Patrick Schmidt | Western University Canada (original) (raw)
Articles by Patrick Schmidt
This article presents a selected view of a research project developed in Brazil. The focus of the... more This article presents a selected view of a research project developed in Brazil. The focus of the project was to investigate the modus operandi of 18 NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and their relationship to the development of educational curricula and practices in music. Further, it provides an analysis of NGOs as an opportunity to learn alternative pathways for teaching and learning in music education. A methodology based upon notions of "place-centered education" (Gruenewald & Smith, 2008) was used as a tool to "sense making" as well as to address the interaction with the drastically different propositions observed in three major cities in the country; namely Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre. Interviews, observations, and audio-video documentation helped form a picture of how initiatives to educate in and through music can be powerfully divergent in their modes of production, but interestingly connected in their emphasis upon 1) self-generated knowledge; 2) intersections between local musical-cultural practices and global aesthetic needs; and 3) politically conscious music education leadership; 4) pedagogical practices situated inside a larger social framework. The article concludes by offering a conceptual model that places the possibilities encountered in this "third-sector."
If policy is the most significant gatekeeping element for access to and development of community ... more If policy is the most significant gatekeeping element for access to and development of community goods and services, and if music educators have historically lived at the margins of policy, then who procures access for the field? How are visions for musical and educational development articulated and what are the resulting implications? This article suggests sphericity as a metaphorical point of entry in discussing the need for the music education field to consider policy and policy studies differently. The article argues for connections between policy and teacher education, contending that the practice of contesting and creating representations of knowledge structures and learning based on deliberative skills is at the center of policy formation and development, as well as the center of teaching.
Expanding the common parlance of the music education field to include policy questions seems pres... more Expanding the common parlance of the music education field to include policy questions seems pressing today, given that, regardless of the growing impact and encompassing nature of educational policy, music education has struggled to systematically translate the considerations, arguments, and visions developed by practitioners, researchers, and community leaders into policy language. This article suggests that an approach based on a comparative cosmopolitanism framework can be a constructive force in decision making, facilitating fruitful and collaborative interactions within music education across regions and between areas of music development-from school to community, from the industry to the nonprofit.
Policy, politics and North-South relation: strategic architectures in music education REVISTA DA ... more Policy, politics and North-South relation: strategic architectures in music education REVISTA DA ABEM | Londrina | v.19 | n.26 | 23-36 | jul.dez 2011 23 resumo This article introduces the concept of strategic architecture as a way of understanding and developing policy thinking in music education. It presents the concept by way of a comparative analysis of the current situation of music education in the United States and Brazil. The author utilizes a conceptualphilosophical structure for music education practice based upon authorship, mislistening, communication and authenticity as a basis for policy discussions, drawing cautionary elements and presenting available models for analysis. Este artigo introduz o conceito de arquitetura estratégica como uma maneira e possibilidade interpretativa para que educadores musicais melhor entendam e possam desenvolver um pensar político dentro da profissão. O artigo apresenta este conceito através de uma analise comparativa da atual situação da educação musical nos Estados Unidos e no Brasil. O autor utiliza uma estrutura conceitualfilosófica para informar uma prática educativa que é baseada nas noções de autoria, "mislistening", comunicação e autenticidade. Estas servem como base para discussões de políticas, enquanto apresentando elementos cautelares e modelos para análise.
Disorder and conflict are important to prevent the reification of institutional patterns of inter... more Disorder and conflict are important to prevent the reification of institutional patterns of interaction (Apple, 1996).
The concept of dialogue as deconstruction introduced in this article is prompted by two concerns:... more The concept of dialogue as deconstruction introduced in this article is prompted by two concerns: first, the multiplicity of representation in contemporary society, and second, the need to address rather than resolve the other as a central premise for learning. Dialogue as deconstruction is seen as an impactful element in destabilizing sequential forms of teaching ingrained in the contemporary logic of standardization. An analysis of various traditions of dialogic thought and practice is developed, arguing that conflict and provisionality are either absent or seen negatively in these accounts. In order to present conflict as a positive element and a constitutive part of dialogue as deconstruction, the notion of mis-listening is offered, defined not as the inability to recognize commonly agreed-upon sonic ideals but rather the capacity to intentionally hear "wrong." This is seen as an essential element if music education is to emphasize innovation, agency, and dissent.
While many studies continue to posit that educational reform on a grand scale is not only elusive... more While many studies continue to posit that educational reform on a grand scale is not only elusive but also inefficient , state institutions continue to reinforce standardizing rhetoric, norms, and procedures. This paper submits that educators have experienced the rhetoric of standards in so many and powerful ways that they often operate inside a logic that has become resistant to critique. Globally, but also locally, we have lived under increasingly unified economic, moral, and political directives, which, in their conflation, create what I call a logic of standardization. In order to discuss the issue, this paper focuses on the United States and England as two centers of educational development. Through that lens, it analyzes the realities of legislation in the United States and a recent government report on music in schools in England. The article explores how these issues impact higher education and presents points for future policy and political consideration.
In the face of globalization, speed communication, and the mashing up of once clearly drawn borde... more In the face of globalization, speed communication, and the mashing up of once clearly drawn borders, it seems both pertinent and constructive that music education philosophers make use of comparative frameworks to make senseand make new sense-of educational and musical events, products, and interactions. However, comparison that is merely analytical, self-centered, and attempts to valuate, categorize, and create hierarchy or contradistinction, might be not only scholastically inept but also politically irresponsible. Philosophical investigation based upon "comparative cosmopolitanism" is interested in "difference that remains different" as a positive element and attentive to the ways in which we come to understand said differences. Therefore, this view is committed to philosophic enterprises that consider creativity, risk, and difference to articulate "forms of fundamental critical self-reflection that extend to the 'scaffolding of our own thought.'" The goal of this article is to present an introductory reasoning for placing a comparative approach side-by-side a cosmopolitan framework, exemplifying its usefulness to philosophical work in and for music education.
The indelible yet nearly unbearable relationship we carry with ethics is central to philosophical... more The indelible yet nearly unbearable relationship we carry with ethics is central to philosophical and educational engagements. This relationship is perhaps the ever-pressing element in our lives, for it marks our engagements with that which we cannot predict, plan, or ordain. There is nothing else but a becoming in ethics, and this transience, this timetimelessness is in consonance with music, as music and ethics share a praxis that relates not to a mere doing, but to what Aristotle called eudaimonia, or flourishing.
Building upon the notion that learning requires the realization that "creative process is born no... more Building upon the notion that learning requires the realization that "creative process is born not of optimization, but of variance" , this article outlines how transformative educators circumvent limitations by recognizing learning communities as a space of tension, and posing the question: What would it mean to embrace complexity as imperative for a meaningful education in and through music? The article establishes the notion of 'framing' -defined as the capacity to construct a set of networking relationships, which also and most significantly asks the individual to bring herself into the picture -as a key disposition required of music educators in the 21 st century, outlining its manifestations and exploring its practical applications.
This issue of Action, Criticism and Theory in Music Education draws attention to a marked paradox... more This issue of Action, Criticism and Theory in Music Education draws attention to a marked paradox in the music education profession: a historical and cyclical concern for the education of urban populations, matched by the persistent sidelining of this subject to the periphery of the field. This is the ethical and pragmatic conundrum propelling Music Education in Urban Contexts as the theme for this issue, which puts forth an attempt to broadly qualify the urban inside the conceptual imaginary of music educators internationally, as well as to offer varied ways of thinking and practicing education in and through music.
The aim of this article is to create a link between critical attributes to meaningful educational... more The aim of this article is to create a link between critical attributes to meaningful educational change and the kind of learning and thinking that is facilitated by artistic endeavors. The goal is not to simply advocate for the Arts, but rather to present a doorway to an educational practice that can be used in educational thought in general. The article starts from David proposition that -we must think possibility within constraint; that is the condition of our time‖ (150), arguing that the kinds of thought experiences that individuals ‗doing art' participate in, can serve as a model for educational thinking, particularly given the complexity, volatility and speed realities of a 21 st century education.
This article presents a selected view of a research project developed in Brazil. The focus of the... more This article presents a selected view of a research project developed in Brazil. The focus of the project was to investigate the modus operandi of 18 NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and their relationship to the development of educational curricula and practices in music. Further, it provides an analysis of NGOs as an opportunity to learn alternative pathways for teaching and learning in music education. A methodology based upon notions of "place-centered education" (Gruenewald & Smith, 2008) was used as a tool to "sense making" as well as to address the interaction with the drastically different propositions observed in three major cities in the country; namely Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre. Interviews, observations, and audio-video documentation helped form a picture of how initiatives to educate in and through music can be powerfully divergent in their modes of production, but interestingly connected in their emphasis upon 1) self-generated knowledge; 2) intersections between local musical-cultural practices and global aesthetic needs; and 3) politically conscious music education leadership; 4) pedagogical practices situated inside a larger social framework. The article concludes by offering a conceptual model that places the possibilities encountered in this "third-sector."
If policy is the most significant gatekeeping element for access to and development of community ... more If policy is the most significant gatekeeping element for access to and development of community goods and services, and if music educators have historically lived at the margins of policy, then who procures access for the field? How are visions for musical and educational development articulated and what are the resulting implications? This article suggests sphericity as a metaphorical point of entry in discussing the need for the music education field to consider policy and policy studies differently. The article argues for connections between policy and teacher education, contending that the practice of contesting and creating representations of knowledge structures and learning based on deliberative skills is at the center of policy formation and development, as well as the center of teaching.
Expanding the common parlance of the music education field to include policy questions seems pres... more Expanding the common parlance of the music education field to include policy questions seems pressing today, given that, regardless of the growing impact and encompassing nature of educational policy, music education has struggled to systematically translate the considerations, arguments, and visions developed by practitioners, researchers, and community leaders into policy language. This article suggests that an approach based on a comparative cosmopolitanism framework can be a constructive force in decision making, facilitating fruitful and collaborative interactions within music education across regions and between areas of music development-from school to community, from the industry to the nonprofit.
Policy, politics and North-South relation: strategic architectures in music education REVISTA DA ... more Policy, politics and North-South relation: strategic architectures in music education REVISTA DA ABEM | Londrina | v.19 | n.26 | 23-36 | jul.dez 2011 23 resumo This article introduces the concept of strategic architecture as a way of understanding and developing policy thinking in music education. It presents the concept by way of a comparative analysis of the current situation of music education in the United States and Brazil. The author utilizes a conceptualphilosophical structure for music education practice based upon authorship, mislistening, communication and authenticity as a basis for policy discussions, drawing cautionary elements and presenting available models for analysis. Este artigo introduz o conceito de arquitetura estratégica como uma maneira e possibilidade interpretativa para que educadores musicais melhor entendam e possam desenvolver um pensar político dentro da profissão. O artigo apresenta este conceito através de uma analise comparativa da atual situação da educação musical nos Estados Unidos e no Brasil. O autor utiliza uma estrutura conceitualfilosófica para informar uma prática educativa que é baseada nas noções de autoria, "mislistening", comunicação e autenticidade. Estas servem como base para discussões de políticas, enquanto apresentando elementos cautelares e modelos para análise.
Disorder and conflict are important to prevent the reification of institutional patterns of inter... more Disorder and conflict are important to prevent the reification of institutional patterns of interaction (Apple, 1996).
The concept of dialogue as deconstruction introduced in this article is prompted by two concerns:... more The concept of dialogue as deconstruction introduced in this article is prompted by two concerns: first, the multiplicity of representation in contemporary society, and second, the need to address rather than resolve the other as a central premise for learning. Dialogue as deconstruction is seen as an impactful element in destabilizing sequential forms of teaching ingrained in the contemporary logic of standardization. An analysis of various traditions of dialogic thought and practice is developed, arguing that conflict and provisionality are either absent or seen negatively in these accounts. In order to present conflict as a positive element and a constitutive part of dialogue as deconstruction, the notion of mis-listening is offered, defined not as the inability to recognize commonly agreed-upon sonic ideals but rather the capacity to intentionally hear "wrong." This is seen as an essential element if music education is to emphasize innovation, agency, and dissent.
While many studies continue to posit that educational reform on a grand scale is not only elusive... more While many studies continue to posit that educational reform on a grand scale is not only elusive but also inefficient , state institutions continue to reinforce standardizing rhetoric, norms, and procedures. This paper submits that educators have experienced the rhetoric of standards in so many and powerful ways that they often operate inside a logic that has become resistant to critique. Globally, but also locally, we have lived under increasingly unified economic, moral, and political directives, which, in their conflation, create what I call a logic of standardization. In order to discuss the issue, this paper focuses on the United States and England as two centers of educational development. Through that lens, it analyzes the realities of legislation in the United States and a recent government report on music in schools in England. The article explores how these issues impact higher education and presents points for future policy and political consideration.
In the face of globalization, speed communication, and the mashing up of once clearly drawn borde... more In the face of globalization, speed communication, and the mashing up of once clearly drawn borders, it seems both pertinent and constructive that music education philosophers make use of comparative frameworks to make senseand make new sense-of educational and musical events, products, and interactions. However, comparison that is merely analytical, self-centered, and attempts to valuate, categorize, and create hierarchy or contradistinction, might be not only scholastically inept but also politically irresponsible. Philosophical investigation based upon "comparative cosmopolitanism" is interested in "difference that remains different" as a positive element and attentive to the ways in which we come to understand said differences. Therefore, this view is committed to philosophic enterprises that consider creativity, risk, and difference to articulate "forms of fundamental critical self-reflection that extend to the 'scaffolding of our own thought.'" The goal of this article is to present an introductory reasoning for placing a comparative approach side-by-side a cosmopolitan framework, exemplifying its usefulness to philosophical work in and for music education.
The indelible yet nearly unbearable relationship we carry with ethics is central to philosophical... more The indelible yet nearly unbearable relationship we carry with ethics is central to philosophical and educational engagements. This relationship is perhaps the ever-pressing element in our lives, for it marks our engagements with that which we cannot predict, plan, or ordain. There is nothing else but a becoming in ethics, and this transience, this timetimelessness is in consonance with music, as music and ethics share a praxis that relates not to a mere doing, but to what Aristotle called eudaimonia, or flourishing.
Building upon the notion that learning requires the realization that "creative process is born no... more Building upon the notion that learning requires the realization that "creative process is born not of optimization, but of variance" , this article outlines how transformative educators circumvent limitations by recognizing learning communities as a space of tension, and posing the question: What would it mean to embrace complexity as imperative for a meaningful education in and through music? The article establishes the notion of 'framing' -defined as the capacity to construct a set of networking relationships, which also and most significantly asks the individual to bring herself into the picture -as a key disposition required of music educators in the 21 st century, outlining its manifestations and exploring its practical applications.
This issue of Action, Criticism and Theory in Music Education draws attention to a marked paradox... more This issue of Action, Criticism and Theory in Music Education draws attention to a marked paradox in the music education profession: a historical and cyclical concern for the education of urban populations, matched by the persistent sidelining of this subject to the periphery of the field. This is the ethical and pragmatic conundrum propelling Music Education in Urban Contexts as the theme for this issue, which puts forth an attempt to broadly qualify the urban inside the conceptual imaginary of music educators internationally, as well as to offer varied ways of thinking and practicing education in and through music.
The aim of this article is to create a link between critical attributes to meaningful educational... more The aim of this article is to create a link between critical attributes to meaningful educational change and the kind of learning and thinking that is facilitated by artistic endeavors. The goal is not to simply advocate for the Arts, but rather to present a doorway to an educational practice that can be used in educational thought in general. The article starts from David proposition that -we must think possibility within constraint; that is the condition of our time‖ (150), arguing that the kinds of thought experiences that individuals ‗doing art' participate in, can serve as a model for educational thinking, particularly given the complexity, volatility and speed realities of a 21 st century education.
Sounds like a good idea: using audio technology in the classroom, by Mike Kinnaird, London, Netwo... more Sounds like a good idea: using audio technology in the classroom, by Mike Kinnaird, London, Network Continuum, 2008, 160 pp., £24.99 (paperback), ISBN 97818553 94483
The notion that cultural and social "formulations within the educational sphere constitute crucia... more The notion that cultural and social "formulations within the educational sphere constitute crucial contents of negotiation and struggle which may have decisive effects on the capacity of society to maintain or transform itself" (Morrow & Torres, 1995, p. 9) comes neither as a surprise nor a revelation to anyone today. The field of music education, however, while often borrowing from sociological thinking, is yet to fully embrace sociological inquiry. The lack of commitment of a relationship kept at armslength, specially in the US, is evidenced in the fact that the music education field has no established journal dedicated to sociological investigation, while coursework in the area is rare and often relegated to "appendix status" within graduate education. Research studies make use of sociological frameworks, but it is not unusual for researchers to "employ" social theory a posteriori-as caulk upon an unfinished or stubbornly nonaligning structure. Rare, is indeed the space in music education studies where sociological dispositions are nascent or play an intrinsic conceptual role within the investigative structure.