“Behind the Beautiful Music is a Person”

The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the experiences of collegiate music education students as they participated in school music, identified music teaching as a career goal, and entered collegiate music education programs, with attention to both racial/ethnic identity and social class. Participants were selected in dyads from eight colleges/universities around the United States, each dyad consisting of one White, -Hispanic student and one non-White student (Black or Hispanic). Participant interviews revealed key themes around race and social class, particularly regarding family’s role, church and community in musical development, and money and/as access (Seidman, 2019). The study’s findings fit an intersectional understanding of how race and social class interact multiplicatively such that non-White, lower income students might be seen as most excluded from school music participation and attainment as a college music education major (Crenshaw, 1991). Based on these findings, the author provides recommendations for further research and implications for professional settings.