Implementing an Engaged Scholarship approach to teaching proved to be a profoundly fruitful and transformational experience, opening up new possibilities for inquiry and holistic learning. Students enrolled in Music 176r (Music and Disability) invested a significant amount of time participating in various service organizations providing inclusive music programs for individuals with disabilities. Rather than performing service, research, or ethnography, our students simply made music in these unfamiliar and unconventional contexts in ways that made the course’s rigorous intellectual content come alive. The experience of Engaged Scholarship challenged, shaped, and affirmed our values, prompting important questions and catalyzing creative interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary explorations. Putting theory into practice through building meaningful relationships and experiences in the community reflected back in the students’ work in the classroom, translating to a deeper understanding and greater passion for the subject matter.
Andrew Clark, Director of Choral Activities, Sr. Lecturer in Music
