All students deserve music: developing a modified music curriculum

Abstract

Students with severe cognitive disabilities deserve to have a music class designed to fit their specific needs. This entire project correlates with that statement and begins the journey on how Wisconsin music teachers prepare the cognitively disabled adapted music class and why. One of the questions to be addressed is: do other schools in the state of Wisconsin offer a modified music class? Wisconsin music teachers were surveyed in regard to questions that arose around the topic of students with disabilities. Do any schools in Wisconsin have a curriculum already in use for cognitively disabled music? Do teachers have resources available to them? How many Wisconsin schools offer a program designed for cognitively disabled music needs? The second aspect this project will show is how to begin creating a modified music curriculum for the cognitively disabled. There is a significant amount of research that emphasizes the role music can play in helping people learn, grow, and heal. Many of the resources explored maintain that by combining music therapy and general music, cognitively disabled students can improve physically, cognitively, socially, and musically. When given the tools, general outline, and ideas, each teacher can develop an adequate program to serve the cognitively disabled through a music program designed for their specific needs. This project outlines ideas to help cultivate a cognitively disabled music curriculum. While this music curriculum is designed with severe cognitive disabilities in mind, it could be used to benefit all young people. All students deserve to experience music at a level they can perform, understand, develop from, enjoy, and appreciate.