Modernization of curricular expansion in music teacher education programs have been an ongoing investigation in the music education profession.These expansions have sought to diversify undergraduate music education experiences in ways that include: (1) a diversity of music making experiences utilizing informal and non-formal approaches, (2) pedagogical implementations beyond teacher-centered/directedness, (3) instruments reflecting popular music milieus, (4) music learning within aura/oral methodologies, (5) technologies for mediating, recording, and performing music, (6) spaces supporting learner autonomy, and (7) preparation for hybrid careers in music teaching and learning. Some tertiary institutions have favored curricular expansions while others favored curricular changes to existing coursework requirements. This includes the options of changing or modifying current classes, or removing core requirements to create spaces for new coursework. Previous research illuminated that music education faculty members were the primary leaders in new designs that navigate an interconnected series of institutional barriers. Although some scholarly work has provided insight into what changes have been made to undergraduate curricula, research in this area is limited. The purpose of this research is to offer insights into the design and redesign of a team-taught/facilitated undergraduate course titled Contemporary Ensembles in Public Schools focusing on contemporary music education. This course, which has been running for eight academic school years, has been a 1 credit requirement for music education majors at a college in the Northeast US. The presenters will share data collected from faculty and students, inside and outside classroom contexts. These data will help to interpret the forces and processes of the course’s implementation and revision. It is hoped that this session will lead others in the field to consider or reconsider how they navigate the rigid structures of formal institutions and processes leading towards contemporizing contemporary practices.
