The Discovery of Music Pedagogic Culture: Music Teaching as Communication Process (original) (raw)

MUSIC TEACHING AS CULTURAL STRUGGLE: IMPLICATIONS FOR MUSIC EDUCATION Introduction: The Rise and Decline of Music Pedagogic Culture

During the past several years a variety of issues related to multiculturalism in music education have been extensively discussed in literature. Music educators, researchers and scholars have successfully convinced themselves that the musical sounds created by the planet's human inhabitants have a right to exist in our classroom. However, many theorists tend to disregard the fact that multiculturalism suggests the multiplicity of the instructional approaches, as well. The diversity of music teaching practices, which constitutes a notable social and cultural phenomenon, has not been perceived as a multicultural issue, and has been excluded from the discussion (Sprikut & Bartel, 2010, 29th ISME World Conference, Beijing). Not infrequently, internationally trained music educators are culturally isolated from the music education mainstream in host societies around the world. While professional flexibility is commonly perceived as a necessary prerequisite for a successful pedagogical adaptation process, internationally educated music teachers often seek to preserve and reaffirm their pedagogical cultural identity. This discrepancy not infrequently results in their inability (and reluctance) to participate on an equal basis in both the educational discourse and educational process. In this paper, I discuss certain aspects of culture that pertain to the realm of music pedagogy, and explore some of the factors that further the process of cultural separation. In order to find a common ground for the discussion, I offer a working definition of music pedagogic culture. The aim is to facilitate meaningful democratic dialogue, which would assist in bridging the gap between diverse music pedagogic traditions and practices that coexist in a contemporary society. The paper concludes with the suggestion that deeper understanding of the cultural factors and processes that shape music pedagogic practices will greatly benefit not only music education profession but also a society as a whole.

The History of Multicultural Music Education and Its Prospects: The Controversy of Music Universalism and Its Application

This article examines how American perspectives about world music have evolved based on the controversial discussion of “music is the universal language.” At earlier periods, scholars showed their interest in musics of other cultures from the ethnocentric standpoint. Gradually, scholars came to value the music differences of cultures, which generated the antithetical discussion of “music is not the universal language.” These past discussions contributed to the awareness of cultural differences of musics. However, we should go beyond mere awareness, until we reach the degree to which world music is actually learned and taught maintaining the sound balance of the two extreme aspects of music. Technology can promote the quality of both music class and music teacher education by offering real opportunities for engaging and exploring world musics.

Multiculturalism and Music Education (editorial introduction to special issue)

Introduces a special issue in English devoted to current polices and practices related to multiculturalism and music education, particularly within Europe. Offers a definition and overview of issues and concepts in multicultural music education as well as discussion of various critiques of the field and normative positions regarding the role that cultural 'authenticity' should play in music instruction. Introduces articles by contributors who discuss music education among various ethnic minorities in Europe.

About different cultures in music classrooms of europe. An exploratory study

2013

The article presents results of an exploratory study with groups of music teacher students from different countries, Estonia, Germany, Netherland, Portugal and Sweden. The groups watched three german music lessons on multi-angle-DVDs with english subtitles, chose one, which they felt most familiar with, and marked significant similarities and differences to lessons, which they new from their own experience. Presentations of the country-groups and plenum-discussions about them were documented, analyzed and interpreted. The available study brings up hypothesis about (a) categories to describe music in the classroom, (b) about cultures as different contents of music education of five European countries and (c) hypothesis about interferences between musical and pedagogical cultures in music classrooms generally.Der Aufsatz stellt die Ergebnisse einer explorativen Studie mit Gruppen von Lehramt-Musik-Studierenden aus Deutschland, Estland, Niederlande, Portugal und Schweden dar. Die Grupp...

Finding balance in a mix of culture: Appreciation of diversity through multicultural music education

This study explores the understandings of cultural diversity as enacted in multicultural music education and is located in Victoria, which is identified as the most culturally diverse state in Australia with a population that comes from various countries and speaks many languages. This cultural diversity is reflected in the schools. This phenomenological qualitative case study explores how Sri Lankan/Australian students use music in their construction of self-identity in multicultural Australia. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data that were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three themes were identified as significant to the understanding of the participants concerning multicultural music studies. These themes are: Development of respect, Construction of self-identity and tolerance through appreciation of multicultural music, and Benefits of community music-making for school students. These findings contribute to the understanding of providing multicultural music education programs for students, which appears to be a pressing global challenge.

Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies in Music Education

2021

This volume problematizes the historic dominance of Western classical music education and posits culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) as a framework through which music curricula can better serve increasingly diverse student populations. By detailing a qualitative study conducted in an urban high school in the United States, the volume illustrates how traditional approaches to music education can inhibit student engagement and learning. Moving beyond culturally responsive teaching, the volume goes on to demonstrate how enhancing teachers' understanding of alternative musical epistemologies can support them in embracing CSP in the music classroom. This new theoretical and pedagogical framework reconceptualizes current practices to better sustain the musical cultures of the minoritized. This text will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in music education, multicultural education, and urban education more broadly. Those specifically interested in ethnomusicology and classroom practice will also benefit from this book.

Music education in an age of globalisation

Fernando Sadio (ed.) Educação para a Cidadania Europeia com as Artes. Coimbra: Universidad de Granada, Center for Intercultural Music Arts. 105-116, 2007, 2007

This article focuses on the challenges confronting European music education in relation to various social changes experienced at the beginning of this century: the increasing mobility of people across the globe, the growing influence from immigrant culture and the growing availability of cultural expressions from virtually all over the world. A key understanding is that both music education and music performance by necessity are ideologically founded practices. In the European discourse concerning children and the arts, a dominating trend can be characterised as a multicultural ideology. By analysing selected multicultural music projects in Scandinaviaboth in schools and elsewherethis article looks at current trends, assessing results and consequences of a few highly profiled projects of an experimental or pioneering character. Based on an evaluation of this material, it is argued that there is a need for increasing the awareness of music as a social practice which on the one hand produces identification and group coherence, but on the other hand, also may contribute to the production and maintenance of social difference. In conclusion, it is argued that there is a need for reconceptualising the prevailing image of music as an instrument for cross-cultural understanding in music education and in the general presentation of music directed towards children.

Bridging Theory, Research, and Practice: Eight Teacher Action Steps Towards Multicultural Music Education

TOPICS for Music Education Praxis, 2017

Although many of today's music educators embrace the notion of multiculturalism in the music classroom, theoretical support has not yet translated into widespread practice. The purpose of the present article is to provide a bridge between theory, research, and practice in the area of multicultural music education so it can be understood and practiced in more consistent ways. First, the term multicultural music education is clarified through a critical examination of relevant literature related to theoretical foundations, research, and connections to the wider field of multicultural education. Next, the important ideas brought forth through this literature review are synthesized in the form of a proposed conceptual framework for understanding and practicing multicultural music education as curricular content, a process, and an approach. This framework, consisting of eight teacher action steps, illuminates the connections between multicultural music education and the wider multicultural education movement, yet remains firmly grounded in musical learning.