Representation in Music

A few weeks ago,  a parent reached out to me to let me know that she was struggling to find piano and music resources that represented her Black son. She wondered if I might have any resources where he could see himself represented.

It’s beneficial for children to see racial mirrors. They need role models, inspiration and validation. It’s also important that children who are white or from homogenous populations see others who don’t look like them represented. Not only does it reduce stereotypes and biases but it also give a more accurate window into the real world.

The music education world — myself included — has a long way to go when it comes to racial representation. I am committed to doing better (and always open to feedback). Within my paid courses — both in the content and the images — I work to include diverse representation.

I also have lots of free materials that are available to music students everywhere. Here is a current round-up of free resources from my own music education materials that represent non-white musicians.

the busy kids love music podcast

My Busy Kids Love Music podcast includes episodes about non-white composers (listed below). However, I would strongly encourage families to check out the curated playlists on YouTube that I assemble for each podcast episode. I always make an effort to include musicians of all colors and cultures.

Here are some podcast episodes that are specifically about contributions from non-white composers/musicians:

Episode 6 (Native American Musical Instruments)

Episode 31 (Joseph Bologne)

the busy people do piano blog

Since starting a podcast last year, my blogs have admittedly become a bit sparse! But there are a handful of posts that contain resources about diverse composers and music on the following topics:

INSTAGRAM PAGE

If you follow along on Instagram, you’ll notice that once-a-month, I post carousel highlights that feature music history tidbits. Often times, these include information about under-represented composers, such as this one featuring 5 Hispanic Composers to Know About.

MEMBERS OF THE MONTH