Using Students’ Interests in General Music (Part 2): Exploratory Study of Upper Elementary Students’ Music Activity Interests

The elementary music program is often most likely to include all students in the United States. As such, teachers have an opportunity to encourage lifelong musicianship and musical engagement. Researchers have reported, however, that children’s interest in school music activities declines over the elementary years, and general music teachers struggle to invigorate older students. This raises questions about the nature of school music and why some students lose interest or cease participating. Recently, teachers have sought to address student preferences through diverse offerings, such as popular music instruction and ensemble-focused music classes. Still, teachers cannot be sure they are addressing students’ interests without seeking students’ input. In this second article in our research-to-practice series, we demonstrate this process, sharing how we surveyed students in Grades 3 to 5 regarding their music class activity preferences. Understanding the activities children enjoy and tailoring experiences accordingly may help increase school music engagement and support children’s lifelong musicianship.