Essential Elements Replaces Songs With a Troubled Past
Music educators serve a vast and diverse group of student musicians worldwide, and Hal Leonard is committed to ensuring our musical offerings support all students of all backgrounds. Through research and honest conversations, we acknowledge the troubled and problematic past of some widely-used American melodies and we are committed to moving forward without using songs that have a history rooted in racism and/or cultural appropriation. Led by the work of the EE Diversity Team, Hal Leonard has replaced the following songs in Essential Elements Interactive and Noteflight Learn:
Buffalo Gals
(Strings Book 2 #21)Camptown Races
(Band Book 1 #62)Dinah Won’t You Blow Your Horn
(Strings Book 2 #70)Oh! Susannah
(Band Book 1 #44, Band Book 2 Pg. 44 Theme,
Strings Book 2 #29, Strings Book 3 #88 )Shoo Fly
(Band Book 2 #2)
With millions of books in print over the past 20+ years, we understand that these songs will still be out in the field, so we are taking the following steps:
Songs are being replaced in our digital platforms, including EE Interactive, SoundCheck™, and Noteflight Learn.
We are providing free PDF downloads for replacement songs, available below and in your Essential Elements Interactive account.
Teachers can now choose to disable any song inside EEi with our Song Selection Option.
As we move forward, we will continue to evaluate the songs we use in all of our methods to ensure we are providing quality and diverse materials for students. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please email us at eei@halleonard.com.