1. Pop Music As the Unlikely Savior of
Secondary Music Education
ROCK ME, AMADEUS

2. WHY ARE MUSIC PROGRAMS BEING CUT?
There is a lack of perceived value in music programs.

3. PROBLEM WITH THE PATH WE ARE ON
• Educators can’t justify existence of programs
• Recording Industry Association of America
reports that jazz accounts for less than 1% of
total sales, yet still outpaces classical
• Inverse Music Education Reality: 98% of the
music we are teaching accounts for less than
2% of the music people care about
• Music taught does not resonate culturally with
our students
• We slow student progress by not using the
musical language they have grown up with

4. TIME TO HIT THE RESET BUTTON
Instead of attempting to justify the inclusion of popular
music in our curriculum, we should be leading with it.

5. CALEB CHAPMAN’S SOUNDHOUSE AS A MODEL
• Founded in 2000 with fewer than 20
students
• 250 enrolled in 17 ensembles in 2014
• Thousands of students participating
over 15 years
• 27 DownBeat Awards
• 17 Best of State Medals
• Millions of dollars in scholarship offers

6. WHERE DO WE START
• Eliminate the “selling out”
concept
• Agree that simple doesn’t mean
easy
• Revisit our choices of literature
for existing ensembles & demand
creation of new literature
• Add ensembles with pop
instrumentation
• Expand styles performed by
ensembles

7. BENEFITS OF POP MUSIC INCLUSION
• More students involved
• More proficient students
• More support & funding
• Payoff for students
• Preservation of Art Music

8. Pop Music As the Unlikely Savior of
Secondary Music Education
ROCK ME, AMADEUS