1st Edition

Music Education in Rural America Volume I: Policies and Perspectives

Edited By Daniel C. Johnson Copyright 2026
208 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

208 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

208 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This two‑volume publication is the first of its kind, advancing asset‑based policies and practices in music education for nearly 10 million rural students nationwide. By exploring the influence of urbanormativity and historical trends, the authors advocate for school music programs that sustain rural values, interests, communities, and ecosystems. While earlier research has offered insights on... Read more

List of Figures

Preface

Acknowledgements

Contributor Biographies

Chapter 1. History and Current Landscape of Rural Music Education: Policy and Praxis

J. Kessa Roberts and Alycia Cole

Chapter 2. Surveying the Field: A Systematic Review of Rural Music Education Research in the United States

Timothy E. Nowak

Chapter 3. Urbanormativity in Rural School Music

Vincent C. Bates

Chapter 4. The Intersections of School, Community, and Music in Rural Spaces

Whitney Mayo

Chapter 5. Place-Based Pedagogy and Rural Communities as Cultural Contexts

Catheryn Shaw Foster and Melody Causby

Chapter 6. Love Your Mother: How Ecology Can Inform Music Teaching and Learning in Rural Settings

Daniel J. Shevock

Chapter 7. Preservice Music Teacher Education: Preparing the Next Generation for Rural Schools

Daniel C. Johnson and Eric M. Pennello

Chapter 8. Rural Music Teacher Retention and Turnover

David N. Sanderson

Chapter 9. Answering the Call for Rural Music Teacher Professional Development

Daniel C. Johnson

Chapter 10. Potential Unexplored: Land-Grant Institutions, Rural Engagement, and Music Education

Jason B. Gossett and Angela Munroe

Biography

Daniel C. Johnson is Professor of Music and Music Education at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, where he coordinates Graduate Studies in Music Education.