ABSTRACT
The author reflects on the 2020 article, “Music Teachers’ Perceptions of General Music as a Required Middle Level Course,” and suggests an exploration and choice dialectic exists in middle level music education. Given school policies, young adolescents are often expected to choose enrollment in a music ensemble elective or are required to take the “exploratory” general music course along with other courses identified as “exploratories.” Thus, the designation of a music course as required or elective often places general music and performance ensemble courses in opposition. Both exploration and choice play an important role in young adolescents’ intrinsic motivation to learn any subject. However, the ability of a young adolescent to select a course as part of their schedule is not the only means for cultivating intrinsic motivation related to exploration and choice. It is imperative that middle level music teachers also consider the curricular content and pedagogical enactment of all available middle level music courses regardless of administrative label. Raising the tensions of the exploration and choice dialectic illuminates some potential issues and considerations for middle level music teachers and administrators. The author offers some productive suggestions for navigating these tensions.
