The Elephant in the Room

Practically all teenagers find pleasure in music, yet the majority are not involved in traditional school music ensembles. College requirements, the quest for high grade point averages, scheduling conflicts, uncooperative counselors, block schedules, students with too many competing interests, or the need to work may limit participation in music classes. While there is little music teachers can do to overcome many of these hurdles, the elephant in the room is the very model we use for music education in the schools. The large performance ensemble was established as the model for music education during the early 1900s and has remained relatively unchanged for a century. Is this model a significant part of what is causing so few students to enroll in school music classes? Recommendations are presented that must be considered as the profession moves forward.