Every Child Is Musical: Access, Barriers, and Belonging in Elementary Music

Music classrooms are filled with diverse learners, yet many students face barriers that limit their ability to fully participate and succeed. This session examines common access barriers in elementary music instruction—including sensory, cognitive, and physical—and explores how lesson design can either reinforce or remove those barriers. Participants will be introduced to inclusive, music‑specific strategies grounded in Universal Design for Learning, with a concluding question‑and‑answer segment, led by NAfME’s Council for General Music Education Chair Stephanie Benischek.

Christine Lapka prepares teacher education candidates in elementary music methods, exceptionalities in music, instructional methods, and assessment at the University of Central Florida. Previously, she was a music professor at Western Illinois University (WIU) and worked in Illinois public schools in elementary music education. She holds two undergraduate degrees from WIU (Music Education, Music Therapy), a master’s degree in Music Education (WIU, 1993), and a Doctorate in Music Education from the University of Illinois (2005). ILMEA honored her with the 2014 Mary Hoffman Award. A leader in disabilities in music, she publishes widely and leads workshops nationally.

NAfME presents this live virtual event at no charge to all as a service to the music education profession. To register, you must enter your NAfME member information or create a nonmember account. After registering, check your email for instructions. A recording of this program will be available to all registrants for one week following the live event. Members can also view archived NAfME webinars in the NAfME Academy.

The views expressed are those of the presenter; they do not necessarily reflect the views of NAfME.