When discussing music and social context, Froehlich draws upon the important connections between philosophical and sociological perspectives in Western music. Since our course is sociological in nature, please allow me to offer a few traditional philosophical approaches, which provide a basis for establishing the meaning of music:
- Referentialism: Musical meaning is extrinsic. Musical meaning is derived from nonmusical factors (e.g., objects or ideas).
- Expressionism: Musical meaning is extrinsic. Musical meaning is derived from emotional states.
- Formalism: Musical meaning is intrinsic. Musical meaning is derived from the music itself (e.g., volume, pitch, theory).
- Absolute Expressionism: Musical meaning is intrinsic. Music may contain extrinsic attributes, but they are a direct result of music’s intrinsic qualities.
Weber and Adorno’s influence in the sociology of music plays a predominant role in this chapter. Weber suggests that musical meaning is intrinsic. He also set forth the idea that Western classical music is superior to non-Western pitch systems. Please keep in mind that recent philosophical thought has drifted away from perspectives that support musical superiority. For example, Nattiez (1990) states, music can be whatever you want it to be. Music can be defined through a process that is unrestricted, and each culture is responsible for defining music in accordance to their values.
Adorno, a member of the Frankfurt School of critical theory, drew a line between classical and popular music. Specifically, since the marketplace manipulates the role of popular music in Western society, such music cannot provide an authentic listening experience to its audience. I have always been intrigued by Adorno’s thoughts on the market’s control of popular music, and given the manner in which the recording industry has changed over the past 17 years in reaction to file sharing, streaming, and the Internet, how would you interpret Adorno’s views today?
Froehlich refers to additional texts (Silbermann, Supicic, Kaplan, Etzkorn, etc.), and I encourage you to take all of these thoughts into consideration when making your curricular choices. By establishing informed curricular decisions based on sociological theory, you ensure that what you teach is musically, socially, and educationally relevant (Froehlich, 2007, p. 63). Most importantly, does the music you teach connect to the lives and experiences of your students?
For your weekly assignment, please do the following:
- Read the fourth chapter of the Froehlich text, which is titled, Music and Social Context: Macro, Micro, and Interactive Perspectives in Selected Texts on the Sociology of Music.
- Post a thread (500 words minimum) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 17th. Do not attempt to summarize the entire chapter. Instead, try to expand on a particular topic within the chapter that is of interest to you.
- By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 19th, please post a response (200 word minimum) to TWO threads created by your classmates.
As you work on this chapter, please feel free to draw from following statements and questions:
- Find examples of dialectic logic and living in your everyday life.
- Consider what high school students nowadays might call “authentic music.” What is authentic music in your own experience? How useful is the term in your view to determine what to include in music listening lessons for a middle school general music classroom?
- Discuss your view of the relationship between music as a leisure pursuit and music as a school subject. Identify similarities and differences as you have experienced them.
- In your point of view, how useful is it to distinguish between commercial and aesthetic purposes of music? Where and how would such a distinction be beneficial in setting curricular goals and objectives?
- Which of the books described in this chapter are most relevant to you and why?
Froehlich, H. C. (2007). Sociology for music teachers: Perspectives for practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Nattiez, J. J. (1990). Music and discourse: Toward a semiology of music (C. Abbate, Trans.). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Dr. Charles R. Ciorba 
I have always separated the pursuit of leisure and school music. It may have been because my own experiences of school and leisure music where worlds apart. I enjoyed listening to Peter Frampton, the Doobie Brothers, Alice Cooper, Nsync, and the Backstreet Boys. While at school we always sang classic pop songs in show choir such as Bridge Over Troubled Water or Elvis Presley’s A Little Less Conversation. Nevertheless, I enjoyed singing at school and goofily singing No More Mr. Nice Guy at home.
Though I believe that Kaplan’s findings are absolutely correct that the arts have many purposes of both “aesthetic as well as their social functions” that are brought by the “perspectives of those that create them” with a hint of educating (pg. 57) these purposes can all be found in all music with different perspectives. When I first read this part of the book, it made me think of cooking combined with our last chapter’s discussion. We all had different opinions of modern music and how to use them for the same goal, educating our students and in some cases our community.
As an adult, I most often listen to current pop music on a regular basis at home and in the car. I tend to prefer listening to songs with strong chordal progressions and messages or sometimes even a fun upbeat rhythmic song. In fact, while typing this I’m listening to the current pop sensation of Halsey and her song “Not Afraid Anymore” and I am impressed with the rhythm and the use of the small orchestra. The aesthetic and social function of the music is the strong rhythmic and choral qualities with the educational message of being strong and facing something. Because I am listening to the song with the sole purpose of leisurely pleasure, I am not entirely concerned with the lyrics because the lyrics are repetitive and the bass and rhythmic background are interesting to me. Even though I like this song and feel that my students may like the song as well because of the same reasons, I would not consider this something for my students in a school setting because some of the lyrics.
At school, my current focus has been working on aural skills and music literacy by playing and singing folk songs. I always feel that the third semester is when I have the opportunity to really teach them these concepts since most of the first and second semesters are focused on our massive Veteran’s Program where we combine all three elementary schools and give each school their own showcase songs to dedicate to the Veterans. We also have our Christmas programs, which is also a tradition that all of the grades have their own program. Most of the program music included contemporary type music such as catchy songs from the Polar Express, culture songs about Jewish Hanukah traditions, or a strong patriotic song dedicated to our veterans. They all had strong pursuits on encompassing music as an aesthetic appeal and educational standpoint.
Have you ever felt that because of school performance traditions and expectations that your students get a strong aesthetic appeal of that music however have a sense that they do not fully understand the musical concepts?
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Hi Ashley,
I have mixed emotions when it comes to preparing grade level programs. I like the entertainment factor/ease of preprogramed shows (John Jacobson), but much prefer the content and authenticity of programs that are in line with grade level concepts and curriculum themes. I tend to write a majority of my programs and connect them with pieces we are learning in class or draw themes from their grade level curriculum map. So at this end, I feel like they understand the musical concepts whether that is through the cultural/historical themes, rhythmic/melodic concepts found in songs, or through movement (traditional dances/ choreography). By performing these songs, they internalize the music even more so and become transmitters of their musical knowledge to their family, friends, and peers. (For my Marzano colleagues, they would be a 4!) Just today I had parent share a story of her daughter proudly singing all of the words to “Oklahoma!” at an OU basketball game. A fan commented that she was impressed with her knowing our state song. The 4th grade proceeded to tell about our 3rd grade Oklahoma music program and began to give her a mini lesson on OK history. Even a year later, she understood the importance of why were singing those songs and had made a connection with the music and the content. That is a win for music ed and for content driven programs.
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Hey Ashley,
What a great question! I did not walk into a school with many traditions or expectations. Which is of course a mixed blessing. I do believe however that the student’s education is priority and although it can create much more work we should strive to provide an experience that values the musical concepts above tradition. Of course, like everything in life, you must work with what you have. As I develop standards and goals for my program I am constantly evaluating if the purpose is in alignment with my educational goals for students.
When you talk about your separation of leisure and school music, looking back now do you appreciate that experience more than you did at the time? I am curious how much your education would be different if your teacher had incorporated music from your leisure enjoyment while still accomplishing the same goals. I have to imagine that your appreciation was expanded because I know that happened with me and influenced the music that I chose to listen to outside of school. I really do believe that we give our students a gift when we are able to make as many connections between all music as we can.
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Ashley,
I enjoyed reading your blog post. I think it is very similar to my feelings on the matter. What I listen to while I am in the car or cleaning the house is very different than what we do at school. Even if we work on a transcription of a pop song with the band, I am looking at it with a music educator mindset (what rhythms do I need to address? are they playing correct notes? is the base drum rhythm what is written or is it being made up by the percussionist?). However, I really should start thinking about some of the pop music I hear on a deeper level. This could give me ideas on ways to incorporate the pop music into my lessons with my band kids and give them a new respect for a performer that (like me) they listened to with a surface level understanding. Also, how cool would I be for referencing pop music in the band classroom??
Your question can definitely be validated by my experiences. In my experiences, I wonder if my students are reaching a deep musical connection with the music because all we do is focus on tuning and tempo and notes and articulation. Every once and a while I will switch my focus to teaching conceptual understanding of the music. “How can we make the music feel more exciting? How can we make this part feel sad? How can we make this part feel happy?” This sort of understanding is where I want my students to get to. I admit that it does not always get there.
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I find the questions that probe our understanding and distinction of commercial music and music for its inherent aesthetic value intriguing. Do music educators consider what we do on a daily basis commercial or aesthetic? As the instrumental realm goes, many groups are in the process of preparing for contests. Many have contests just on the horizon, while other have another full month and a half to prepare. What purpose does contest serve? Are we focusing our rehearsals and preparing towards a high rating at a contest, or focusing on the fundamentals of music making and hoping the end result is also a high rating? I think many directors would say both ideas are ideal, but how many are achieving the second? I vividly remember programming Sussex Mummers’ Christmas Carol by Grainger on a winter concert. This was immediately after marching season, while many musicians were picking up their primary instruments for the first time in months, and trying to achieve the concert band sound I wanted. I felt it would be an impossible task to have these students perform a complex piece with the nuance and intricacies needed for a great performance. Not ideal for a contest at all. The point was that many of those students would be placed in the second concert band after than performance and would not be exposed to this level of literature. I wanted them to experience music for the sake of performing great literature. Which experience will they carry further with them? Does our administration or professional goals expect results? Can we have both?
I was also fascinated with the assumption of Weber, that elevated the music of Western-style above others. This justification coming from the early styles of harmony and their complexity, evolving into many of the other genres of music we have today. It would be easy to take a progression of Mozart and transfer it to a phrase of music found in today’s song form. I also think that Weber would agree with the commodification of music in the Western world is a direct result of the significance of the art form. We see this in everyday examples of students who are constantly “plugged in.” A practical question is then, how do we get our music in their ears? And would Weber still agree that Western art music is supreme? With the advent of technology and communication, the world is a much smaller place. It takes no time at all to hop on the internet and you can begin to immerse yourself in another culture’s music. We now understand that music functions in vastly different ways depending on the culture. This music culture is always changing. It is not meant to be constant. Genres will come and go and we as music educators have a responsibility to adapt to that changing environment. I don’t believe a wholesale departure from teaching great literature, but we must find ways in which we can give students the aesthetic experience many students crave.
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Eric,
I am not sure if I can answer if the music we teach on a regular basis is commercial or aesthetic. I think there is a lot of music on the market for music educators that is just composed from a formula with very little significant meaning or ability to reach high musical levels in performance. Now, in response to your questions about contests. This is something interesting to look in to. In my own classroom I find that most of the year I am focused on building up the musician in each student. Working through fundamentals for a majority of the time period and applying it to music they are working on for the rest of the time. As it gets closer and closer to contest, I find myself shortening the fundamentals time and just trying to get the kids to play the notes and the rhythms on the page, even if I have to teach it by rote. I have already seen that by working on fundamentals for a majority of the time throughout most of the year, the students are able to read harder music and can be challenged more when the contest music comes around.
How do we get our music in their ears? – I think a great way to get to this goal is to examine if we are allowing their music into our ears. If they see that we are open to their interests in music than maybe we can start the process of sharing our music with them.
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Regarding your question on how to expose students to Western-style music- I believe it is important to start this process at a young age. As an elementary teacher, part of my responsibility is to introduce music that is considered “authentic” in order to set a foundation that becomes a reference to music they would listen to in their everyday life. It would be interesting to see if Weber would consider Western art music as supreme in today’s time because of the exposure we have to different genres and cultures. Though there are many genres today, I think there needs to be something to base this off of. I would not consider Western-style supreme necessarily, but it is certainly where the roots of so many songs, literature, and genres emerge from and it is important to acknowledge this. Understanding this connection allows for endless possibilities and a new appreciation as we listen to music of all kinds. IN order to immerse my students in to great works I teach a creative listening segment where we listen to a certain piece over several weeks. Then I use different activities to engage them in the listening process like dancing, drawing a picture, or journaling about what they hear. We do this over several weeks because I want students to remember what they are learning and to really understand what they are listening to.
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Adorno’s views on media driven music for the masses, and the idea of music being controlled by supply and demand over free will was intriguing to me as well. It had me think about the evolution of my own music listening. In elementary school it was listening to whatever was on my mom’s radio (country or contemporary christian) which was chosen for me by the media source. Later listening to the occasional cassette tape of one specific artist and then in high school making popular mixed cds of songs that again, were favorite radio artists, not necessarily self discovered artists. With the advancements of Youtube and online streaming, artists can be “discovered” by the listener. Popular music is still very much produced and is a product in many ways. Spotify has become a daily fixture in my own music listening at home and for school purposes. I can find most any artist with a simple search. I can add music to my library and create playlists and also listen to preprogrammed lists. Want to listen to the American top 50 on command, they have you covered. Perhaps listening to music based off of your mood like “Good vibes”, “confidence boost” or “Brain Food” is what your ear and mind desires. Someone is behind creating the balanced playlists. Unless you are searching for your own songs or creating your own lists, someone is behind “choosing the music” for you, but you determine when and which list that will be in this form of music listening.
I relate to Kaplan’s view on musical values and how he suggests providing a balance between the canon of accepted musical repertoire and the music the students know and interact with during non school hours. I see this playing out in my current 4th grade music program, “Better when I’m..dancing, singing, playing.” We are opening with the popular Meghan Trainer song “Better when I’m dancing” and ending with the Rollo Dillworth song “Everlasting Melody”. This eclectic program weaves in traditional music ed elements (drumming, folk dancing. recorders) in with popular music and more contemporary choreography. The students are equally hooked on the 2 part octavo as they are in coming up with dance moves for our opening number. As a first year teacher I don’t think I could have made this type of program work. I feel like through time and exposure my students are learning to appreciate “high art” and see how they can appropriately perform “their music” in a concert setting. I think that teaching a love of music making is more important than teaching only western classical music deemed superior by Webern.
The text highlights that sociologists emphasize that curriculum should be chosen for reasons that have clear “musical, social, and educational relevance for specific target groups” (pg. 63) It all comes down to knowing your students and understanding how to best meet their needs. As I continue to teach I am learning that there are standard games, songs, and activities that will work across the board. I am also seeing that some songs or activities will not work for a given grade level or even class within that grade level. Having autonomy in the music classroom is a gift because we are able to truly tailor fit the curriculum to our students year after year.
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Hi Ashlynn,
I liked reading your blog post! Your program seems like such a great idea for the students and the audience. I’m curious, because I know you teach elementary, if you think that it is the teacher’s job to teach students how to interpret music. I know that in college, and not really before then, I was taught how to read and think about the origins of the material. If it’s a study for example, who funded it, etc. I ask about this with the young ones that you teach because so often I hear kids singing songs and they have NO idea what they mean or where they come from. We have little parrots walking around sometimes singing what their siblings or even parents are listening to. Should we teach them to listen critically at a young age or is it better to keep them in dark because exposure is inevitable? I’m sure that elementary teachers discuss the folk songs that they work on with their students but is the skill of interpreting a song something that they are encouraged to apply to popular music on the radio or TV as well? If they are too young, I wonder when the right age would be because it almost seems like we should teach them how to listen and appreciate before they internalize music- not just with lyrics but also with the music itself.
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Great insights Jamee. Reading your response made me think about how I could easily weave a pop music analysis into a future lesson! I do think that elementary students can understand simple analysis of a pop music. I know that in the past I have used pop music to talk about form. Instead of traditionally talking about ABA etc form, we transition into using verbiage such as verse, chorus, bridge, , intro, coda, etc. I think this is a great way for them to see that “their music” has form and make a connection between western classical music, folk, music, and pop music. Also, it shows that many of the top chart songs today follow the same formula. That is what makes them catchy, repetitious, and something that we can sing along to. Can’t remember the songs I used, but I once showed how 2 different pop songs had the same exact form. Different lyrics. Different sound. But were united by the same form structure.
In pop music we can also talk about different instrumentations used as well. Starting with the bass line and connecting that to the classroom language of “ostinato”. Does the bass line change? is it the same throughout? Is there drop? We can talk about the different instrument families used. Strings? Guitar? Piano? All techno sounds? Talking about music production- Who is playing the instruments? The artist themselves? A studio band? Digitally manipulated sound? Simply asking them what they hear when they here X song on the radio can open the doors to a mini listening lesson. These are natural things to identify and discuss once they have the understanding of how music is layers and the patterns found whether that is melodic, rhythmic, or structural.
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In my current experience with high school students today, and maybe it is just a trend with the students I interact with, authentic music for them is jazz. They respect the process and the people who made jazz what it is today. For me, authentic music has not been genre dependent. I think that authenticity is derived from the origin of the music. Origin would refer to who wrote it, how it came to be, and why it is important to both society and the artist(s). Many times I will see a new artist perform on TV and I instantly begin researching them. Who are they, where did they come from, did they write their own music, do they play any instruments, etc. I almost think that, for me, it is easier to define something current as authentic or inauthentic that it is to define something from the past. Authenticity, as interpret it, is useful in determining what to include in music listening lessons for a middle school because it allows you to connect the music with the person behind it. When students are able to see the humanity of the music, they are much more apt to see themselves in the music. For example, I showed my classes a video of a “Woodwired,” A flute and bass clarinet duet that uses looping in their recordings. The women who perform in this group have done something amazing and their bravery to be authentic crosses many stereotypes. This reality allows the listener to connect and, for my students, allows them to expand their own musical possibilities. While they don’t just play original compositions, their musicking is fresh, original, and inspiring. check them out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-OWshIde1E
I think that for the most part, in order to actively pursue music a leisure pursuit, you need to have some basis for listening or playing. A formal education is a great way to gain the knowledge needed but there are plenty of people, especially with modern technology, who are able to obtain this knowledge without taking music in school. Friends I’ve had who are excellent musicians but have never taken a music class, really intrigue me. Much of what I accomplished in school was because I had an audition or a performance, now that has changed of course but when I encounter someone who is self taught out of pure intrinsic desire I am always amazed. So far as music as a school subject, I truly believe that it is not music that is important, it is the student. So while giving a student a basis of musical knowledge makes music as a leisure pursuit more available, I don’t think this is why students need to enroll in music. Students don’t need to take band to become well rounded or responsible, they need to take it IF it brings joy into their life. It is my job as a teacher to provide a quality experience based my own values of course for those students that benefit from the experience of being in my class. I love music, don’t get me wrong but I love my students more and it is that drive that directs my passion.
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Authentic vs. Nonauthentic Music
What exactly makes “authentic music” authentic? The text states that Adorno believed “the more complex a composition and the more a listener hears that complexity, the more authentic the listening experience” (p. 55). Froehlich also goes on to describe Adorno’s opinion that popular music “can not lead to an authentic listening experience because the music is manipulated for purposes of market control” (p. 55). Let us just say that I wholeheartedly disagree with this point of view. I think it is closed-minded and intolerant.
I appreciate the fact that the critical theorists of today believe that “good works of music exist in all categories of musical style, from jazz to rock to reggae to salsa” (p. 55). Not to get too cheesy, but I believe music, no matter the style/genre, is an extremely powerful force. It is a force that can affect anyone at anytime, and it may not affect everyone in the same way, if at all. If a piece of music can affect/influence/touch just one person, then it has value.
On the other hand, I also believe that there is a great deal of nonauthenitic music out there. Oftentimes, music that is written simply to serve the bottom line is, in my opinion, nonauthentic. I believe this can be true for any musical style/genre. In band literature, there is a plethora of what I would consider nonauthentic music—particularly music that is written for smaller programs and/or middle school bands. One of our greatest responsibilities as music educators is to instill in our students the knowledge and/or instincts to recognize authentic music when they experience it. They must be able to determine what qualities make a piece of music authentic, and identify those qualities (or lack of qualities) while engaging in a musical experience.
So, again, I come to the question: What makes “authentic music” authentic? I think the answer to that question may be slightly different for everyone. For me, the music has to have some sort of meaning/value—either to myself or someone else. When experiencing new music, I ask myself and I try to answer the following questions: Why was it composed? What feelings or emotions was the composer trying to express? How does this piece make me feel? How are the performers connected to the music? How is the piece constructed? After answering these questions, I can usually determine authenticity for myself. I may not always particularly like the piece, but I can appreciate it for what it is. Of course, this is just scratching the surface, but this is the initial process I take.
Music and the Market
Like Dr. Ciorba mentioned in his original post, I am also intrigued by Adorno’s thoughts on the market’s control of music. I think the market’s influence and role in music proliferation has changed dramatically in the past 17 years. With the advent of iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, and other similar apps, any kind of musical style/genre is at our fingertips. I believe this has drastically changed what we consider to be “popular” music. To me, the gamut of “popular” music has widened incredibly. Everyone is different. Everyone has different likes and dislikes. Musical tastes can vary drastically from person to person. Now, with the ability to experience any kind of music with a few pushes of a button, people have more control of the music to which they listen—it’s no longer just whatever is on the radio or on TV.
I am interested in how my colleagues determine if a piece of music is authentic. What are your thought processes?
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Hi KG,
I too disagree with Adorno concerning music manipulated for market control, however I believe that he may have been right at the up until the social media occurred. After watching a few interviews and reading about how the “mass music market” worked for Bruno Mars and a few of the 90’s boy bands such as Nysnc and the Backstreet Boys, the market had complete control over what music they could produce and their image. Bruno Mars for a while could not find a label because the market thought he should play Mexican type music because of his last name being Hernandez therefore he changed his last name to Mars so he could obtain a label.
With Youtube, Spotifiy, Facebook, and Twitter artists can now obtain a label because of how many shares, likes, views they can receive. Therefore, they have may have more freedom in creating “authentic” music because it is encouraged.
With your question, what is authentic music? I go through the same thought process of what is it’s meaning, purpose, connection, and so on. However what makes me truly believe it is a great authentic piece is if I can go back and listen to the same music and find something different to spark my interest again. It could be finding a different meaning than I saw before or something that my ear caught this time that moves me.
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From your second paragraph I completely agree with your thoughts on this. I think it is important for a person to distinguish “authentic” , but we must not forget what is right in front of us and appreciate that music can affect us in the present without needing to listen to Mozart’s requiem, for example. Some of the music I listened to in middle school was very influential in my growth, but as I listen to it now- it sounds completely different and I think, wow I listened to this? It was clearly written to fit a certain style, but to me, it was very meaningful. So yes, I think we cannot discredit a piece just because it is not considered “good works of music”.
And to answer your question, there are different ways I determine an authentic piece of music. First, I look at how it was crafted and how it was written. Did an individual or large group create it? Did the composer create a specific tone, add inflection and direction, or was it stagnant? I love going concerts and hearing an artist that is raw and plays from their heart. This is the kind of music that is authentic for me because they have no marketing objectives, but simply to make music because that is who they are.
I also think about what music has carried over a lifetime or several and why? Why is Handel’s “Messiah” sung every Christmas? The craft is so important and also the detail which can be applied to each genre of music. I think recognizing “authentic” music is easier to determine when you are more familiar with certain genres, but it should be applied to all. There is authentic music in each category and there is also not so good music.
I want to build a foundation for my elementary students so they can not only learn how to distinguish “authentic” music, but also so they can have freedom to choose what music they listen to whether or not it is considered “good” or “bad”.
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KG,
I agree with your description of authentic vs. non-authentic music. What makes music “authentic” is an active and boundless discussion. I do feel that as music educators, we should keep an open mind to other styles, and only offer public judgment when asked for our opinions. Too often, I see music educators offering their opinion when it’s not particularly warranted. And to offer our opinions that are supported with musical fact, rather than value judgments. The questions you pose as an initial understanding of a piece are spot on. Yes, we are professionally trained musicians and have opinions formed by our understanding of music and culture, but should it devalue how others feel music has an impact on them?
With regards to the music market, I think the control it asserted in the production of particular styles is interesting. Why are people drawn to a particular genre? Was it musically enriching or was it presented in a way that appealed to them and they felt compelled because of societal norms? Maybe for fear of spending money and regretting it, many selected music within a particular genre and did not venture too far outside of it. With today’s technology and ability to “test drive” different styles and not spend more than the monthly membership, people are now able to have a more eclectic taste. That and the ability to experience music from all over the world, not only hear it but see it as well, the possibilities are endless and exciting!
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When thinking about music in terms of a leisure pursuit or music in terms of a school subject, I first think of music we enjoy listening to as music that is for leisure and music we perform in the concert band or chamber music setting as music for school subject matter. For example, when I hear a random person say, “I love music,” I automatically think they love listening to music and singing in the shower. NOT that they love performing music in a concert setting or getting together with a quartet and playing Bach Chorales (although that does sound pretty fun if you ask me). The similarities in these two types of music are that the notes are the same 12 chromatic notes, same/similar rhythms, and a pulse. The differences are that leisure music is heard without deep understanding or thought. We listen to it and sing along for enjoyment of the way it sounds. Music in the classroom is studied deeply. It is broken down sometimes to a singular note to become familiar with exactly how it is best to perform the piece.
Now, I also think there is a division of playable music repertoire that can also be considered leisure music and school subject music. The leisure music in my eyes is when a student goes to the music store and buys a solo book with transcriptions of popular Disney melodies that they can play along with a recording. Or it is familiar music that we will play for an end of the year concert where there is less stress to play “legit” music. This type of music isn’t bad by any means. In fact, I love when my kids buy books music they enjoy playing, it means they are exploring music on their own and finding ways to play what they enjoy instead of simply conforming to only experiencing the music I place in front of them for contest. School subject music, on the other hand, is music that is pushing the students, music that incorporates new musical concepts that expands the students’ musical knowledge and understanding. What is great about these two categories is that there are a lot of similarities and overlaps and leisure music can easily be found in all levels of musicianship. Also, many times, music that I consider to be “school subject” music is music that some students might consider leisure music.
Questions for others: How do you define leisure music? Do you believe there is overlap between leisure music and school subject matter music?
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Good Question. I have almost no music that is strictly leisure music in my life. The answer to the question “what is your favorite piece to play?”, for me is always “the one I’m playing”. But further than that, I tend to become obsessed to a level where it isn’t just my favorite piece to play, but it is my favorite song ever (and sometimes my favorite thing). I know that it isn’t really the case (I have a wife and kids who are more important to me than any of the works of Joaquin Rodrigo), but I do something to my mind that makes me fall so in love with the music that it becomes my scholarly pursuit and my leisure activity. I use non-musical things for leisure, and even though my wife would argue I take sports too seriously, it still counts as leisure to me. I have a hard time understanding my music major students that want to major in classical guitar studies, but don’t listen to classical music outside of what their classes demand. I know that my obsessive personality takes it a few steps further than necessary, but it seems that an overlap of school music and leisure music would happen most of the time in higher ed students.
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Was this concept of “leisure music” in the reading? I didn’t latch on to it if it was, but I certainly relate to the term. I think most people would. I think the literal same thing as you think when people say “I love music.” I especially hear it from colleagues and parent/clients that are seeking ways to affirm my efforts in the classroom. They (for the most part) enjoy music in the non-participatory context. They hardly associate with music analytically or for a performance. If they do associate with it analytically, it is most commonly pop song form and regarding the lyrics–at best the text painting. I cannot discredit that by any means. They love music and involve themselves at a different level than I do, but I think most sociologists would contend that it is at a level that they have been commercially trained to do. Our modern Western commercial music ~is~ performing social functions and, though artificially, performing aesthetic functions in that most people–those who love music–are interacting with it at the “leisure” level. I think it’s also reasonable to consider that if art music becomes our leisure music, then it is serving that function as well. Art music is very certainly under similar market-driven constructs as commercial music so our (trained music lovers) level of interaction is functionally similar. Like, the Met doesn’t do anything new…ever….the market forbids it.
My leisure music is usually serving a social or motivational function. Sometimes it’s, say, the Hamilton soundtrack that everyone is going nuts over, electro/Indie stuff during workouts, even, contrary to its intended purpose, minimalist and post-tonal musics to study with. If there is the overlap that you posed in your question with me personally, I think that can and should be reflected in my curricular choices. I’m a human functioning in our society just like my students.
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Eric,
I’d agree with you about leisure music. I tend to think of it as what my students are listening to on the radio or what I listen to when I dial into 98.9 or the KATT. Now, I actually am “leisurely” listening to concert band music much more than I am to my radio lately. I would say my definition is changing of what leisure music means to me, which I think is an important idea because it shows that it can change with your experiences.
Is there an overlap between leisure and school subject music? Hopefully it is both genres of music that is passionate for the students. That is what I am going for!
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Eric,
I think how one defines “leisure music” will greatly depend on the individual. For me, I listen to a lot of 1930s-40s jazz—it’s my “go to” genre in the car, while cleaning house, or just putting on an album or two while enjoying a glass of wine in the evening. In this case, I think the possibility for crossover between leisure music and school subject matter music is extremely great—especially when considering jazz ensemble repertoire. However, if one defines the current top 40 as their leisure music, there may not be as much opportunity for crossover. As I mentioned before, I think it greatly depends on individual tastes in music.
Can we build bridges and connections between all types of “leisure music” and school subject matter music? I think so. There are some genres that would be easier than others, but I think it can be done! Here’s an easy example of something I’ve done in my middle school jazz band class. We’ve recently been learning about the 12-Bar Blues harmonic progression. Once I was sure my students truly understood the concept and could identify the chord changes, I pulled up some “popular” music that they would recognize that also uses the 12-Bar Blues form. Their minds were blown, and they were so excited because something we were studying in class was so applicable to what they listen to everyday.
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Eric,
The non-major class I instruct is a perfect exercise of blending music as leisure and school subject. Obviously, the goal of the course is for the student to experience music, and in doing so they create a series of musical projects throughout the semester. A body percussion unit is first, and I think is a great introduction to both realms. I teach them some very basic rhythms consisting of half, quarter, and eighth notes. Many time the first time that students have read musical notation since elementary. Having them create a simple song consisting of simple song form and only 16 measures. Before composing this, I work with them on song form using songs I’ve chosen that allow the form to be easily identified. Once comfortable, I have them choose a few during class. Together, we determine the form. Sometimes it can prove to be challenging! They can begin to see that these forms that have been used by composers for centuries, still apply today. I think the difficulty is finding a way to incorporate leisure music into our “realm” and help students to not see such a dividing line between what we do and what they listening to on a daily basis.
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The concept of authenticity has been an interesting discussion taking place in my (and some other students’ in this class) world music class with Dr. Sherinian. She advocates for scholars to stop using the term authenticity because of one question: who gets to decide what is and isn’t authentic. I think this is an intriguing topic and my personal experience adds to my interest. I know a full blood Kiowa Native American who is very active in preserving the culture of his tribe/ancestors. He was taught by an elder to make his own regalia, instruments, and how to perform the ceremonial dances. He even told me how he was instructed (by the aforementioned elder) to take a break from dancing, as an act of mourning, when his sister died. After a year, he was notified his mourning was over and was encouraged to participate in ceremonies again. I say that to stress that he is deeply rooted in the traditional ways, and could reasonably be considered a keeper of authenticity. However, he married a white woman and they raised several children together who are much less interested in the tradition than he. When he passes, his knowledge of tradition (or authenticity) will not be transferred in its entirety to his children; however, it will be assumed by some that they could be accurate judges of authenticity. And even though there is no question that they would be way more qualified to judge what is and isn’t authentic than most, they will be much less qualified than their father was. It makes me wonder how much less qualified the generations become (with every new cycle) to identify what really would have passed for authentic to their ancestors. It is quite reasonable to suspect the definition of authentic changes with every generation. It is also fair to suspect that, when comparing the opinions of those in the same generation, what is authentic to one is not authentic to another. I say this with the utmost respect to my Kodály-certified classmates, and welcome any response that would offer another perspective.
I have had great lengths of time in my life where I identified with Adorno’s stance on commercial music. I used (and part of me still does) firmly believe that “the masses” allowed most of their aesthetic preferences to be shaped by the companies that mass produced the music to which they listened. I grew distasteful of almost all commercial music when I was in high school, and I noticed that I wasn’t in the majority. I’ve often struggled to find a logical reason to explain why people didn’t like the music I liked. Perhaps it’s my inner Marxist (which I’ve not identified until reading this chapter), but I felt the producers of the music were to blame, and not just the consumers. I used to feel offended at the money and effort that would go in to the music that was made for reasons other than just “art for art’s sake”. While I think there is some merit to this thinking, since getting married (and for the sake of my marriage) I’ve decided that “I just like it” is a good enough answer when I ask the question “why are you listening to this”.
I’ve had some struggle with balancing the role of music for leisure vs music for school subject. My studio lessons contain a mix of those who wish to be professionals in music and some retired ladies in their 80s who always wanted to play the guitar. I’ve tried to find a balance here and have identified two main struggles. The first obvious struggle is that I may be asking someone’s grandma to dedicate their life to learning the guitar, when they were just trying to learn how to play a tune from “The Sound of Music”; however, the next struggle is being too relaxed and not setting these “leisure” students on the most efficient path to success. I must make sure I am giving them the tools they need for success, but not taking over their lives in the process.
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I love the open discourse on authenticity for this assignment.
I’m a Kodàly-trained educator. I wonder what your implications are that you think would be counter to the Kodàly concept. Are you saying that the Kodàly concept only interests itself in musics of past generations? If so, you (sadly) have an argument in at least how the Concept is seen as functioning in the classroom. But I think that, philosophically, it is different and even misunderstood by its subscribers.
The use of ~time-tested~ musics is BECAUSE of the perspectives of the early 20th c musico-sociologists during the time that the concept was developed: music now is market driven and therefore “inauthentic.” Folk and Art musics, by nature, are not supposed to be market driven. (They are, though. Not just the modern genres labeled “folk” and “classical.” And the Kodàly industrial complex [I just made that up, but it] is REAL and there is evidence that it has manipulated many “authentic” musics for its own purposes.) I think, though, that ANY musics can serve other functions of the Concept, especially commercial music. Pop ~is~ the music of our culture, “authentic” or not, so it should be incorporated as a musical language of our students that we should work with. Ashlynn (a Kodàly teacher) is using commercial music in her fourth grade program, and doing so authentically and treating the music as valuable. The value judgment of “authentic” is/should be in the process, as critical theory asserts. What kind of musicking are students doing with commercial music? Is it in the creative production in which the music was assembled and distributed in the first place? Is it piggy-backing and not procedural, just mimicked via “karaoke”? There are a lot of factors to authenticity in the Kodàly concept.
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Thanks for your response. I mentioned Kodàly because my understanding is that there is an emphasis on the importance of authenticity, and my remarks (although I don’t feel strongly either way) could have seemed threatening to one who values authenticity. About the specifics of Kodaly, I know almost nothing other than “non-Western European art music” is used to educate people and certified teachers are encouraged to strive for authenticity with whatever music they use. I am mostly interested in the idea of how things are deemed authentic and what is deemed authentic, and your discussion provided some good insight. Thanks.
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Hi Jonathan,
Although I am not certified in Kodaly, I have been able to take a course with John Feierabend in his Kodaly influenced curriculum called First Steps in Music. I have become what they call a “Feierababy” which means that I am implementing his curriculum ladder however I am still somewhat new to the concept.
In the class First Steps in Music that I took, Feierabend was very clear he was entirely against any mainstream music. He put focus on having elementary students being “Tuneful, Beatful, and Artful” through strictly using classical music, folk songs, and “Arioso” singing which is having students create their own melodies through singing conversation. His reasoning behind using classical music was because when students are able to move and understand the music through movement they develop concepts such as phrasing, melodic movement, and so on however more importantly develop an appreciation of classical music where students most often do not have any exposure to.
Though I agree with Griffin because he is entirely correct in his post. Not all of Kodaly educators will agree that market music can be legitimized as authentic music in the elementary classroom at least. The farthest I have seen the First Steps in Music resembling anything close to being contemporary is a movement activity where the students are creating a story through movement to the Imperial March using light sabers.
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I believe we had some similar ideas in the case ofAdorno’s stance on commercial music. In college and my first three or so years of teaching, I thought all commercial music was trash. Then (and now) I’ve started listening to “commercial” music from when I was younger and am enjoying it again. This made me start thinking, while there may not be any depth in what we are listening to, there are lyrics and chords that are touching us in different ways that are personal to each of us. Yes, there are still many money makers in the industry, but I’ve noticed a) my students don’t seem to listen to those and b) what they listen to, they are passionate about – and I bet there is something to that!
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When it comes to dealing with the balance of “school-subject music” and “leisure music,” I think we have to seriously consider who our students are, what our students value, who our audiences are, and what our audiences value.
Not all of our students are going to grow up to be professional musicians or music educators—in fact, most probably will not do so. I believe one of our most important responsibilities as educators is to teach our students to value great music understand what makes it great. This can apply to any musical genre. Sometimes we may have to grab their attention with the music they listen to for leisure (which can have great aspects), and then, we can progress to the literature that we feel they should experience.
In regard to our audiences, I think there may be some occasions where it is of the utmost importance that we consider what our audience wants to hear and values. For me, this usually weighs heavily on my decisions for marching band shows. Let’s face it. Small town football crowds are not going to appreciate hearing Beethoven or Mozart during the halftime show. I always try to find a happy medium that has some educational value, but will also be a crowd pleaser at halftime.
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“Music education…is an interdisciplinary field and therefore draws not only from music and education but also from ethnomusicology, history, psychology, physiology, cultural theory and, indeed, sociology.” What a resonant statement! I enjoyed reading this chapter. Short. But the last two pages pulled together the text summaries in a relevant and enlightening way. Froehlich presented sociological and historical contexts like postmodernism, Marxism, and critical theory, through researchers and sociologists who considered music in their work. There is litany of interesting essays and studies from the other perspective: musicians (composers and academics, mostly) presenting ideas in sociocultural/historical contexts. Etzkorn, as presented, would equate musicological sociology with sociological musicology, so I wonder if those are considered later in Froehlich’s studies.
The text primarily focused on writings of Weber, Adorno, and Martin, with literature reviews also of Silbermann, Supicic´, Kaplan, and others. Each, in his historical vantage, wrote about the sociological implications of music. Through reading the summary of each, I gained a deeper understanding of sociology and the lenses through which it sees itself. Until now it seems like each chapter has been relatable (written) to the music educator and responsive to our anecdotal experience.
A point of resonance was that so many sociological implications were tied back to Marxism. Along with critical theory, this concept makes sense: both would contend that individuals construct meaning as a result of their cultural and social situation: a micro- perspective. Or, as Adorno would assert from a macro- perspective, music is representative of the society within which it is created.
The last portion of the chapter linked the texts back to the music educator. More points from this part stuck out to me, like that it could be argued that Weber’s (somewhat racist) theory that Western music is superior in at least that in a globalized world of merged harmonic language, the Western tonal system provides the greatest “arsenal” of musical expression and social connectedness. Also, I appreciated the nod to educators in Kaplan’s writings. He gives credence to formal music education as a force in how people are socialized towards musical values. I wonder how Froehlich considers this in light of the last chapter in which (I interpret that) she implies that the force of students’ preconceived notions of music is potentially more powerful than our attempts at reconciling them with our musical intentions. I don’t disagree; but Kaplan’s study does make me feel affective.
On the topic of student’s preconceived musical notions, commercial music is that preconceived notion. They are, musically, a product of their musical environment. Their musical needs are artificially constructed if we are to fall in line with Adorno’s or Weber’s writings. What then is our goal of music education? We are to repeat the argument of the last chapter about the “learning” and “teaching” element of music. I can’t really articulate how I manage this dilemma, but I certainly do think about it. For instance, it’s Black History Month, which is a great reason to teach some polyrhythmic stuff, find some YouTube videos of West African dances, and have a curricular justification to bring in “world music” from Africa and historically Black American musics. Is this artificial? (Yes.) Even if I’m relating these teachings back to their socio-music perspective, are they learning it? Are they sensing it as an “interruption” of the typical Western art and Western folk music objectives that are more commonplace in my classroom? I’m trying for a genuine relevance for aesthetic meaning.
I think part of the job of the music educator is to make music relevant. Its relevance as a social and commercial product is a part of our students’ lives without our guidance, interference, or efforts. So I would assert that an element of our job is to accentuate the aesthetic purposes—not just of the musics we studied, but also of a rich and varied repertory. I don’t have the answers, but critical theory would assert that I’m making right answers in this dialectic process.
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I have made an attempt to encourage students to start analyzing the music they listen to with the same scrutiny we analyze pieces in my Music Appreciation classes. I dedicate a small amount of the grade book to assignments like this. I feel like it is pointless (and maybe unethical) for me to spend time comparing what they like with what I like in what would be an obvious attempt to change their aesthetic values. But it is productive to give them the rubric we use to evaluate music and encourage them to apply it to music outside of class. I find that they never say things like “wow, it turns out that art music is way better than all the stuff I have been listening to.” But they do exercise the muscles of evaluation and as the semester progresses they become more engaged in the discussion of the music we learn. I think the class room music becomes relevant to them when they become comfortable evaluating it, and they become comfortable with evaluation when they apply it to the music they already love.
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See, I instinctively think “CHANGE THEIR AESTHETIC VALUES!” because I (wrongly) internalize value judgements of music, even if I try to not and say I don’t.
BUT. I wanna know how you do those assignments. What’s the rubric? I think it would be good for both me and, maybe, my big kids to take on something like that.
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Reading Adorno’s description of critical theory and it being that of dialectic logic was very interesting. I find this type of reasoning relevant in many current issues that are often the most controversial in society. They are controversial because both sides have strong arguments against the other and at the same time have similarities in that they are fighting for what they think is right but nothing is ever completely resolved. Using dialectic logic as a way to identify music as authentic or marketed is so important in order to know and appreciate all types of music.
Listening to music leisurely has a large impact on how we learn music as a school subject, especially the older we get. Also, knowing a large variety of music also helps us come to our own conclusions.
In my classes, we sing folk songs rather than any contemporary music and it is interesting to see the various reactions by grade as they are introduced to an unfamiliar song. My younger students tend to be more open and willing to sing to new music while my oldest students (5th grade) tend to have a more hesitant reaction to new songs.
I tend to naturally separate my relationship between music as a leisure pursuit and music as a school subject because listening to music in school was part of the learning environment, and I would think of “those songs” as ones we sing in school. This was more true when I was in the thick of learning how to listen and identify different musical forms, music eras, and instrumentation of different pieces. At the time, I would find myself listening to the opposite of what I was learning about for relaxation and leisure and kept this separate minus a few pieces that I enjoyed listening to anytime.
Though I would separate, that is was not necessarily the case because music as leisure and subject play hand in hand with one another. Music as a school subject can help set a foundation for how we listen leisurely. I now find myself listening to more classical music and actually enjoy picking out certain sections and identifying different forms. I think this ties in to distinguishing between commercial and aesthetic purposes of music. It is important to do so in order for us and our students to make informed decisions while listening to music.
Adorno’s “Introduction to the Sociology of Music” is most relevant to me for how I approach music and how I want to teach it to my students. I want them to be critical listeners of music in some form even from a young age. Froehlich describes Adorno’s description of classical music receiving “autonomy from commercial pressures” over popular music that is controlled. I think it is important to recognize the differences and know that it appeals to a variety of audiences yet it is still okay to listen to music for the sake of music.
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Adorno’s topic with authentic and non-authentic music struck a minor chord with me while reading that section. It made me starting thinking of what kind of music is touching the listeners? Adorno lead to the the idea that popular music cannot lead to an authentic listening experience because it is manipulated for purposes of market control. I’m taking this to mean that pop music cannot be authentic music to anyone. How many people listen to their favorite “pop” music to help them reflect on things. At a funeral, a wedding, etc. Often times when you ask somebody what their favorite song is, their choice is due to the fact that the lyrics in the music made them feel something or brought out a certain emotion that they cannot get anywhere else.
I will concur that classic music is more often music for the sake of music. I get more aesthetic experiences listening to band or orchestra literature than I do on my radio. However, I think music touches people based on experiences and you never know when some type of music is going to bring those experiences to the forefront.
Right or wrong, I have made the gap between music as a leisure pursuit and a school subject very small. Obviously for a passionate music educator, I am deep into music in all walks of my life. I feel that my ensembles are a part of that pursuit and I don’t treat them so much as another hour of the school day but an active musical journey, both for the me and the students. For me personally, it is an artistic journey of making music and growing as a musician. For me as an educator, I am sharing the experience with my students while continually learning ensemble skills. My goal is that they are enjoying the process as a leisure pursuit all the while learning how to be a better individual musician, work with the group by listening and adjusting, independent thinkers, and have the passion to continue to enjoy music after they leave my class.
For me, I think the gap is vary narrow between leisure pursuit and as a school subject.
Kaplan’s book seems to be the hold the most relevance to me.
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