This study aims to explore the influence of integrating Taiwanese traditional music appreciation and re-creation into high school music instruction through an action research approach. It examined the design and implementation of a culturally responsive music curriculum, students’ musical understanding and cultural identity outcomes following the instruction, as well as challenges and coping strategies observed during the teaching process.Seventy-five second-year students from two classes at a public boys’ high school in Taipei City participated in the study. The study was conducted over six weeks and included twelve lessons. The research centered on Taiwanese traditional music-based instruction, using pre- and post-course questionnaires, student creative worksheets, teacher reflection journals, and peer teacher observation records as research instruments. Triangulation was employed to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings.The research findings are as follows:1. Curriculum Design: The instructional design incorporated cultural introduction, comparative listening and analysis, group-based music composition and re-creation, as well as peer presentation and feedback. The curriculum effectively combined music appreciation with creative practice, providing opportunities for students to both reinterpret traditional music and evaluate their peers’ works.2. Instructional Practice Process Promoted Cultural Engagement: The curriculum was implemented in two cycles. Through exposure to diverse forms of Taiwanese traditional music and the selection of cultural elements for creative projects, students gradually deepened their knowledge of musical backgrounds. They became increasingly capable of transforming traditional motifs into innovative musical expressions.3. Students’ Learning Performance Showed Positive Changes: The integration of creative tasks and cultural learning fostered significant progress in musical understanding, as students demonstrated the ability to identify, apply, and reinterpret melodic, rhythmic, and stylistic features of Taiwanese traditional music. In addition, students exhibited enhanced cultural identity, recognizing the value of local heritage, forming emotional connections with traditional sounds, and expressing personal interpretations through collaborative creation and performance.This study highlights the potential of action research to support culturally responsive pedagogy in music education. It demonstrates how combining traditional music appreciation with creative re-creation can revitalize heritage in contemporary classrooms, thereby contributing to students’ musical growth and cultural identity.