“Pick up Your Feet, Play Your Part; Drive, Drive, Drive": An African American Male Music Educator Successfully Teaching African American Males in Urban Secondary Schools

Abstract

This study focused on African American male urban music educators and their acts of teaching that lead to academic success in African American boys. Through narrative inquiry, this study restoried the experiences of Glenn, an urban band director at a secondary school. I used semi-structured interviews and observations with one African American male urban band director to interpret personal and professional acts leading to success in African American boys in all three commonplaces, temporality, sociality, and place. The narratives in this scholarship offered multiple viewpoints: my own as the principal investigator, accompanied with personally relevant experiences to enhance the research and the perspective of Glenn, along with the perspectives of others. Several themes emerged after critical analysis of the data. The findings from this study indicate that Glenn believed his personal experiences influences how he perceives African American boys; music should be used as a medium to educate African American boys; urban music educators should utilize a culturally relevant teaching approach when teaching African American boys; and urban music educators should aim to understand African American boys. The main conclusions that emerged from this study is that mentors added significant value to his development as an urban music educator and urban music educators can successfully teach African American boys through a culturally relevant teaching approach. This study recommends that district and site-based administrators as well as band directors and other teachers engage in professional development that shares how urban male band directors can impact the learning of African American boys. Lastly, that parents, community leaders and other stakeholders engage in informational sessions centered on the impact of urban male band directors on African American boys.