Repositioning 'The Elements': How Students Talk about Music
Rose, L.S., & Countryman, J. (2013) Repositioning 'the elements': How students talk about music. Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education 12(3): 45-64
I was surprised that these professors and I share the same opinion on music education, it was an unexpected validation. I have been a music student since age 6. My first experience, which was as a piano student, was delivered in academicking style. As I moved through childhood and adolescents I had three more teachers that influenced my musical development: my guitar teacher, my drum teacher and my secondary school music teacher. By far, my most influential teacher was my secondary school teacher. She ran her program consistently through the perspective lens that Rose and Countryman promote in their article. This delivery of music education built my confidence and firmly established the joy that music brings me. I was aware throughout my high school years that my teacher was teaching ‘outside the lines’ and wondered when the education world would acknowledge and act on the strength in her approach. I am so pleasantly surprised to learn that, not only is music being taught this way, it is being promoted as a superior way by music education faculty.
There is a quote on page 5 of the article that I found particularly interesting: “To understand this propensity to academicize we must acknowledge the traditional caste system of school subjects, a system in which some content areas are valued more than others. In this hierarchy, disciplines based on objectivity and empirical proofs are valued above disciplines based on knowing in the body and knowing-in-doing. We believe this inclination to academicking in music teaching is one result of music education’s perennially marginal status and the resulting need to be legitimized, valued, respected, and funded.”
I found this paragraph very insightful. Identifying the “caste system of school subjects” put into words how it felt to be identified as a ‘music kid’ in secondary school. Music accomplishments were simply not held in the same esteem as accomplishments in math and science. It is interesting that music education has limited itself by wilfully aligning itself with this dysfunctional view of what is worthwhile to learn.
The experiences of music educators that was disclosed in the research interviews. It frustrated me that these teachers had to endure stress because they delivered music education in a non-academicking way. The discomfort that the teachers were subjected to for their style of teaching frustrated me, then I was frustrated further that a better way of teaching would potentially be suppressed because of ‘majority-pressure’.
If I were to say anything to the authors, I would say thank-you. Thank-you for advancing music education. Thank-you for pushing back on music education programs based in social and academic hierarchy, and providing an alternative based in the beauty and power of music.
The Invisible Student: Understanding Social Identity Construction with Performing Ensembles.
Hourigan, R.M. (2009) The Invisible Student: Understanding Social Identity Construction with Performing Ensembles. Music Educators Journal, 34-38.
The author’s application of Social Identity Theory was of interest to me. The theory speaks of the relationship between self-concept and group behaviour. This onto itself, seems fairly simple. When we’re well received socially, particularly when we’re children and adolescents, people feel validated, and in turn more confident and comfortable. What was interesting for me is the apparent extension into impacting how Jason perceived himself as a musician. Truly, why would the Theory ‘stop’ at social currency, but I simply hadn’t previously thought about how group behaviour could impact what a person ‘hears’, when they hear themselves playing. Their ears are listening to a perceived social voice, not their music. This was an eye-opener for me.
It’s my understanding that collaborative work is highly valued in our elementary and secondary schools today. Group learning is a component of this, and used often. From my experience, the negative impact potential that is contained in this learning model, in regard to the Social Identity Theory, is not considered. There seems to be an unstated assumption that ‘collaborative’ better prepares youth for the future needs of the workforce, but I am surprised that no consideration is given to the (potentially) negative effects on individual self-concept.
Jason’s life at school. It was upsetting to read what Jason’s average day at school was like. There was evidence throughout the article that Jason received constant indirect feedback that he was not part of the community within band, nor the school. Most of the time he was invisible, as the author describes him, but when he was pushed in the pool he wasn’t. Perhaps he is safer being invisible. It is a pretty sad state of affairs when a kid’s choices in school are being excluded or being harassed. However, I suspect that experienced educators would be frustrated with the author’s inference that teacher strategies can fix this. This is an on-going and intensive area of work in education. It’s good that the author offers ‘helpful hints’ to educators, but this is a human problem that goes beyond bands, classrooms and schools.
I would challenge the author. She did a good job at highlighting concerns and strategies to put in place to address them. Although it’s important to put strategies in place in an educational environment, there is a much bigger picture to this human issue. It is a difficult issue, and not limited to children. I would ask the author what the next step is if the strategies don’t work?
Think Everything's “Normal”? Then It’s time to Reconsider and Promote a New Narrative of Disability
It surprised me that this author uses the Medical Industrial Complex as evidence to support his perspective. It seems to me that he, and the organization he represents, basically use a ‘corporatization’ of shifting narrative by misrepresenting existing culture, much like he states the medical industry misrepresents un-wellness for profit. He makes points that need to be taken, but he doesn’t acknowledge the work that is done on an ongoing basis, by people, systems and government to shift culture around labelling people. Of course, this is my Canadian experience and the author is American, so it is a fundamentally flawed process to reflect on the accuracy of his words.
The statement on the impact of telethons surprised me. “...In the US surveys have shown that more people form attitudes about disabilities from telethons then from any other source.” I assume you have to watch the telethons to develop an attitude and I didn’t know that that many people actually watch them. Besides the little bit that I’ve viewed didn’t have “...poor, pathetic, crippled children…” There was kids in wheelchairs raising awareness and financial support. “Poor”, “Pathetic” and “Crippled” are perspective. I’m surprised that these words are used to describe what viewers “see” when they watch the telethon and that this is so powerful that it is the number one source of attitudes about disabilities.
It frustrated me that the author was insulting my ability to think. He has given a very one-sided perspective of a multi-layered issue. There is great movement and progress in developing inclusive culture in Canada. There will always be work to do. We will not “arrive” at a destination of inclusivity that has a “finish line”, the work is continuous improvement. Probably some mindsets of individuals are as the author describes, but many are not. Culture typically represents the majority thought, and I believe it is not as simple or as extreme as the author describes.
I’ve read that the current political climate in the US has had a ‘one step forward, three steps back’ effect on issues of equality and inclusivity. I would ask the author to comment on this because I’m curious how he feels today. This article didn’t have a date on it, but the comments are from 3 and 4 years ago. It makes me wonder that if he felt the way he does 4 years ago, what might he be thinking today?
Fumbling Towards Vulnerability: Moving Out of the Familiar for Music Education's Sake
Dawe, L. (2016). Fumbling Towards Vulnerability: Moving Out of the Familiar for Music Education's Sake, Canadian Music Educator, (57)2, pp. 22-24
What was of interest to me in this article is Dawe’s mention of safety and invulnerability in our everyday life. We are raised in a society where we are afraid to make mistakes, and where mistakes are often frowned upon. Many people like structure and security and shy away from changes that lead to new ways to do things. Our traditional education system reflects this - the teacher is all knowing and there is the ‘right’ way to do things. Our Ontario education system is moving in a different direction. Teachers are becoming co-learners with the students, while striving to find balance between thinking outside the box without compromising the acquisition of foundational skills. This model holds potential to have a fun, engaging, and accepting classroom environment. Although this style of teaching is becoming more common in today’s classrooms, many educators are still reluctant to step outside their comfort zone.
Reading this article, I can say that there was nothing that really stood out as a surprise, as this article has a similar theme to other articles and our presenters. However, I am curious about the difference between Dawe’s perspective and the perspective given by Rose and Countryman. Both articles have clear ideas on bringing creativity into the classroom to promote engagement, but Dawe explicitly states that structure is also needed to ensure development of skills.
What frustrated me about this article is that I’m left wondering what the evidence is to support the author’s opinion. This article was very similar to all the other articles we have read in regard to thinking outside the box and promoting creativity in the music classroom. I strongly support their proposed methodology. I had the good fortune to have a secondary school music teacher that taught in this way, and loved music class. However, I also had at three traditional teachers for private music lessons. Although I liked my music class in secondary school best, I’m not sure which of my lessons contributed most to my musicianship. What I would like to see is researched evidence on the effectiveness of learning using a non-traditional method.
I love Leslie Dawe’s approach to music education. Although creativity is very important, you still need some structure to completely grasp the concepts you are teaching. In my past experiences with school music programs, I was introduced to the creative approach method. Although I loved my program and was inspired to take music to the next level, I found the structure to lack and believe my preparedness for the next level was at least equally influenced by my private lessons. As a future music educator, what are some specific strategies that support learning through creativity without compromising fundamentals?
Music Education, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism - Can We Talk?
Bradley, Deborah. (2006) Music Education, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism - Can We Talk? Action, Criticism & Theory for Music Education 5(2): 2-30
I found Bradley’s statement on page 5 very interesting, she wrote “However, in avoiding direct language when talking about race we also severely weaken the possibilities for achieving racial equality through multiculturalism.” She goes on to quote another author who said “De-raced words...keep us from discussing ways to make opportunities racially equal.” I was happy to see this addressed. It makes sense to me. Directness is valued in many sensitive situations as a way to get straight at issues, yet our societal trend is to take a complex issue like racism and make it more convoluted through indirect language.
I was frustrated that “Diana’s words” (p. 20) were used as an example of music students’ perceptions. She described the African music as representative of a primal society and Victorian music as representative of a sophisticated society. The author said “Diana’s words sting like a slap in the face.” I agree, they do. Diana has an opinion that makes me uncomfortable. However, I’m frustrated that the author has used her has an example to support her position. I would challenge that Diana’s thinking is an anomaly, not a norm.
I was surprised with the data the author used to support her perspective. For the record, I share Bradley’s perspective, in that I believe Canada’s racism is real, yet translucent. Not to mention that the transparent racism south of the border serves as a convenient distraction to our own. However, I was surprised at the weak qualitative examples that she presented as evidence of this.
I would ask Bradley if she would make specific changes to the Ontario music curriculum, or if she would focus on the format that the fundamentals from the curriculum are learned. More generally, I would ask Bradley to give specific examples to help put her theory into practice.
Another Perspective: The Ipad Is a Real Musical Instrument
Williams, D. A. (2014). Another Perspective The iPad Is a REAL Musical Instrument.Music Educators Journal, 101(1), 93-98.
What I found most interesting about this article was the pedagogical applications of IPad music. Specifically, on page 96, in the paragraph subtitled 1. Musician Autonomy, Williams describes how he promotes the creative process through writing original music using IPads. He goes on to explain that “This might occur in a class where the end product is not a performance of preselected standard pieces but, rather, a performance of student-selected and/or originally created pieces that fulfill broad guidelines and requirements set forth by the teacher.” It was in this section that I saw the potential that the author sees in the IPad as a musical instrument in a school music class. It would be interesting to use IPads in this way for at last a unit in a music class - I think the students would really enjoy it, participate well, and create some interesting pieces.
Although I agree with Williams’ perspective on IPad’s being a positive addition to a music class, I was frustrated, perhaps irritated, by the six points listed on page 94, that are used as evidence to convince the reader that the IPad is a musical instrument. By definition, the IPad is one. The six points were not necessary. My frustration was that the differences in the IPad and traditional instruments were not acknowledged. The difference is the sensory perception that are awoken in the human playing the instrument. As a musician that uses both, the differences are in the smell, feel, sound, sight, and even the taste for some instruments. I’d like to see an MRI of my brain playing my guitar and playing guitar through an IPad - I predict there would be a difference.
I was surprised that Williams suggested Emma Lazarus’ poem, that she wrote as a literary piece to fund raise for the Statue of Liberty, could also be a representation of a traditional music teacher’s mindset in regard to students. Although his analogy is not overtly offensive, I think he is in ‘be careful’ territory. The poem has been dedicated to suffering humans, about to embark on an opportunity to be released from it in their new homeland. It is heartfelt and holds deep meaning in this context. Using it to represent the attitude of a music teacher seems a little like using “In Flanders Fields” to represent students who are ‘bored to death’ in class. It feels wrong. Also, the inference of music teachers having a vision of themselves of being the path (for students) to all that is glorious, is also potentially offensive. However, in the case of Williams, perhaps it is true.
I would ask the author what his thoughts are on integrating IPadists into school bands, playing with the traditional instruments, rather than having the IPadists form their own quintet.
Towards Convergence: Adapting Music Education to Contemporary Society and Participatory Culture
Tobias, E. S. (2013). Toward Convergence Adapting Music Education to Contemporary Society and Participatory Culture. Music Educators Journal, 99(4), 29-36.
What I found interesting in this article was Tobias’ opinions on music education in this participatory culture. It is clear he is very engaged with the younger generation’s interests and learning styles. He is able to adapt these traits into what appears to be a very influential music program. His method of applying music technology is very effective in bringing creativity into the classroom, along with bringing the elements into action, and developing a strong foundation of musicianship. If you take a practice such as mash-up’s, you are introducing the participant to the art of beat matching (Rhythm), key signature matching, transitions between songs (Harmony), and the sequential ordering of these components to create an effective piece (form). He uses technology to make a connection between music in everyday life and music taught in school, thus inspiring and influencing more students to pursue music.
What surprised me was the fact that there is so many resources for free audio and stems out on the internet. Copyright infringement has acted as a definite barrier when trying to pursue this kind of music, when really, you just need to take time to research different resources where this audio is free to use. These sources to free music can be very beneficial when pursuing this collaborative style of music.
What frustrates me is realistically, I can never see these forms of music being pursued in a music classroom. This style of collaborative music requires significant knowledge of music technology, which can be challenging to learn - not to mention the barriers of school board funding, and educator motivation. We cover these topics in music education, yet, not many teachers learn programs like Ableton live and Serato Scratch. There needs to be formal plan to build competency amongst educators and aspiring educators for integration of ever changing technologies.
I would love to see an example of music being taught this way in an an actual classroom. For example in the ‘iPad is a real instrument’ article, there was a video of their ideas being put into practice for audience. This would be a very effective music to demonstrate the value in bringing this approach to music education.