2025 World Music Pedagogy Courses

The World Music Pedagogy course weaves together experiences in music, cultural meaning, and culturally sensitive pedagogical strategies, and provides for active listening episodes leading to participatory, performative, and creative musical experiences—all tailored to fit learners of various ages and experiences. The course emphasizes the teaching of global-local music for intercultural understanding, and attends to culturally relevant pedagogy as it pertains to music education practices. Featured resources in the course are selections from the reserves of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and the World Music Pedagogy series of books/recording links, all directed to the ways of knowing the world of music, in music, and through music. All are welcome, including music educators, all-subject educators, artist-musicians, applied ethnomusicologists, curricular designers, community organizers, and all who are seeking further insights on musical-cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Click here to learn more about cultural understanding through World Music Pedagogy.

Smithsonian Folkways Certificate Courses in World Music Pedagogy

August 18th–22nd - Cape Breton University (Onsite)
October 2nd–30th (Tues & Thurs) - World Music Pedagogy (Online)

Sound Communities (AC 101 Cape Breton University)

Onsite Course
Dates: August 18th–22nd
Location: Cape Breton University (Centre for Sound Communities)
Course Directors: Marcia Ostashewski and Jody Stark
(Graduate or Undergraduate Credits and PD hours available; WMP/SFR Certificate)

Description:
This course introduces the role of music for teaching and learning through diverse cultural perspectives and in relationship with diverse local culture bearers and communities across Unama'ki (Cape Breton Island) and elsewhere. We critically consider the content and practices of teaching and learning through music in formal and informal settings, and ways that music can support learning in a variety of subject areas (arts practices, language arts, science, history, cultural studies, health, etc). Values and principles of EDIA, Indigenization, Reconciliation, anti-racism and decolonization are foundational to this course as is the Mi’kmaw concept of Etuaptmumk, or “Two-Eyed Seeing” in which personal relationships are foundational and individuals engage and learn from many different perspectives.
Graduate or Undergraduate Credits and PD hours available.

Course Faculty include:

Michel Aucoin: Acadian song and dance of Cheticamp

Patricia Shehan Campbell: World Music Pedagogy

Shirley Christmas: Mi’kmaw Elder, poet and playwright

Afua Cooper: African Canadian historian and dub poet

Lassana Diabaté: Balafon traditions of Kindia

Leah Doucette: Traditional Mi'kmaw dance

Meghan Forsyth: Acadian music

Patrick Howard: Arts Education for health and wellbeing

Ernest Johnson, Mi’kmaw Elder, Traditional practices

Jen Mellizo: Smithsonian Folkways Music Pathways

Michael Morrison: African Nova Scotian Gospel Music

Marcia Ostashewski: Community-engaged music and education for Reconciliation and Decolonization

Starr Paul: Mi’kmaw language learning

Katie Tremblay: Indigenous pedagogies in K–12 instrumental music

Jeff Ward: Mi'kmaw hand drum making

Please click here to view course listing and register.

For more information, please contact the Centre for Sound Communities sound_communities@cbu.ca.

Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy Course

Online Webinar
Dates: October 2nd–30th, Tues & Thursdays 6:00-8:00PM (MST)
Location: Online, Delivered by Zoom
Course Director: Jennifer Walden
(PD Hours Available; WMP/SFR Certificate)

Description:
This online course explores a diverse range of repertoire, media, and teaching/learning strategies that comprise the five dimensions of World Music Pedagogy, with the goal of building knowledge, skills, and confidence in diversifying music teaching/learning experiences. Understanding social and historical contexts of music cultures is achieved through sessions in vocal/instrumental/digital music, movement, and group discussions.
Participants will be guided through the application in classrooms of recordings and curricular materials from the Smithsonian Folkways archives, along with sessions with culture bearers, educators, and ethnomusicologists. Musical experiences will be tailored for use at various levels, including in classes for K–12 setting, community music settings, and higher education. Enrolled participants will join together in sharing their designs of WMP-crafted learning pathways, and will receive a PD certificate from the Smithsonian Institution in World Music Pedagogy.

Course Faculty includes:

Kyle Heide: Kalimba music, ethnomusicology perspectives

Diana Valero: Venezuelan folk music (joropos, gaitas)

David Almengod: Folk Music of the Dominican Republic (“Carabine”)

Dr. Patricia Shehan Campbell: Principles of World Music Pedagogy

Dr. Jen Mellizo: Smithsonian Folkways Music Pathways

Dr. Jennifer Walden: West African percussion, East Indian rhythms, Vocal music styles, issues in Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, Environment, and Justice

Melanie Hilden: Ecuadorian Children’s songs

...with further clinicians to be confirmed!

For more information and registration, please contact Dr. Jennifer Walden at waldenj429@gmail.com.