Inclusive music teacher education: Valuing breadth and diversity through authentic immersive experiences

In this report of self-study research, we share the insights we have gained working together at our institution to make undergraduate music teacher education more inclusive of how people naturally do music, focusing on three program features. First, we explain how our program affirms composition as a primary form of musicianship, similar to the status commonly given to performance. Second, we describe a vernacular music making experience in which our music education students learn to play “rock band” instruments, engage in songwriting, and explore being expressive in the styles of music personally favored by themselves and their future students. Third, we share how our students have opportunity to work with an intergenerational choir that is inclusive of individuals with special needs. We have found that these creative, authentic, and immersive experiences produce a more inclusive educational orientation in the future music teachers who graduate from our program.