Author’s Note

I first became aware of the Rhapsody Project on December 15, 2022. I was working late in my office at the XR Lab in the Bellevue College Library, when I heard the ding of the email arrive.

” Hi Ron, This event is for the group our daughter used to do fiddling with, and they are doing amazing work!  Since she was in middle school, we’ve been fortunate to be involved with a community music organization called The Rhapsody Project, which helps teach people about music and heritage through an anti-racist lens. We would love if you could join us,”

I looked at the email. It was getting late. I still had plenty of work to do and I wasn’t quite up for the twenty five minute drive into the city on a winter evening. But, heck, I figured, it is alway good to see my friends Erika and Greg; the ones who sent the email. And so, I admit that with a sigh, I pulled myself away from the blue screen, and I made my way across the I-90 Bridge towards Seattle to visit the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center.

And that’s where this information resource started.

About this Book

Music, Heritage, and Community is an Open Educational Resource (OER)  written with teachers in mind, but anyone may find the content helpful.

This book explores teaching methods by instructors from The Rhapsody Project (TRP) as well as the teachings of Dr. Paul Jackson, a Black XR technologist living in the Pacific Northwest. XR stand for “extended reality” and is an umbrella term for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and other technologies which mix computer generated environments with reality.

The instructors use XR technology (primarily Dr. Jackson) and music (primarily TRP) to teach about heritage, history, and culture. Then almost secondarily they use music and technology to teach about music and technology. TRP students learn about music to address racism while also exploring their own culture. In a similar context Dr. Jackson has led multiple events at Bellevue College where participants used  virtual reality (VR) as a tool to deepen their understanding about local history and social justice  For better or worse the post COVID era has fueled an omnipresent use of technology for teaching and learning across disciplines.  The Seattle Black history VR tours produced by Dr. Paul Jackson provide an example of technology being used for the better.

Overview 

1. A Better Way to Teach introduces the idea of unpacking the ongoing narratives which brought us to who we are today.
2. Introducing the Rhapsody Project is an introduction to TRP and three members from the organization.
3. Music, Dance, and Food describes heritage as a central focus for TRP and introduces ideas for different narratives in the music classroom.
4. A Counter-Narrative Repertoire in the Music Classroom looks more deeply at different teaching counter-narratives and provides examples from other open educational resources.
5. Impacts of Technology on Teaching introduces the topic of  technology’s impact on teaching and the use of technology tools.
6. Introducing Dr. Paul Jackson is an introduction Dr. Jackson and the XR work he develops.
7. Two Musical Performances presents performances of Can’t Get Right and St. James Infirmary.
8. Teaching about St. James Infirmary provides ideas for teaching about historical roots music.
9. Teaching about Can’t Get Right provides ideas for teaching about contemporary roots music.
10. .A Case Study of Using XR to Enhance Teaching showcases specific examples of Dr. Jackson using XR technologies to teach about culture and history.
11. XR Spaces to Teach about Music, Heritage steps back to explore technology as used by Dr. Jackson and other instructors to  augment learning about music, heritage, and anti-racism.
12. The Summary and Resources is a full list of credits and references.