ABSTRACT: In this paper, I discuss ways of teaching and connecting with riṂajeḷ (Marshallese people) students and communities as a ripelle (non-riṂajeḷ) music educator. Drawing from networking and face-to-face encounters (Tuhiwai Smith 2008) with culture bearers, musicians, and community leaders to inform my research, I explore songs and dances that riṂajeḷ students in my town have taught me over a decade of relationship building and subsequent ethnographic research in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). I conclude with practical applications for the music classroom that center deep contextual understanding of riṂajeḷ culture and reciprocity.

Author: Shawn Patrick Tolley

Published 6/21/2025

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