Music That Represents Culture: Selecting Music with Integrity

On a recent walk through a conference exhibit hall lively with the din of conversation and intermittent musical sounds, I was drawn to a flurry of activity at a music vendor. Among the rows of music books, octavos, recordings, and scores were about a dozen teachers searching for new additions to their curricula. As an observer, I couldn't help wondering what guided their decisions. Especially interesting to me were the more adventurous teachers searching through the multicultural bins. How did they determine what music would be a viable addition to their curricula? While perusing the music, they might have been asking, Will my students enjoy listening to this recording? Is this concert band arrangement of a Mexican ballad faithful to the original? Is there any information about the typical performance style of a Navajo circle-dance song? Can my students produce the vocal timbre it calls for? Is there someone from the culture I can consult about this jazz-band arrangement of Puerto Rican salsa? Answers to these questions could help determine if the music is a suitable fit.