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All teachers, regardless of where they are in their career, should be valued and deserve relevant, applicable, and inspiring professional development both for the sake of their classrooms and their continued adult learning. To avoid the attitude of “I feel like I got this,” one may suggest that schools providing music content-focused and scaffolded professional development may sustain a feeling of meaningful work for mid-career music teachers. Music teachers at this career stage may be at risk of becoming stagnant in their careers, or perhaps may be overly confident due to the lack of comparison and isolation from other music colleagues. This study is motivated by two purposes: (a) to investigate how andragogy shapes a group of mid-career music teachers’ professional growth by way of content-focused PD, and (b) to examine reflection practices of a group of mid-career music teachers in terms of identifying the possible benefits and barriers of content-focused PD experiences. To address this purpose, I engaged in interviews with five mid-career music teachers. The findings concluded that mid-career teachers’ content-focused professional development was limited to one or two annual state conferences. Participants deemed these professional development sessions as repetitive and over-generalized. Administration rarely, if ever, provided content-focused professional development in their schools, particularly for music teachers. Teachers felt if they were consulted more about specific needs, their time spent with professional development would be much more effective. Furthermore, teachers expressed a desire to network with other music colleagues, but encountered barriers with the time and cost associated with content-focused professional development. Finally, these teachers felt that much of what they do with music outside of the classroom could be considered a form of content-focused professional development and believe credit is deserved. Further research is needed in this area to tend to the needs of experienced teachers for their andragogical growth. Administrators who have control over professional development standards might consider these ideas for the sake of retaining excellent teachers.

Hawaiian music is used in classrooms throughout Hawai‘i but there is limited information about teacher education and how this music is used in classrooms. Creating culturally authentic and reflective presentations are key to making cultural music meaningful. Through my research, I investigated the perceptions of music educators in Hawai‘i concerning their education in Hawaiian music. Two questions guided the research: (1) What is meant by “Hawaiian music” for teachers in this study? and (2) How has this meaning developed through the interactions between professors, students, community members, and cultural bearers? This study was viewed through the framework of Herbert Blumer’s theory of symbolic interactionism. The principle of symbolic interaction is that 1) People act towards things through the meanings they ascribe to it; 2) Meaning is created through the interactions between people; and 3) Meaning is modified and handled through an interpretive process. Through the use of Blumer’s theory of symbolic interaction, data can be viewed and understood as the construction of meaning towards the topic of Hawaiian music. Understanding what meanings music educators give Hawaiian music is important as they can revere, commodify, or denigrate the music through their teaching. The case study method was utilized in this research and guided the process. Study participants were recruited through five of Hawaiʻi’s music education associations, the Hawai‘i Music Educators Association, the O‘ahu Band Directors Association, the American String Teachers Association – Hawaiʻi Chapter, and the American Choral Directors Association – Hawaiʻi Chapter. Data collected through survey respondents, interviewees, and the UH Music Department revealed a history of limited opportunities for Hawaiian music education and interactions with Hawaiian music professors or cultural bearers. Interviews were also conducted with individuals selected from the survey responses. Fifteen interviews were conducted to gather detailed information on the experiences of the participants. Interview participants shared their frustration about the lack of Hawaiian music resources available as well as their difficulties with cultural authenticity. Interviewees also shared that collaborating with Native Hawaiian professors and other cultural bearers helped them feel comfortable teaching this genre of music. This study will help to better understand the perceptions of Hawaiʻi’s music teachers on their education in Hawaiian music and determining authenticity in educational materials and techniques.