“Working in Concert”: Examining Music’s Role in Cross-Curricular Education

Abstract

The purpose of this presentation is to investigate the power of the cross-curricular teaching and learning practice while exploring the relationship between music and other subject areas in an educational environment. In recent years, the curriculum of countries such as Sweden, Australia, and the United Kingdom, has placed greater emphasis on utilizing the cross-curricular learning and teaching practice. This progressive pedagogy strives to engage students by connecting different curricular areas within an activity or lesson. Students have the opportunity to engage in a deeper form of learning, applying their knowledge and transferring their skills as they discover similarities between distinct subject areas. Additionally, the cross-curricular practice can attract pupils to disciplines that otherwise might not have held their attention. As everyday life is filled with tasks that draw on multiple subject areas, this teaching approach ultimately enables the educational system to better prepare pupils for their future. However, the cross-curricular practice can pose a challenge to teachers who lack confidence in their knowledge of content across the many curricular areas. This is particularly relevant to music education, as many teachers who do not possess a solid knowledge base of skills and techniques shy away from incorporating music into their teaching practice. Nevertheless, cross-curricular learning seems to be a valuable learning process, therefore, I will discuss method of incorporating music into cross-curricular lessons in order to provide