifically grades 1-4. However I’m not your typical elementary school music teacher though. I have a strong belief in using modern and current music as a vehicle to teach musical concepts, engage students with their own interests, and reflect the world around them. If you’re a big fan of “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” maybe stop reading now.

There is a strong idea of being able to engage children with music education by “meeting them where they’re at” which not only applies to skill level, but general musical awareness and interests. I’m far from the only person who believes in utilizing modern music in elementary music education. There’s the Association for Popular Music Education that has a journal and conferences with academic discussions on the topic. There’s Music Will (formerly known as Little Kids Rock). Then there’s the modern era of music teachers using YouTube to post and share accessible and engaging music resources such as Swick’s Classroom, famous for really jump-starting more acceptance of playing Boomwhackers while using modern music in the classroom. Other channels like The Fantastic Mr. Cox, DJ Raphi, Hahn’s Studio, MC Grammar and more are cranking out amazing tools to use in the classroom.

YouTube content for education is quickly becoming the next best thing. Not only does this lead to fun and engaging resources for the classroom, kids can look up and listen to, play along with, sing along with these videos at home. No more is what you do in the music classroom 1-2 times a week and forgotten. Kids tell me they’ve played a song X number of times on their Alexa, watched it at home, had their parents sub to a channel, etc. By using fun contemporary music that kids can relate to, they make connections to songs their parents play for them, they have fun ‘practicing’ at home, they enjoy watching the cool visuals while singing along.

This takes us to where I am now. So I have a background in audio/video production, and after diving into using so much of the content available on YouTube I decided to take my own turn at creating content as well. This adds another level of buy-in from students (they’re super hyped when it’s one of my own videos), as well as making sure I have control of my own resources, cause we never know when someone’s channel may implode (or a media platform may be taken over by Nazi’s… but that’s another topic).

Anywho, so I recently made a play-along video for the hit single “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan. My video is animated graphics, and uses a transposed instrumental track instead of the original. So, I’m just front-loading you… literally pink pony’s, stars and hearts, western aesthetic like her Grammy performance, and again NO words. I upload this video to YouTube, and I share in a teacher group as I usually do anytime I make a new video….

Again I say: Holy Pearl Clutching BatMan!!!

Normally my videos get a couple reacts, luckily if a comment or two saying “thanks for sharing” which is fine. I don’t do it for the subs or likes, I’m just sharing. This time I got a whole lot of positive replies (YAY!) and a TON of negative replies (Oh Nooo).

People saying it’s not appropriate, it’s about a strip club, promotes homosexuality, is satanic, takes the lords name in vain, etc etc…

Besides most of these statements not really being correct (read/watch this: https://www.capitalfm.com/news/music/chappell-roan-pink-pony-club-lyrics-meaning/) People just seem inable to scroll past. They have to decry the indoctrination of the gay agenda upon our youth through promoting a song about strip clubs (again, not true). Also she sings about not making her mama proud, that’s terrible, not appropriate. (insert hard eye-roll emoji).

First of all, kids know the song already. How many of them know the entire backstory of Chappell going to The Abbey and being inspired by go-go dancers in a place she could be free from judgement and be herself… probably not many. But even then, my video uses the playful western pony style, and is instrumental. Any other kids who aren’t aware of it will just think “oh this fun!” and happily hit their xylophones and boomwhackers along with it.

I’m not trying to “indoctrinate” any agenda, but I definitely won’t promote hate and intolerance. Aside from whatever musical concepts I’m teaching, and what content I use to teach those concepts, I have an open and accepting classroom for all. Kids need to know they can be whoever they are, and that’s ok. They can enjoy life, enjoy music, and enjoy being themselves. That’s the most important lesson I hope to pass on to them.

Oh, and if you’re interested, here’s my YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Mr.Weingartner-MusicTeacher