VOLUME XVI, NUMBER 1

“* INNOVATION ABSTRACTS

PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD), COLLEGE OF EDUCATION,

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN WITH SUPPORT FROM THE W. K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION AND THE SID W. RICHARDSON FOUNDATION

 

Biology + Music = Cultural Diversity

The curriculum of the natural sciences is difficult to
infuse with “cultural diversity.” Beyond covering a
sampling of race- or culture-associated genetic diseases,
the effort generally is limited to crediting those ethnically
diverse researchers who have contributed to the disci-
pline. I turned to the following strategy to bring some
cultural diversity into my biology course.

~~

When our department upgraded the audiovisual
equipment in a large lecture hall and my biology class was
scheduled to meet there, I was determined to take advan-
tage of the sound facilities. But how could I integrate the
music I loved into biology? | considered the possibility of
using background music for certain class presentations,
but abandoned that idea and decided to play music as
students arrived for class. What should I play? How will
the music I select be received? Will they like it? Will they
reject it and thereby reject a part of me? The experiment
was not without risk!

It seemed best to start on neutral ground but not
pander to popular tastes. I first played a contemporary
album of acoustic jazz by Lionel Hampton and the Golden
Men of Jazz. The sound level was important, not ear-
splitting but with a clear presence. | wanted the students
to be consciously aware that something unusual was
happening; I also decided not to warn them of my new
plan. I could hardly wait for their reaction.

Using the programmable CD player, I timed the music
to end at the moment class was to begin. On the first day,
| walked into class, the music stopped, and I said “good
morning” and began the lecture. The students said
nothing. They were indifferent. I was disappointed but
not defeated.

Each class meeting thereafter I played different types of
music, from blues to bluegrass, from Bach to Bartok. Still,
there was no reaction. One day I decided to sacrifice my
musical standards to force a response; I played music by
U2. “Do you like that kind of music?” a young man
asked. This meager beginning blossomed into continuing
student dialogues. At the end of the term, one student (an
avowed “heavy-metal rocker” who had never said a
word) asked if I would play “some more of that guy that

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~ College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin, EDB 348, Aus

plays that vibraphone thing.” He was referring to Lionel
Hampton.

Before each class meeting I now write the name of the
composer and/or musical group on the board and
prominently display the album cover. One day I played a
recording by Kronos String Quartet, Pieces of Africa,
packaged in a strikingly beautiful African design. The
following class meeting a student from Nigeria was
wearing an African shirt of much the same design;
previously he had worn only western clothing. A coinci-
dence? Maybe, but it occurred to me that perhaps I had
stumbled upon a way to bridge some cultural gaps. I
asked students to bring music from their home coun-
tries—on the condition it not be Euro-American pop, new
age, etc. That term we shared music from Iran, India,
Zaire, and the Philippines.

.e,

~

It is difficult to measure the impact of this project.
Judging from conversations with students and comments
from staff members who hear the music, it has multiple
effects.

* It provides a topic of conversation for students who do
not yet feel comfortable talking about biology.

* It lightens the classroom atmosphere.

* It recognizes and honors the diverse cultural back-
grounds of all students.

* It provides exposure to diverse music styles.

This strategy has provided an opportunity for me to
share a personal interest with my students. It seems that
students find me more approachable; I have created
opportunities for interaction. It has been a risk well worth
taking.

Stephen Kellogg, Professor, Biology
For further information, contact the author at Chaffey

Community College, 5885 Haven Avenue, Rancho
Cucamonga, CA 91737.

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD)
Community College Leadership Program, Department of Educational! Administration

tin, Texas 78712