Abstract
General music curricula have primarily been constructed from a singular worldview. However, the role of student cultural identity, issues of breadth versus depth, and questions of the efficacy of student- or teacher-directed pathways have arisen as classrooms have become increasingly heterogeneous. This chapter examines how culture has been positioned within the methods and approaches commonly employed in general music classrooms and the manner in which educators respond to the culture in their classrooms. It also addresses how thinking in education and music education has been influenced by culture and how diverging views of culture have informed pedagogy. A multidirectional approach to culturally responsive teaching in music is presented.