In an era where there are more jobs than applicants, I beseech thee. Consider teaching in the Title One school. Apply for the job that no one seems to want. Take on the hardest challenges in education and work through the issues, build relationships, and establish a new culture of music making.

I’m not going to lecture anyone. There are many great music teachers out there. I’m sure there are teachers 20 years my junior that have greater musical skills than I possess. I simply want to advocate for the children in need to my fellow music teachers looking for a position.

Challenges in a Title One school include: limited or non-existent budget, shoddy equipment, few supplies, culturally inappropriate materials, low reading levels, limited musical exposure, and needs not met anywhere but school.

Behaviors are all over the map in a Title One school. Neglect and abuse may be a common theme. It is tough dealing with that and maintain a healthy mindset. If you choose to give this work a try make sure you get educated in trauma based learning strategies. Take classes on poverty, ACES, and learn the cultures in your building. There may be 5-10 different languages and 4-5 religious practices in use.

Benefits of teaching in a Title One school come after a few years of hard work. Once you establish a new culture and develop relationships with your students your whole building will change. There will be love all around you from the students.

Here are some things that worked for me in developing a culture in a challenging environment in either band, choir, or general music. Procedures and Expectations need to be covered daily. A chaotic mind does not remember these things without enormous repetition. Consequences need to be brief as possible (Breaks in a regulation station, phone calls home asking the parent to help their child regulate from the behavior, referrals (detentions,) and office calls.) Too complicated of a process will confuse the chaotic mind of a child whose needs are not being met.

Find out what the students need or want and incorporate some of that into the curriculum. This could be dancing, drumming, culturally appropriate music, diverse styles, and maybe even singing in a foreign language in kindergarten. English language learners appreciate the gesture to meet them on their turf. We learn something in exchange too while building a relationship. Anything and everything cultural comes into play here. Know your student population demographics, and work from there. Use action research to discover what works and what doesn’t.

Our Western European conservatory music education means little to the Title one student. Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker may not be appropriate for a class that has twelve Islamic children in it. The Star Spangled Banner is not going to be a requirement for a child that is Mennonite or a Jehovah’s Witness. You may have to explain that a Christmas concert is impossible as the nature of the concert would exclude children based on religious or cultural practice. Title one students already face exclusion due to a number of factors. Don’t contribute to that. Be their advocate.

Always be open to trying new things even if it comes from a second grader or the last chair clarinet player. This suggestion may help you build your developing musicking culture. Yes, musicking! The term comes from the late musicologist Christopher Small. Read his 1998 book Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening. I have found this philosophy incredibly helpful in my general music classes with diverse learners. Musicking is a community activity, and the students in a title one building need to feel that they belong in a community.

Yes, it is easy to look at the job openings and see a prestigious choral, band, orchestra, or cushy general music job and apply for it. They come with their challenges too, and they also come with big personal rewards based on aesthetics and prestige, but a title one gig will be the most satisfying if you give it your all. Why? You made a difference in a life or lives beyond your imagination. It will surprise you… …and like the Grinch your heart might increase by three sizes… After all that I have accomplished professionally I find a successful day at my workplace more rewarding spiritually.

Imagine singing or teaching Alouette (in French) to one of your elementary classes and the child in the back from a French speaking African country lights up and tears bubble in their eyes at knowing what’s going on! The relief… or the hugs you get after it… This is musicking…

It’s the 6th week of class and your “greeting/hello song” is getting stale and one of your students suggests singing it in a different language. What do you do? Try using Google translate and see what happens. Vietnamese is a bit challenging, but doable. That’s musicking…

Your band or orchestra’s demographics have a large percentage of a certain racial demographic. Find composers from that demographic and play their accessible music. What about gender? There are some great composers out there that are women: Jodi Blackshaw, Julie Giroux, Libby Larson, Jennifer Higdon…. That’s musicking…

Don’t be afraid to play diverse popular music for assemblies and athletic events… engage the whole population band directors… That’s musicking…

For my choral teachers, don’t be afraid to try foreign languages earlier and earlier. We can teach those vowel shapes earlier and earlier and carry it forward. I know you all can do that better than I can… That’s musicking…

Most importantly share those in-services and trainings on trauma, ACES, poverty, etc. with one another. Just sharing. I’m not endorsing nor advertising. The two below are what came up in a search… Good luck with that job hunt… Please consider, I beseech thee… the title one school…

Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference

Wired Differently/Trauma-Informed Schools Conference