How I Use a Drawing Exercise to Introduce the Topic of Researching Composers from Marginalized Communities in a Graduate Level Music Course

abstract: In this case study, I describe my experience using a drawing exercise to help students relax and bring awareness to stereotypes in classical music before introducing the topic of researching composers from historically marginalized communities. There are prompts to guide readers through the drawing exercise along with helpful tips based on four years of observations using this exercise as a teaching technique. While my experience has been positive, I recognize there is still much work to be done around drawing research in many disciplines and library instruction. The author identifies as a white, cisgender woman of English, Scotch-Irish, Welsh, German, and Slovak descent.