That's right, the happy dance. It's ok, you can dance along with me. I know you want to!
Funny story, though. When preparing for the exam, they only give us a list of terms, people, acronyms, events, publication, etc. that we have to know. They do not tell us what we have to know about those terms. It is up to us to research them and gather information. So, it turns out I made a mistake when I was studying. I did a Google search for one of the acronyms and found an organization, which was related to music education. I learned a lot of information about the organization and was able to remember it all during the test. The problem is that the organization I studied was not the organization they wanted. They had the same acronym, though. But, since I found an organization which matched the acronym and I provided correct information about it, they still gave me credit for it!
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I wrote something here. But my voice of reason, AKA my mom, advised me not to post it. I am going to think it over and decide whether to post it next week or not.
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So, I ran into a library problem this week. Believe it or not, this was the first time in my time at Temple that I went up into the stacks. I had to get a textbook since the one I ordered was not going to arrive on time. My problem: the library has books... books about things I want to learn! So, I went up to the stacks to get my textbook. And it was on the shelf directly above the where the books on creativity begin. So, I started perusing the creativity books and, in addition to my textbook, I left with two others:
- Critical Creative Processes, edited by Mark Runco
- Nurturing Creativity in the Classroom, edited by Ronald Beghetto and James Kaufman
Speaking of reporting back on things I read, as promised, I completed my journal for the week. For this week, I decided to read the most current issue of the Music Educators Journal Volume 102, Issue 4. (It is no longer the most current issue)
Featherless Dinosaurs and the Hip-Hop Simulacrum
This article made the case for hip-hop's inclusion in school music programs. Shouldn't music education be relevant to the students? I believe so. And, therefore, shouldn't the music to which students relate be included in the curriculum? Again, yes I believe so. The article highlighted inappropriate language and content as the major barriers standing between hip-hop and school music curricula. The article also made a case for reevaluating what constitutes inappropriate, taking into account context, audience, and educational purpose. The idea being that a reevaluation of appropriate vs. inappropriate may open the door to more controversial content being worthy of study. I have to admit to not knowing enough about hip-hop to make an educated argument either for or against its use in curricula. But, this article did get me to think about my own conceptions, misguided or not, about hip-hop. Yes, I do think that the music contains a lot of profanity and lives in content surrounding violence, drug use, anti-feminism, and more. That being said, I have not listened to enough hip-hop to be able to substantiate those ideas, so I am not sure where they come from. Even if that is the case and hip-hop is profane and promotes behaviors I do not condone, does that mean that it is not worth studying? The music could be used as a portal to the examination and discussion of the circumstances which gave rise to such music. And what if my conceptions are, in fact, misguided, and there is a large body of hip-hop which uses "clean" language and promotes positive behavior, and tackles a variety of social issues from a positive stance? Have my biases kept me from including positive music in my curricula? And that question circles back to the first one: does music have to be positive to have a positive place in learning?
More than anything, this article left me with questions:
- Is there a prevailing trend in the content of hip-hop music?
- What type of language is really employed in the music?
- What are the musical merits of hip-hop?
- How can the music be employed in curricula to promote discussions of extra-musical ideas?
- How can the music be studied to deepen students' understanding of music?
Do Students See Themselves in the Music Curriculum?
This article detailed a research project held at and focusing on the school of music at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The goal of the project was to determine the extent to which the school of music had been exclusionary in its practices. Of major concern to the authors was gender inequality which manifested itself in the compositions chosen for study and performance by the school's ensembles, the personnel in the ensembles (specifically jazz ensembles), and the distribution of the genders across the instruments. The article also made note of inequities in repertoire selection from composers of non white, European ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
I think that we do have an obligation to present students with music written by a wide variety of composers. However, I think it is important that works not be studied simply for diversity's sake. Repertoire must represent quality, artistic inspiration and spark creativity and intrigue in the players who perform it. Yes, we should seek out works by women, ethnic minorities, and other under represented groups. But, we should be seeking out quality works by those folks to ensure we aren't merely doing lip service to issues of inclusion and multiculturalism.
The under representation of women in ensembles is a bit more of a complex issue for me. To me, it is a symptom of other issues. Addressing it directly could cause new problems to arise and cause the underlying issues to persist. What should be examined is the path students take, which leads them to placement in those ensembles and the conditions which result in women not traveling that path.
I feel unmoved by the gender associations of instruments. I seem to recall from my child development class that the gendering of objects and activities is a natural part of a child's development. Should everyone be given the opportunity to play every instrument? Yes. Should anyone be denied the opportunity to play an instrument because of gender? Absolutely not. But, should it be an issue if people have chosen instrument based on gender association and they are happy in that choice? I don't think so.
I often wonder how much my views on issues such as this are affected by me being a white male. It is always good for me to read articles like this to remind myself that there are people out there feeling marginalized, neglected, and forgotten. Just because I feel comfortable, does not mean everyone else does.
Fostering Musical Independence
This article addresses the growing desire of music educators to teach students to be independent musicians, capable of making music within the style in which they were indoctrinated and being able to use that foundation as a springboard to explore other styles and innovate music in their own unique voices. The central theme of the article is empowering students to "make musical decisions that matter." The article did not go in the direction I was hoping it would, though it did make mention of allowing students the opportunity to make such decisions in the ensemble rehearsal. Rather, the article spoke to the need to expand our notion of what constitutes school music learning and how students can be given the independence to go beyond the types of music making common to the schools. One example given in the article is that participating in orchestra is just one way to play the violin. Students should be allowed to innovate with the instrument and find new ways to use the violin. Musical applications other than orchestral participation should not be seen as devaluing the benefits of playing the violin; in fact, the authors argue just the opposite.
The authors present an idea held by many that independence is a natural outgrowth of skill acquisition. But, I challenge this idea. I think that skill and knowledge acquisition is necessary for independence. However, independence is a unique, discrete skill. It requires things beyond a mastery over content. It requires motivation and confidence, to name two. I think independence needs to be fostered in an environment conducive to it. I am reminded of a conversation I had with a graduate student in one of the Temple University ensembles. The student remarked that, when playing in the ensemble, he automatically allows the conductor to make all decisions regarding both the ensemble product and his own contributions to it. I believe that, though this person has gained a large degree of skill and knowledge, he has been indoctrinated into a culture which fosters dependence, not independence.
The authors go on to explain an opposing theory on independence: that independence is gained through problem-based and learner-centered learning experiences. This is the view I take. Problem-based learning gives the learner the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained and practice using them as independent music practitioners. Independence, like any human process, is honed with practice, and it is the teacher's job to provide opportunities for that practice.
The authors mentioned an organization called the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). They don't go into great detail about the organization, other than to say that it is built upon the idea that a musician's musical voice is unique and that musicians should be given the space to innovate with that voice to create music which is uniquely theirs. I need to learn more about this organization.
http://www.aacmchicago.org/#about-home
This article presented an "A-HA" moment for me. I had been struggling, you might recall, with my preliminary paper. I detailed why in last week's blog. I was having so much trouble finding people writing about creativity in rehearsal in regard to activities and process which are not involved in composition and improvisation. This article made me realize that people are talking about these things. They are just not calling them creativity. They are using labels like constructivism and independence. I am coming to realize that my ideas on student-centered creativity in rehearsal are not new or unique. People have researched and written about them extensively. The new perspective I am bringing to the table is to link these ideas, teaching methods, and music education philosophies to the research on creativity; to show that creativity in music and music education is not just limited to composition and improvisation.
Needless to say, now I have a lot more to read!
Singing, Sissies, and Sexual Identity: How LGBTQ Choral Directors Negotiate Gender Discourse
This article talked about current practices in trying to get boys to join choir and how they perpetuate a conception of masculinity which can be damaging to those who identify as male, but do not match the male conception. This was an interesting read, but I think I am too far removed from all of the topics in the article for it to have had a real impact on my music education perspective.Applications of Peer Assessment and Self-Assessment in Music
I had a conversation with Dr. C. the other day about not assuming your readers know everything you do. This article is an example of that. The article talks about the difference between summative and formative assessments, and the usefulness of peer and self-assessment in music education. These are topics I have been well-educated on and which I know very well. But, I forget that there are teachers out there who are not as well informed on the topic as I am. While this article did not present any new information to me, there are likely many teachers out in the world for whom articles like this are useful. I should take this article as an example of the need to write about all topics to keep teachers of a variety of backgrounds and education levels informed of all the current trends in music education.
Conceptualizing Conceptual Teaching: Practical Strategies for Large Instrumental Ensembles
Like the article on independence, this article articulated many things about my beliefs on music education. Back when I was leaving the school system to enter the doctoral program, I had a conversation with my supervisor about some of the frustrating aspects of teaching where I taught. One of the things I discussed with him was the middle schoolers' lack of conceptual understanding of musical concepts. This made it difficult to teach them as high schoolers because, though they had been playing their instruments for a long time, they hadn't actually learned anything transferrable and I had to reteach everything! This was frustrating for both the students and for me.
This article spoke to this problem and is very much in line with many of the ideas which underpin my conception of creativity. The author talks about the difference between telling students to do something and teaching students how to do something. When students follow instructions, they learn to follow that instruction; when they learn a process or concept, they can apply that process or concept to novel situations.
I was previously unaware that there was research on this topic, but it turns out there is actually a great body of research! I am going to have to dive into the research studies on conceptual teaching as they can serve as a solid foundation for my work in creative thinking in music.
Sound Foundations: Organic Approaches to Learning Notation in Beginning Band
This article did not present any new information to me, but it is a very well-written article. It presents practical ways to go from sound to symbol and keep students motivated and engaged in beginning instrumental instruction. This is an article I will keep around for future students to read when they struggle with the place and function of notation in beginning instrumental instruction.
Thinking in Music from the Very Beginning: Introducing an After-School Band Project
This article detailed an after school project which focused on composition and improvisation for band students. It is yet another example of how music education researchers are focusing on composition and improvisation as musical creativity. I find this view on creativity very narrow in scope. I think there are many ways to be creative in music, including composition and improvisation. But, when we focus solely on composition and improvisation, it marginalizes the other kinds of creativity that happen in music learning.
Well, sorry for the delay in this post. I will be more timely next week. Until then,Future Dr. Mitch, out!
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