Modern Band Music Teachers' Adoption of a Community Music Ethos in Online Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic

At intersections of popular music education, music technology, and community music practices, music teachers in the United States adapted to teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically from March 2020 to March 2021. The purpose of this research was to better understand the perspectives of modern band teachers regarding the opportunities and challenges of teaching music during the pandemic. The researchers interviewed four teachers who taught modern band (popular music) in public schools in geographically and demographically distinct parts of the US and found that each educator adopted a community music ethos in the online environment. An analysis of emerging themes from the interviews indicates that modern band teachers incorporate a community music ethos through facilitating communal music-making, actively intervening to curate experiences for learners, utilizing music technology, and engaging music of existing communities. The authors acknowledge numerous challenges arising from remote learning, while recognizing opportunities that arose for meaningful alternative approaches to school music education. Further research is needed to understand what practices, understandings or approaches from pandemic teaching might apply to in-person teaching.