Full Description
This book examines the dynamic relationship between contemporary music, youth identity, and music education, challenging conventional understandings of both "contemporary music" and the purposes of music education. It asks how young people construct their identities through music in an increasingly globalized, digitally connected, and culturally entangled world. Moving beyond genre-based definitions, the book reconceptualizes contemporary music as a relational and polycultural practice through which young people negotiate belonging, creativity, and cultural identity.
Drawing on ethnographic and qualitative case studies from the United States, Macau, mainland China, Ecuador, and South Africa, the book offers a cross-cultural exploration of how diverse musical practices shape identity across formal, informal, and community-based learning environments. These international perspectives showcase how young people navigate tradition and innovation, local and global influences, family and peer relationships, and digital and lived musical worlds.
This book provides readers with a deeper understanding of the powerful role that music plays in shaping youth identities and educational practices across the globe. Educators, researchers, and policymakers will also gain new insights into how contemporary music can serve not only as a medium for artistic expression but also as a catalyst for more inclusive, culturally responsive, and future-oriented pedagogical practices.
