Austin Norrid
Appropriation or Collaboration? Programing World Music
Wednesday, March 4th 3pm
Session Description
Are you interested in programming world music repertoire but unsure of how to select and teach pieces while avoiding cultural appropriation? In this session, we will define and review the major concepts of World Music Pedagogy and discuss issues of authenticity, cultural validity, appropriation, and collaboration as they relate to world music repertoire in the choral ensemble. Additionally, we will discuss the ways students experience World Music Pedagogy in the choral ensembles when directors program repertoire from students’ home cultures (Sánchez-Gatt et al., 2025; Author, in review). I will introduce a checklist for selecting choral arrangements of world music pieces and a brainstorming worksheet for how to teach and rehearse world music for choirs based on research and practitioner articles (e.g., Abril, 2006; Bennet, 2022; Sánchez-Gatt et al., 2025; Shaw, 2019). During this session, participants will use the checklist to evaluate sample octavos for cultural validity, cultural bias, and practicality and then use the worksheet to brainstorm ways to introduce and rehearse sample pieces with their ensembles in ways that engage cultural collaboration and avoid cultural appropriation. Participants will leave this session with practical tools to select and teach world music repertoire in ways that celebrate and honor the world’s cultures in a spirit of intercultural collaboration.
Clinician Bio
Dr. Austin Norrid is Assistant Professor Instruction for Choral Music Education at Ohio University where he conducts Bella Voce (SSAA) and Choral Union (SATB) and teaches coursework in music education and choral conducting. While completing his Ph.D. in Music Education at the Pennsylvania State University, Norrid served as interim director of Essence of Joy. Norrid studied conducting with Drs. Kathryn Hylton and Christopher Kiver, and assistant conducted under the late Dr. Anthony Leach. Norrid’s research focuses on inclusion and belonging for LGBTQ and multilingual music students and music educators. He has presented research and professional development sessions at state and national conferences and has guest lectured at universities across the US on topics including multilingual learners, world music pedagogy, and empathy in choral ensembles.