Music is for everyone. It is the universal language. I believe that all students can enjoy and experience music. Therefore, I also believe that my students should experience music from a diverse range of composers. I believe most music teachers will agree that there is a need to build diversity into our school concert programs. The question is, where do we start?

Explore Diverse Music Through Podcasts

I have been really enjoying this podcast by Diversify the Stand. Hosts Carrie Blosser and Ashley Kilam interview composers, musicians and educators and lead an ongoing conversation surrounding equity in music education.

Listening to Ladies is another really good one for exploring the music and minds of female composers from the United States, Canada, Argentina, Israel, Iran, Scotland, England, and Australia.

Celebrate Diversity Through Musical Genres

Diversifying musical genres on the school concert program affords students and the community the opportunity to appreciate a range of cultures and musical styles.

Institute for Composer Diversity Database

The ICD is an excellent resource if you are looking to diversify the range of composers on your concert programs. This database is dedicated to music advocacy of underrepresented groups. It’s a great resource to discover repertoire you may have never heard of!

Continue the Conversation

I believe in practicing equity and diversity in the music classroom but that doesn’t mean I’m an expert. I am still learning and discovering resources to educate myself. If you’re reading this and have a suggestion, idea or resource to contribute to this post, please leave a comment below.

Looking for more concert programming ideas? Check out my 10 Unique Themes for School Concerts!