Music Environments, Gender, and Inclusion: Pathways to Equity in Educational and Therapeutic Settings

Music education and music-based therapeutic practices have long served as influential spaces for social and personal development, shaping how identities and societal roles are formed and expressed. Recent evidence highlights that, despite growing awareness, gender stereotypes and persistent inequalities remain deeply embedded within musical learning, performance, and therapy. Discourses around instrument selection, genre preference, role distribution, and access to leadership often reflect wider gender, racial, and disability-based exclusions, while intersectional identities such as those of LGBTQIA+ individuals continue to face marginalization in both educational and therapeutic contexts. Although progressive research documents ways music can bolster agency, inclusion, and wellbeing—particularly through feminist, queer, and intersectional frameworks—these advances are often siloed within their respective disciplines, and best practices have yet to permeate mainstream approaches or be comprehensively evaluated.This Research Topic aims to connect empirical, theoretical, and practice-based contributions that critically investigate the interconnected dynamics of gender stereotypes, equality, and inclusion in music education and therapy. The main objective is to elucidate the ways in which musical environments can perpetuate or challenge power imbalances, support or impede diverse identities, and foster the development of equitable practices from early childhood to professional settings. Key questions include: How can educational and therapeutic music practices address gendered and intersecting forms of exclusion? What are the barriers and pathways to fostering accessibility and empowerment through music? Which innovative pedagogies and interventions hold promise for systemic change?This Research Topic focuses on music learning, performance, and therapeutic interventions across educational and community contexts, considering all stages of the lifespan. It does not cover broader gender or diversity issues outside of music-related settings. To gather further insights in these boundaries, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• The persistence and impact of gender stereotypes in instrument choices, repertoire, performance, and leadership roles• Strategies and challenges for promoting equity and accessibility within music curricula, assessment, and teacher training• Intersectional experiences related to gender, sexuality, disability, and ethnicity in music education and therapy• The role of music-based interventions in supporting inclusion, identity exploration, agency, and wellbeing• Evaluations and case studies of innovative programs and interventions promoting equality in musical and therapeutic environments• Professional development and training pathways addressing diversity and systemic change in music settingsAppendix: We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Methods papers, Theory and Hypothesis articles, Perspectives, Opinion pieces, rigorously documented case studies, and practice-based reflections, using qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods or arts-based approaches. Topic editors: Eleonora Concina, Anthony M. A. Mangiacotti, Nina Polytimou Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76506/music-environments-gender-and-inclusion-pathways-to-equity-in-educational-and-therapeutic-settings