ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we advocate for increased integration and expansion of commercial and popular music in higher education and posit that constructivism, a theory for understanding and interpreting a learner’s cognitive development in ways that effectively support active learning processes, offers an epistemological framework for teaching commercial and popular music that is (1) learner-led, (2) built upon the student’s previous life experiences, (3) connected to real-world practice, and (4) socially constructed. Embedded within a larger movement to address social justice issues in music education, including hegemonic practices commonplace in higher education, we suggest that the four tenets of constructivism hold possibilities for assistance in breaking down barriers of access and exclusive practices in the profession. The authors propose that each of the four tenets found within constructivism would ideally guide the profession in designing and implementing learner-led music making experiences in higher commercial and popular music education contexts – a theme interwoven throughout the book – and that ideally, instructors in higher education should work to provide a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable music learning experience for current and prospective students using a constructivist approach in their classrooms or ensemble rehearsal spaces. In conclusion, a rhizomatic model for commercial and popular music learning in higher education is proposed, along with implications for expanding and changing the music education profession.
