▁cross - c ult ural ▁curr ic ula ▁in ▁our ▁music ▁class rooms ▁can ▁help ▁teach ▁students ▁how ▁to ▁better ▁perce ive ▁music ▁from ▁other ▁cult ures . ▁Studies ▁show ▁that ▁learning ▁to ▁sing ▁folk ▁songs ▁or ▁popular ▁music ▁of ▁other ▁cult ures ▁is ▁an ▁effective ▁way ▁to ▁understand ▁a ▁culture ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁merely ▁learning ▁about ▁it . ▁If ▁music ▁class rooms ▁discuss ▁the ▁musical ▁qual ities ▁and ▁incorpor ate ▁styles ▁from ▁other ▁cult ures , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Brazil ian ▁roots ▁of ▁the ▁B ossa ▁Nova , ▁the ▁Af ro - C ub an ▁cla ve , ▁and ▁African ▁drum ming , ▁it ▁will ▁expose ▁students ▁to ▁new ▁sounds ▁and ▁teach ▁them ▁how ▁to ▁compare ▁their ▁cult ures ’ ▁music ▁to ▁the ▁different ▁music ▁and ▁start ▁to ▁make ▁them ▁more ▁comfortable ▁with ▁expl oring ▁sounds . ▁ ▁Stand ards ▁and ▁assess ment ▁Ach iev ement ▁standards ▁are ▁curr icular ▁statements ▁used ▁to ▁guide ▁educ ators ▁in ▁determ ining ▁object ives ▁for ▁their ▁teaching . ▁Use ▁of ▁standards ▁became ▁a ▁common ▁practice ▁in ▁many ▁nations ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁For ▁much ▁of ▁its ▁existence , ▁the ▁curr icul um ▁for ▁music ▁education ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁determined ▁locally ▁or ▁by ▁individual ▁teachers . ▁In ▁recent ▁dec ades ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁significant ▁move ▁toward ▁ad option ▁of ▁regional ▁and / or ▁national ▁standards . ▁M EN C : ▁The ▁National ▁Association ▁for ▁Music ▁Education , ▁created ▁nine ▁volunt ary ▁content ▁standards , ▁called ▁the ▁National ▁Stand ards