Abstract
The purpose of this case study was to examine the implementation of a holistic curriculum that integrated music, literature, creativity, and social-emotional learning and determine its impact on student learning. The musical storytelling curriculum uses a picture book to promote musical and non-musical goals. In each lesson, students reflect on their own experiences and identities (self), learn musical concepts (music), and respond creatively through a digital audio workstation (creativity). This study documented how the musical storytelling curriculum was implemented at a private Catholic school by the music teacher in her fourth-grade general music classes. Data were collected through interviews, observations, students’ written reflections, emails and texts with the teacher, PowerPoint presentations, and students’ musical compositions. Data analysis showed that students demonstrated social-emotional and musical learning through creative music-making; the teacher developed a new schema for general music through the implementation process; and all participants made musical, interdisciplinary, and interpersonal connections through their experience with the curriculum. This case study demonstrated how a holistic curriculum that included digital music-making was a culturally relevant and responsive approach to world music pedagogy that helped students develop social-emotional competencies as they let their stories and voices be heard.