Willingham and Carruthers (2018, 612-613) identify several reflection questions when it comes to our roles within music institutions. Some of them include:

Reflect on the culture of the academy in which you are currently studying/teaching/working. How is it redefining itself to meet the needs of twenty-first century higher education?
What barriers have you identified (institutional or community) that impede the broader study of cultural practices?
Private studio instruction has often been the domain of privilege. In the context of community music values, what steps would you consider to make music instruction more accessible to those for whom it normally would not be possible?
Think of several characteristics of community music that inform and enhance traditional music education practices.

Other reflections:

Think about your musical journey thus far. Does your experience primarily fall into one particular category (private lesson/institution-based, community-based)? How have your musical experiences shaped how you conceive of the teaching/learning/performing of music?
What does excellence mean to you? To the institution to which you belong? Who is included and excluded by these definitions?
What does “musical elitism” mean to you? Have you personally encountered it? Do you perpetuate it? Is there something you can do to combat it?
Reflect on your own identity. Where might you be in a position of privilege and power? What does this mean for your interactions with others? What do you need to be conscious of?
- Do you feel safe in your institution? Why or why not? Who might feel unsafe?

For educators:

Does your pedagogy prioritize notions of “excellence” that do not foster a culture of empathy, well-being, or sustainability?
Do you think of certain types of music as more worthy of study? Why?

The reflections and guiding questions contained in all of the other modules are also extremely relevant to this topic. Please check them out: