| This 8-month case study was conducted at a private music institution in the American Midwest that featured the teaching and learning of diverse music styles including folk, old time, pop, rock, country, and blues, defined here as urban music. The research goal was to examine the learning of urban music from the instructors' and students' activity. The investigation focused on educational and musical values, the use of pedagogical tools to achieve teaching and learning goals, and music content. Data were collected through classroom observation in the formal classroom settings of three adult group-instrument courses---banjo, fiddle, and guitar---and one ensemble course---old-time music.;The findings indicate that the institutional ideology for music teaching was developed to link pedagogical values and instructors' musical experience. Thus, instructors organized their teaching based on communities of practice with pedagogic strategies such as social learning, learning by ear, and shared leadership in the classroom. The repertoire selected for the classes was derived primarily from musical experience and the interest of the instructor and students. The main idea was for the students to learn from the music itself in situated learning activities. While enhancing collaborative learning, the students were engaged in social and musical performance beyond the classroom.;The musical experiences observed during this study provided evidence of the value of partnering among instructors and students, promoting an environment for musical learning, and facilitating music literacy in urban styles. Moreover, the teaching strategies used suggested a need for music educators to incorporate modes of transmission derived from social learning on their training. In sum, the institute's pedagogical emphasis on collaborative, self-constructive, and performative learning has important implications for music education in general. |
