Many of us travel at various times of the year. Travel takes us out of our comfort zone and causes us to look at things from a different perspective. If we go to a foreign country, we may not speak the language or understand the foods that we see on a buffet line. But seeing the foods is much preferred to simply seeing a menu that we cannot read. At that point we can actually become physically uncomfortable as we hunger for something familiar or for someone to help us read it. Other daily habits become unfamiliar. Can I drink the water here? How do I find the bathroom? What are the rules there?

I'm used to smooth sidewalks and no people. How can I get around without bumping into all these people? How can I pay attention to you when I'm just trying to watch my feet and not trip over the bumpy tiles? I could go on, but you get the idea. Traveling was a gentle reminder to me that students with special needs are always in new territory. For many of them, every day is a new journey. No wonder they have trouble answering my questions. When just trying to keep my balance to walk requires my full attention, it's hard to remember that the most important part of music class is reading music. Unless I have some extra help.

I was fortunate this summer. A small group from Kansas attended ISME, the International Society of Music Education, in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Every specialty area in music education was represented at the conference, and important information on teaching was shared. But what struck me was our behavior as we navigated new territory. Porto Alegre, Brazil is not a tourist hotspot, so most of us were adjusting to a completely different lifestyle and yet still trying to learn and grow as educators. At times it was invigorating and exciting. At other times we were exhausted and stressed. But one thing was certain. We needed people who were willing to alter their own habits in order to accommodate our needs.

We had the perfect set up. We had two amazing helpers to guide us through the wonders of a new country. One was my former student who had moved to this new land to study with an outstanding violin teacher. The other was a native of Brazil, but not from the Porto Alegre area. Both of them had already gone through the confusions and distractions that we were experiencing. They understood. They were patient, and they anticipated our needs. While we had an overall plan for our group of eight, they made adjustments as needed for each individual. They gave us information so that we would know what to look for as we navigated through strange locations. They pointed out what buildings were important; they introduced us to their friends and translated for us. We were fully included although we were an extra burden to their daily lives. They slowed their walking pace to keep the group together, but added little details to keep the fast ones engaged. Those who picked up on the language were encouraged to take a risk and order the food.

Keeping an eye on our safety was also necessary. We were somewhat vulnerable. We were different. We had to trust and rely on others. We easily could have been bullied or teased. We were amusing to others because of our lack of understanding. But instead of being dumb Americans, we were the sister or professor of someone who had adopted Brazil as his own. And that made a huge difference. We can never underestimate the power of peer advocacy for students with special needs. By having an advocate who understood the system we had a completely wonderful experience in a foreign place. We learned more. We got to do more because we had special assistance. We risked more. We were willing to try some things on our own. And we gained confidence and competence.

As a result, we made new and genuine friendships. Our learning was both broader and deeper and we internalized the experience. While we will never be fluent in the Portuguese language, we will now seek more information. Our ears will perk up when we hear something about Brazil. Our eyes will try to decipher the language on brochures we brought home because we had some very personal connections.

Why are we motivated to continue to learn? Because, our guides supported us and provided us with the perfect experience. We didn't have an isolated entertainment experience. Nor did we simply stay at the conference site and speak English with our known colleagues about our common expertise in music education. We became motivated to share the love of Brazil that our friend demonstrated. We took a risk and opened our minds to new ideas, new places, and new people. And with the help of our various guides, we connected.

Ryan and Deci (1985) suggest that there are three needs to enhance motivation: autonomy, competence and relatedness. I would argue that for students with special needs, we need to work through these needs in reverse order.

Relatedness

All students need teachers who help them relate to the class. In reality, the relatedness is twofold: 1) relating to the music and 2) relating to peers musically. Some students with special needs will easily relate to the music, but not necessarily in an inclusive setting. Music therapy is predicated on developing relatedness through music. Traditionally, music therapy has been a one-on-one experience between a client and the therapist. The design and pacing have been totally centered on the needs on the individual. In music education settings, the planning is primarily for a group of learners. Teacher directed activities are primary and a curriculum drives the planning. So how do we adjust?

Having individual threads designed for specific students can be truly helpful. Sometimes a paraprofessional or peer is available to keep watch for the stragglers. On our trip, our leaders took turn keeping watch to account for everyone. If someone's attention was diverted, one of us noticed and we slowed the pace for a minute to let her catch up. Eventually we did get to our destinations, and pretty much on time. Those who were quick paced got a few extra tidbits of information from our leader. Extra vocabulary, extra points of interest, while those who were slower still had memorable experiences and felt included. We all enjoyed the relationship and we each benefitted in our own way from the learning experience.

As music educators, we initially must be the leaders of musical discoveries. Just like our tour guides, teachers must provide direct instruction. All students need direct instruction on classroom routines, safety rules, and the appropriate vocabulary that should be used. But the other role of our guides was to be the link between our prior knowledge and the new ideas that we needed to know. And especially to be the personal link helping us relate to people who did not dress, act or talk like we did. Because of our positive and guided experiences, each of us now relates to Brazil in a different way. We will adopt some of the customs that we have experienced. And hopefully we have fostered new and positive relationships that will make a difference for our lives.

Competency

Ryan and Deci (1985) also suggest that our level of motivation may be strongly related to how competent we feel about what we are doing. This idea may seem obvious. But let's look at this idea a bit closer. What does it really mean? On our trip we were really motivated to go to a new country and learn everything we could. However, as soon as we arrived, we suddenly realized that our level of competence was much lower than we had imagined. Our primary area of incompetence was with the language. Some signs were in both English and Portuguese, but the spoken language was very difficult to navigate. Words that we could read at sight because of their similarity to English or Spanish were pronounced in totally different ways. When in totally aural-oral situations, we felt inadequate and quite isolated. Over time, our guides gave us specific words and phrases to practice. We got little patterns of language that made a huge difference. We also gained skills in walking on the irregular tiles that made up the sidewalks. Our pace quickened on the steep hills. We even ventured out on our own. Increased competence increased our motivation to fit in, to stick with it, to learn and grow and enjoy. But it all started with our guides. They fed us small bits of information and vocabulary to help us be successful. They didn't do everything for us, nor did they simply direct us. They modeled. They took the first turn and then we tried to do what they did. If we needed a word, they let us try, but then helped us pronounce it correctly. They helped us write some of the words phonetically so we could pronounce them correctly. They gave us little tips individually. They didn't just tell us about the money, they taught us about how the money is used in context: whether the bus payment is made at the beginning or end of the ride; whether the taxi driver prefers coinage or paper money. We were learning the disciplinary literacies (Shanahan, 2012) of both international music education and southern Brazil; and we were becoming more competent in both areas.

As musicians and educators, we have the responsibility to foster musical competence for all students. But, we also have the opportunity to increase students' competence for the hidden curriculum of school. Music teachers usually have students of multiple ages and grades. We see the big picture. We often are integral to the educational climate. Many school traditions have a music connection. Music teachers often travel within the school building or across the district. We get a feel for what students need to know musically, but also within the bigger social context. Brief moments of guidance from us can help individual students connect appropriately in a small group. Collaboration is key when integrating relatedness and competency. As Eastman's Dr. Anne Marie Stanley stated, "Students can view music as something they do, make create and enjoy, not just a magical experience that music teacher needs to give them." (2013, p 57) Peer- teaching and individual guidance foster growth for students. Growth increases personal abilities and risk-taking which can build competence. Competence increases motivation. And the cycle continues. Over time, students gain the confidence to go solo.

Autonomy

The best music activities foster autonomy within a group. As each person moves, plays, sings, or dances, he or she works toward a musical collective by performing individually yet jointly with others. As Ryan and Deci advocate, autonomy is an important nutrient in motivation. Providing students with choices is one of the easiest ways to support autonomy. Even students with severe disabilities can choose between two classroom instruments, or choose the visual aide they would like to hold up as they are listening for musical form. There are many little ways to provide student autonomy. If we think of autonomy as a form of respect, we see why it is important to motivation. Respect can be seen as the right for students to try something difficult; respecting their choice for a partner; and even respecting their right to not take a turn to sing or play publically until they gain more confidence. Yes, even providing students with the autonomy to be a non- participate can, at times, actually motivate them to stay engaged on the side rather than act out to be excluded through a time-out. Children know when we see them as individuals worthy of choices. As music educators, of course our goal is individual and group musiking; but by being creative, we can foster autonomy, increase competence, and thereby maintain the relatedness we want for a good classroom environment. With our help, students can gain skillsets that will help them navigate the sometimes-scary world of school.

Students with disabilities vary greatly but each individual brings his or her own unique gifts. As with the Grimm's story of the Bremen town musicians (www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm027.html), it is sometimes easy for them to feel like outcasts. But, if we encourage each one to develop his or her autonomy and competence in music-making and foster relatedness within a group identity as musicians, we can keep the bad guys at bay and ultimately provide a wonderful safe haven to students with very different learning styles and needs.

As we come full circle in this article, I find that the Grimm's story has been adapted in various ways across the world. In the 1980s it was translated into Portuguese by the Brazilian composer Chico Buarque as a musical play called Os Saltimbancos (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_Musicians_of_Bremen). Later it was later released as an album and a movie. This musical offering eventually became one of the greatest classics for children in Brazil and is still frequently presented as a children's play.





What we find is a universal theme. Navigating the world can be scary, especially when we feel like we don't belong. Whether those feelings are due to language differences, undeveloped skill-sets, or simply being unfamiliar with the hidden culture, it makes a huge impact when people come along beside us support us with guided instruction. Many thanks to educators who see what each learner needs and who set aside their own personal agendas to develop motivation through autonomy, competence and relatedness. The result is an inclusive and thriving community that makes the world bigger, friendlier, and most of all more musical.

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