Addressing issues of multiculturalism and representation in musical repertoires and in the music classroom

Abstract

This project is a culmination of over a decade of saxophone playing experience and four years of undergraduate studies in music education. My memories of being a young, queer musician have left me desiring more for future music students. As a result, a significant element of my personal philosophy of education is the importance of cultural representation in curriculum. Students are absolutely deserving of seeing people like them represented in their class curricula. As a saxophone performer, a saxophone recital seemed the appropriate medium to explore the relationship between music education, programming, and composer diversity. In conjunction with a saxophone recital that features a program of composers exclusively from historically marginalized communities (in this case female composers, composers of color, and queer composers), the following document outlines my recital preparation process, its connection to music education principles and curriculum development, and how representational programming can be achieved in a culturally sensitive manner.