Understanding the Appeal of Popular Music and its Potential to Direct Music Education.

Justin Klotzle
University of California, Los Angeles

Surrounded by a music culture that increasingly deviates from its classical past, music
educators find themselves struggling to create engaging, relevant and enriching curricula for
their students. The answer has been to simply insert the popular musical styles into the curricula
in an effort to provide a meaningful cultural experience for the students. While this approach
may stimulate their interest for a time, merely adding pop music into a curriculum does not
effectively bridge the gap between a traditional music education and the popular music culture of
modern day society. The important questions to be raised are: why does popular music appeal to
the current generation, and what is its potential in forming a new approach to music education?
Considering these topics will lead to a curriculum that is better suited to the students culture
while still providing engaging opportunities for immersion in other musical styles.

Many students complain that the classical style of music so often taught in music
classrooms is boring and irrelevant. To discover why this is the case we must understand what
components of music pique a childs interest. In a case study, Albert LeBlanc sampled a student
population with musical examples and developed a detailed ranking system showing which
genres were embraced by the students and what musical factors engaged the students. He found
that The styles supported by the broadcast media and adolescent peer group are consistently
rated higher (LeBlanc, 1981, p.13) than any other genre. The mainstream media has an
enormous influence on the younger generation, and they identify with the top hits. This answers
the question of relevance but not that of the specific factors that make a musical genre interesting
to students. In his study LeBlanc used a simple correlation analysis (to show) that style was by
far the strongest design variable in terms of preference response, (LeBlanc, 1981, p.12). In
another related study LeBlanc found that among the different musical styles the most appealing

styles to students were easy listening pop and rock music. (LeBlanc, 1979, p.7). Digging deeper
into the workings of the music, LeBlanc discovered that the biggest factor determining
preference in music is the tempo, and that instrumental music is the favored performing medium.
In another study on musical relevance LeBlanc that the music most preferred shared the
characteristic of having an easily perceptible beat (LeBlanc, 1979, p.8). The four lowest
ranked stimuli all shared a comparatively slow tempo. (LeBlanc, 1979, p.8) confirming the
preeminence of a clear fast tempo determining preference.

From this study, LeBlanc created for Factors that to measure the appeal of music to
elementary students. The determining factors are Establishment Music, Novel Timbres,
Rhythmic Dynamism, and People's Music. Factor 1, establishment music, is a negative factor.
This factor is characterized as establishment, adult, serious, or "non-fun" music, especially in
the mind of the fifth-grade student (LeBlanc, 1979, p.11). This factor was especially embodied
by classical music stimuli. Factor 2, Novel Timbres, relates to the appeal to style and is
characterized especially by electronic pop music. Novel timbres pique a students interest
because of diversity and originality. Rhythmic dynamism, Factor 3, is characterized by happy,
upbeat music with an easily perceptible beat. The high loading stimuli were all examples of
popular as opposed to serious styles, and no slow tempos were represented in LeBlancs study.
This Factor relates to the appeal of rhythm/tempo and is characterized by band/march and
ragtime styles. The fourth Factor, Peoples Music, is an appeal to popular culture. The students
identify with musical styles that relate to their current lifestyle. Identifying the mechanics of
musical appeal allows music educators to effectively bridge the gap between past curricula and
any new curricula.

When integrating popular music into music education it is important to take care and not
dissimilate the traditional genres from the curriculum. Lucy Green, from the University of
London says that Popular music can be educationally valued, both for itself and in relation to its
potential for leading pupils out into a wider sphere of musical appreciation (Green, 2006, p.2)
While necessary to create relevant curricula, there must be a push beyond the popular culture and
into new unfamiliar realms. A study completed by Evan S. Tobias, a professor at Arizona State
University, supports the inclusion of curricular offerings that allow for crossfading or overlap
between students in-school and outside-school musical experiences. (Tobias, 2015, p.1) This
overlap can be effectively accomplished with an awareness of the four Factors of preference
developed by LeBlanc. Many of the Factors of appeal can be found in traditional music. These
examples can be used to slowly bridge the gap and cross-fade the popular and classical
styles in the classroom. In LeBlancs study, easy-listening pop music was most preferred, while
ragtime, dixieland, band-march, country & western/bluegrass, and randomly generated electronic
stimuli earned preference scores statistically comparable to that of rock. In both a practical and a
statistical sense these styles qualified as critical competitors. (LeBlanc, 1979, p.14).
Capitalizing on these gateway styles will effectively engage students in a traditional music
education as well as a cultural method. LeBlanc states that There is a slight but general
preference for faster tempos and for the instrumental performing medium. Band music seems to
be the form of art music most likely to function as a critical competitor to the popular styles.
(LeBlanc, 1981, p.13)

Armed with the knowledge of factors that cause preference and their occurrence
throughout various styles it becomes possible to create a curriculum that both engages students
on a personal relevant level while pushing them to explore and assimilate new foreign musical
styles. The most efficient way to merge the traditional and cultural curricula is with an informal
learning structure. Tobias argues that "while teaching is always formal, teachers can create
environments conducive to students informal learning processes. (Tobias, 2015, p.2) Tobias
study suggests that an open-ended structure allow(s) students to experience smooth transitions
between their musical engagement and learning in and out of school (Tobias, 2015, p.6).
Destroying the boundaries that exist between students musical experience in school and out of
school will create a curriculum that overlaps the musical styles.
Practically, changes to the curricula must be made. In discussing curricula, Green states
that overall, listening to classical and/or folk music is simply not a part of the cultural practices
of most school children. Without repeated listening, stylistic familiarity cannot develop, and
without some stylistic familiarity, positive experience of inherent meaning is unlikely to occur.
(Green, 2006, p.4). If a motivating curriculum that is relevant to the students is not developed,
there will be no foundation with which to build upon and expand their repertoire. So it is evident
that changes to the curriculum must be accompanied by changes to the teaching method. Green
argues that all popular musicians must engage in what have come to be known as informal
learning practices. These differ greatly from formal music educational procedures and from the
ways in which classical musical skills and knowledge have been acquired and transmitted, at
least over the last two centuries or so.(Green, 2006, p.6) She developed 5 criterion by which to
implement a new curriculum: the learners will be able to choose the music, they will learn by
listening and copying recordings, friendship groups will facilitate learning instead of a standard

lecture, personal learning will be encouraged, the integration of listening, playing, singing,
improvising, and composing is essential.

In implementing this method, Green has experienced much success. In trial classrooms
teachers have exclaimed that he was shocked by the high levels of cooperation and
application. (Green, 2006, p.10). Teachers also agreed that whilst at first they found it hard to
stand back, they learned about their pupils abilities and characteristics by doing so. (Green,
2006, p.10) Green chalks the success up to listening. She says that Once ears have been opened,
they can hear more. When they hear more, they appreciate and understand more. (Green, 2006,
p.10). When students are engaged with the material on an informal and aural level the social
context is dissolved and the students create their own delineated meaning which allows them to
embrace all styles, regardless of culture.

Understanding the relevance of popular culture to modern music education will enhance a
music educators ability to create engaging and stimulating curricula. If properly understood, and
integrated, popular music can be used as a gateway for understanding musical concepts and
exposure to new unfamiliar genres. Successfully integrating a traditional music education
curriculum with culturally relevant experiences is essential and dramatically increases the
achievement of the students.

References
Green, L. (2006). Popular music education in and for itself, and for other music: current
research in the classroom. International Journal of Music Education August 2006 vol. 24 no. 2
101-118

LeBlanc, A. (1981). Effects of Style, Tempo, and Performing Medium on Children's Music
Preference. Journal of Research in Music Education Spring 1983 vol. 31 no. 1 57-66

LeBlanc, A (1979) Generic Style Music Preferences of Fifth-Grade Students. Journal of

Research in Music Education Winter 1979 vol. 27 no. 4 255-270

Tobias, E. (2015) Crossfading music education: Connections between secondary students inand out-of-school music experience. International Journal of Music Education 2015, Vol. 33(1)
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