ARTICLE RESPONSES
Rose and Countryman Article Response
This article was very interesting to me in that it provided a view on music education that I have never really heard before. One of the most interesting facts came at the beginning of the article, when it was stated that music education sprouted from the soviet union and political pressures. To me, this explains why the current music curriculum is so controlling and doesn’t allow much room for originality. As the article states, it “Emphasizes conformity and denies originality…”. Before this article, I haven’t given the eurocentrism and discrimination present in the music curriculum in schools much thought. However, now, I realize that the curriculum is skewed in a way that is unacceptable. For no reason should one genre of music be placed above another, especially in the modern era, in which it is hard to truly define songs/pieces. It creates a divide between people and allows for some to develop a superiority complex based on music taste. This superiority complex really bothers me and it upsets me that, if the curriculum doesn’t change, they will continue to be reinforced in society. I also agree with the fact that students in our school systems tend to have very different and extensive tastes in music. How are they supposed to be interested in music education if their tastes are generalized and they are taught that what they listen to is “lesser” in a way than other music. I am happy that Rose and Countryman covered this issue in this article because, although it is very present, it is often overlooked and undermined. I personally think that this issue is one of the top reasons why students choose not to pursue music education. There should be more allowance for self-expression. As the article states, schools could play popular songs or songs from movies that the students like/choose, to engage them more. Choosing repertoire based on what society thinks is “proper” again reinforces conformity and what I talked about earlier. Allowing students to choose their repertoire would really help then feel like they are a part of the curriculum and therefore encourage them. Personally, my band teacher in high school allowed the band to have a say in every piece we played and we were overall more excited to play and it was always fun. Overall, I’m happy that people are rethinking ways to teach music and I hope that education will progress with the times.
​
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.
​
​
​
​
Formal, Nonformal, Informal
Formal learning: Learning that is planned out by a teacher or other authority figure. For example: I would teach a classroom of student how the elements work within music (in different contexts, genres) and having them take notes.
Informal Learning: Learning that is done through participation and voluntary activity.
For Example: Running an extracurricular band that students can join voluntarily.
​
Nonformal Learning: Learning that is controlled by students but with teacher’s or authority supervision.
For Example: Let my students pick the pieces that they would like to learn and let them choose a pace at which to learn them (within reason of course).
Modern Band
Studio Teaching Article Response
Both the article and the presentation by Torin Chiles were very interesting to me, but the presentation really helped my understanding of the article. Being able to hear a studio voice instructor, especially one in voice, was very cool and it felt like I got a “top secret” look into my studio teacher’s lesson plans. As Torin Chiles was talking about the lesson layout and what thinks a good teacher might say, I couldn’t help but to compare that to my studio lessons and, to stories that my friends tell me about their studio lessons. It gave me the tools to think critically about what goes on in lessons instead of just blindly thinking that whatever my teacher does is the way things are supposed to be.
One particular part of the article that caught my attention was when they pointed out that many studio teachers (if not most), have no formal teacher training and are “appointed because of their status as performers”. I haven’t taken the time to really think about it, but it is very true. Like that article stated, I also find that these studio teachers tend to teach based on how they were taught, which is fine, but may not always work for the better. For example, while being more stern and blunt for may have worked on them in the past, it probably wouldn’t work on a new, soft-spoken and sensitive student of theirs.
That brings me to my next point, which is emotions in studio teaching. I really enjoyed how both Torin Chiles and the article handled this topic. It is a big part of studio teaching I feel that many people don’t talk about openly enough. Students do need positive feedback every once and a while from their professors, so as to feel like they’re on the right track. As a voice student, I feel that performing is even more vulnerable because I am my own instrument, and I can’t blame mistakes on a read, or a bow that needs more rosin. Just me. It is easy to become over-critical of yourself this way and therefore, I find that teachers giving at least some positive feedback or positive energy on performances in a studio setting helps self esteem and progression as a musician.
Overall, as I am considering teaching my own studio in the future, both the article and the presentation were very helpful and allowed me to think critically about the ins and outs of studio teaching because it is a lot more complex than what it seems to be on the surface.
Burwell, K., Carey, G., & Bennett, D. (2019). Isolation in studio music teaching: The secret garden. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 18(4), 372-394. doi:10.1177/1474022217736581
Toward Convergence
Q: What is the music educator’s role when students engage with participatory culture?
A: First and foremost, it’s the responsibility of the music educator to create a safe and open space for different types of musical engagement in the classroom. I think that, in the context of participatory culture, the music educator should take a little step back and allow their students to freely and creatively participate in the respective activities. By this, I mean that, teachers should circulate every so often to check on the work of the students and to provide any assistance but for the most part they should let the students do their own thing (on task of course).
Q: How might ensembles and music classrooms be modified or reconstructed to allow for new and emerging contemporary musical practices?
A: I think that one of the main changes that can be made is repertoire. Kids in their ensembles and/or music classes can learn and play popular music or more contemporary music. Another way is to allow students to decide what they would want to do with a certain song, for example some may want to make a cover, and others may choose to remix their favourite song. This can be done individually or in groups, depending on preference. If there is no technology available, teachers may find different ways to allow for modern practices. For example, kids in band can try learning a song by ear, or students in choir can layer different parts of a song using voice to create an acapella arrangement. Overall, there are many ways to modify ensembles and classes to allow for these emerging practices.