Expanding Participation in Music through Modern Band

Bryan Powell Associate Professor of Music Education and Music Technology, Montclair State University | Chief Program Officer, Music Will

Bryan Powell (r.) coaching Modern Band students

My father was a high school band director—in fact, he was my high school band director. Growing up in a musical household with both parents as teachers, I knew from an early age that I wanted to follow in their footsteps and become a music teacher. During college, as I trained to become a music educator, it never really occurred to me that while school music had worked for me, it wasn’t working for the vast majority of students I went to high school with. I definitely noticed that most students chose not to participate, and even friends of mine who were deeply musical—playing in rock bands or writing songs—rarely engaged with school music. I understood the benefits that school music could offer, and I knew those benefits weren’t equally distributed among all students, but I hadn’t thought seriously about what I could do as a future music teacher to expand access and participation.

That changed when I began teaching in East Harlem, at a New York City public school. My students were passionate about music—they lived musical lives—but many weren’t interested in concert band or school choir. The music we offered simply didn’t reflect what they were engaging with outside of school. This was eye-opening for me; traditional approaches to school music had worked for me, but they were leaving most students behind.

After a few years, I introduced a guitar class, a music technology program, and an after-school rock band. I saw firsthand how contemporary music experiences engaged more students. I also came to realize that while access to music education is critical, access alone isn’t the goal. If students have access to a program but don’t want to participate, that’s not a win. (I often joke that my 15-year-old daughter has full access to the lawnmower in our garage, but she never wants to mow the lawn!) Many well-intentioned advocacy efforts focus on increasing access to music education—and that’s important—but without participation, students miss out on the transformational power of making music with others. What I learned in East Harlem is that giving students the opportunity to play music that’s meaningful to them, in ways that are meaningful to them, empowers them and expands the doorway into school music.

Since I started teaching in East Harlem over 20 years ago, the inclusion of popular music in public school music programs has become more common. Much of this growth has come through the development of modern band programs. Modern band is an approach to music education that expands the repertoire and instrumentation typically found in school ensembles. Modern band emphasizes music that students know and love: the kinds of genres you’d find on their playlists—rock, rap, EDM, country, metal, reggae, and others. In this context, “popular” music doesn’t just mean Billboard hits, it means music that’s “of the people,” in this case, of the students. By incorporating modern band, music classrooms can better reflect the lived experiences of students and bridge the gap between school music and community music. Students see themselves in the curriculum. By validating and building on the cultural capital of our students, music educators can create deeper connections, especially with students who have often felt left out of traditional programs.

There’s a growing body of research showing that modern band programs can expand access and engagement, particularly for non-White students and those receiving free or reduced lunch. Similar trends are emerging in music technology programs. Simply put, when we offer more kinds of music in schools, more students participate. While this blog isn’t the place for an exhaustive review of the research, it’s crucial that music educators understand the why behind adding modern band, and not just the how.

And let’s be clear: adding modern band in school music programs is an addition, not a replacement. It’s an and, not an or. Schools can add modern band and music technology programs without dismantling existing band, choir, or orchestra traditions. As I’ve said elsewhere, music education is a broad and evolving field. We can preserve what’s working and what’s valued, while also expanding our vision to include new genres, new tools, and new ways of making music. In doing so, we ensure that music education remains meaningful, relevant, and accessible for all students.

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Bryan Powell is Associate Professor of Music Education and Music Technology at Montclair State University, and Chief Program Officer at Music Will.