The Pedagogical Value of Learning a Musical Work in an Endangered Language: Ho-Chunk

Abstract

This thesis discusses the rewards and challenges that come from incorporating a cross-cultural musical work featuring an endangered language into the music classroom. Background information is provided about the Ho-Chunk Nation, a Wisconsin First Nation with ancestral lands spanning a wide area of the state including part of Central Wisconsin. The endangered language, Ho-Chunk, was researched and incorporated into an original cross-cultural musical work that was taught to a middle school choral ensemble. Adsit describes the process of incorporating the Ho-Chunk language into a musical work, creating an original musical work in the Ho-Chunk language, and the process of teaching the work to students. Five student participants were interviewed in person using the narrative inquiry method about their experience of learning a musical work in Ho-Chunk. Findings of the research reveal the pedagogical value of learning a musical work in an endangered language and how that knowledge has implications for music educators, composers, music teacher educators, and the field of music education.