Popular Outsiders: The Censorship of Popular Music in School Music Education

In recent years, popular music has been promoted as a particularly democratic and inclusive means to encourage music-making and learning in schools. However, at the same time, scholars have argued that certain popular musics are inappropriate for young people, particularly in formal education contexts. Through exploring the censorship processes by which certain popular musics are labeled as problematic, and the teacher's role in navigating such repertoire, this article argues that teaching popular musics is a complex and ethical endeavor, requiring moral deliberation and reflection by the teacher.