Journal of Popular Music Education - Volume 9, Issue 2, 2025

Investigation of the learning practices of popular musicians can glean benefits for the field of music education by helping stakeholders connect music practice with the music classroom. The purpose of this case study is to examine the learning processes of professional-level music producers in the United States. Three music producers identified as such by professionals in the field completed interviews regarding how they began and continued acquiring music production skills and knowledge. Resulting themes included learning through experimentation and matching, seeking out information, learning from others and learning in context. Based on the results of this study, internships and opportunities for collaboration during formal music production training might better prepare music production students for their future careers. Institutional learning can be compatible with ways music producers learn, and the expansion of music production education in college and K-12 settings could open the field of music production to more individuals.

India’s independent music scene is growing, yet formal popular music education struggles to prepare students for its unique challenges. This study explores the experiences of over forty Indian independent musicians, industry personnel and educators through interviews conducted between 2015 and 2023. Findings reveal systemic barriers in the industry, including inadequate organizational structures and compensation issues. However, opportunities are emerging in screen media and live events. The study identifies gaps in skills development, particularly in entrepreneurship and business acumen, and tensions exist between global and local perspectives in curriculum design. Recommendations include fostering stronger partnerships between formal institutions and local music scenes, implementing student-run enterprises and community-based projects to bridge theory and practice and developing more flexible, customized training programmes. These strategies aim to better equip students for the realities of portfolio careers in India’s evolving independent music landscape while nurturing a sustainable ecosystem for the sector.

Flamenco is the most prominent form of local folk music in Andalusia. Accordingly, the local educational authority actively endorses its integration into the curriculum of Andalusian schools. However, the investigation into self-perceived knowledge among Andalusian school students regarding flamenco remains unexplored. Self-perceptions regarding one’s knowledge of a subject’s content holds significance, as they influence academic performance, learning strategies, self-efficacy and attitudes towards the content. Through the development and validation of a psychometric instrument, and its administration via a comprehensive questionnaire to a sample of this population (n = 344), our study uncovered a prevailing pessimistic trend in participants’ self-assessments of knowledge about flamenco. Furthermore, our investigation, using linear regression analysis, into variables that correlate with participants’ self-perceived knowledge showed that their preference for flamenco and the degree of their engagement with music are significant predictors. On the other hand, the lack of correlation with students’ ages and grades in music underscores the need for professional development among Andalusian secondary-school music teachers, particularly in the adoption of enhanced methodologies for teaching flamenco in a more engaging manner.

This article investigates the impact and motivations behind a negative response from a school principal to a music video produced in a Western Sydney high school, contextualizing the case against the dangerization of local artists performing drill music, a subgenre of hip hop. Following a storying approach, the article draws data from research topic yarns held between a non-Indigenous teacher-researcher, hip hop producer and education project officer. Through sharing our perspectives and voices, we table a provocation about the potential for drill music as a culturally relevant learning tool for engagement and connection within diverse Western Sydney communities.

The purpose of this case study was to explore the development of the North Carolina Music Educators Association Popular Music Education Committee (NCMEA-PMEC) from the perceptions of its membership. Wenger’s theory of communities of practice was used to frame the study. Participants in the study were members of the NCMEA-PMEC and the current president of NCMEA. Data sources for the study included: individual interviews, a focus group interview, meeting agendas and planning documents, and participant observation of monthly meetings. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) creating inclusive spaces for popular music education in North Carolina, (2) popular music provides one way to be inclusive, diverse, accessible and equitable and (3) PMEC struggles with the homogeneous makeup of their membership. By reaching out to local hip hop artists, DJs and community musicians, the PMEC could widen its breadth and depth of music teachers.