Culture: an interesting term that can inspire different meanings from a variety of people. From a musical perspective, some scholars have separated the term into two meanings: (a) culture (music that is part of a person’s life) and (b) Culture (“high” culture, which is often associated with Western classical music). Froehlich (2007) draws upon the scholarly writings of several prominent ethnomusicologists and cultural theorists to explain how both viewpoints can co-exist in our postmodern society, and more importantly, the field of education. Before we move any further with this discussion, let us note that scholarship from ethnomusicologists tend to take a microsociological perspective while cultural theorists often promote the macrosociological perspective.
The Ethnomusicologists
Charles Seeger (1886-1979) was a social activist who studied the American folksongs of rural America. Seeger stressed the importance of music’s social relevance in relation to its people. By developing a deep understanding of the music within your own culture, you can attain true musicianship. His views were unique in that he addressed the similarities among various musical cultures as opposed to the differences. John Blacking (1928-1990) made a name for himself in the field of ethnomusicology by completely immersing himself in the Venda culture of South Africa for a decade and a half. As a result of his efforts, Blacking developed what is known as the cultural analysis of music. He saw value in learning music informally through cultural immersion and imitation. Eileen Southern (1920-2002) was a music historian who studied the legacy of popular and classical music and how it helped to define African American culture in the United States. Her book, which is titled The Music of Black Americans, is a valuable resource for all music educators who are interested in teaching the music of this rich and valued heritage.
The Cultural Theorists
John Shepherd, a cultural theorist, understood the value of popular music from a sociological perspective. According to Shepherd, people often convey their previous experiences when listening to a piece of music. As a result, people are able to construct their own meaning from the music. This is referred to as the construction of meaning, and Shepherd believed music educators could help students use past experiences to develop musical meaning in the classroom. Christopher Small believes people develop musical meaning through actual performance (i.e., musicking). By engaging in the process of music making, people develop important social relationships. Different performances convey different rituals, and the roles of the performer and listener are of vital importance. Music educators who advocate this position are encouraged to have their students participate in informal music making activities that are meaningful to them.
By analyzing musical forms in relation to gender, narratives, and politics, Susan McClary maintains Small’s views from the feminist perspective. Like Small, she believes musical and social meanings are interconnected. Music reflects shifting perceptions about gender and sexuality, and these perceptions help us to describe ourselves.
Roger Scruton takes a position that is different from the others mentioned in this chapter in that he advocates for the representation of high culture as part of the core curriculum. Like Adorno, he is a formalist who believes musical meaning lies in the music itself. What may be seen as an elitist perspective of a previous era, Scruton’s beliefs are not without merit. For example, he emphasizes the importance of teaching music literacy. School music should highlight high culture, and music educators should not gratify students by addressing their interests in popular music, which are always subject to change.
What are your thoughts?
As musicians and teachers, it is natural for us to teach according to our own values, and perhaps the thoughts espoused by ethnomusicologists and cultural theorists can help us to refine our values. For your weekly assignment, please do the following:
- Read the fifth chapter of the Froehlich text, which is titled, Musical Meaning and Social Context: Thoughts by Selected Ethnomusicologists and Cultural Theorists
- Post a thread (500 words minimum) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 24th. 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 26th, 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:
- Develop arguments in support of Scruton’s position that the purpose of schooling is to focus on teaching music from the perspective of “high culture” alone.
- In light of the viewpoints outlined in this chapter, voice your own position and articulate your allegiance, if any, with one of the individuals introduced in this chapter. If you had a chance to visit with any of them, what would you like to comment on most immediately? What criticism of concerns would you have?
Froehlich, H. C. (2007). Sociology for music teachers: Perspectives for practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Dr. Charles R. Ciorba 
In the recent chapter, I found myself agreeing with most of the information presented. The person that I agreed most and found myself having the most questions for was perhaps John Shepherd and his take on construction of meaning and the connection in the musical classroom to create a well rounded individual on page 70. His study that “those who value art music seemingly only for it’s musical sake actually do so for its sociomusical value” stuck out to me. I found this to be true especially in my own listening to music; I choose my playlist based on the current musical mood that I am in. Listening to playful funky music while I am in deep thought does suffice because of its contrast to my current mood. Whereas I avoid angry music when I am in a happy joyful mood for the same reasons. I also find it interesting that when listening to an instrumental piece at different places and times in my life I find things that I am able to connect to that I would not have been able to before. Therefore my experiences of the moment reflect what and how I hear the music.
I do agree with Shepherd on this aspect however I do not necessarily agree on the process of how music teachers should choose music. I do not believe that music should be chosen solely based on what the students are experiencing based on the fact that what one student may connect with may not be the same for everyone in the class. This creates a problem of how to fairly distinguish what music would be able to reach the class at the experience level. Also, moods change from day to day so what may reach students this week may not have the same effect next week. I have also seen students who showed no interest in apiece who later developed a connection only after they are able to look past the notes and start to really encompass the meaning of the piece. Though I have also seen where students absolutely love a piece they recognize and start disliking it after they have started rehearsing it. I believe this would be one of the questions that if given the chance I would ask Shepherd. Though we may build a relationship with our students and understand their musical tastes, how do we ensure that all students are able to connect to the music we have chosen based on their experiences?
Though I do believe Shepherd he has a valid point that students are able to connect with music based on their experiences. I have often asked myself if sharing the background of the music and the composers’ intent may inhibit the students’ ability to relate with music at their own level with their own social situations or is the background serving as a springboard to their own musical thoughts? What is the balance of time that we invest in the connections as well as the concepts of the music? Does connectivity triumphs concept or vice versa?
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Hey, Ashley!
I want to take a minute to respond to the questions you posed about musical connections.
I truly do not think that sharing the composer’s intent would inhibit the students’ ability to formulate their own personal connections with the music as long as we, as educators, give them the opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas. In regard to the balance of time, I think discussing the composer’s intent takes much less time. After all, you are talking about one person’s thoughts and feelings compared to a whole classroom full of students and how they each connect to the piece.
I believe it is important to address both composer’s intent and student connectivity. I do not think one is more important than the other. I also believe that when students truly understand the piece and have manifested a deep connection to it, they are more invested in learning it and performing it. They “buy in,” so to speak. This makes rehearsing and performing much more enjoyable, meaningful, and fun. Nothing is worse than devoting time to rehearsing a piece of music that the students do not understand and do not like. It’s like pulling teeth the entire rehearsal!
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Ashley,
I think it is completely possible to use the background information as a springboard for your students’ understanding of a piece. Anytime we can get our students thinking about music in a deeper context than just the notes, rhythms, and text, we have achieved something that many of the authors in this chapter assert are important characteristics of music making. Whether or not they can personally relate to the experience of the composers and his or her reasons for writing the piece are, I believe, secondary. The fact is they are trying to connect in some other way and maybe they can bring something from their past into the piece. That connection is deeply rooted in many educational philosophies and pedagogical ideals. And as KG stated, once they can “buy it,” the experience will become more meaningful and thus provide a greater impact. This connection is at the core of what our professional organizations feel is a crucial process in which students engage musically.
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I thought John Blacking’s view that “musical ability is a defining characteristic of being human, not a special trait reserved for talented individuals” is quite powerful (page 68). It is something that I consider as I am teaching because I truly believe music is an innate part of us and the only distinction that makes one more “musical” is our exposure and experience.
I’ve always thought cultural immersion of music to be fascinating as a musician who has been “trained” since roughly the age of 8, and I think about how music shaped me before I started lessons and what lead me to take lessons in the first place. I remember music as just a part of life and that singing and playing piano were a part of most family gatherings. We had a piano growing up and I loved to learn songs by ear before I could read music. I wonder if this could be considered part of the cultural immersion Blacking refers to.
In relation to Blacking’s view of learning through living, I remember watching my uncle play piano with different jazz riffs, boogies, and improvising. I loved watching him and he would let me join in, and me not really knowing what to do but I would play whatever sounded good. This was a small portion of my own music culture that relates to what Blacking is referring to, and helped instill a passion in me to continue with music, sparked a love for jazz and improvisation. I believe this also helped create a desire for me to learn piano formally which then lead to learning the clarinet. I wonder without that initial exposure to music in an informal setting, if my passion for music would be the same had I started in a completely formal setting? It makes me also consider how much music exposure my students receive outside of the classroom and what is my role in their journey?
I believe that “learning through living and learning through schooling” are connected and that we should incorporate both in our lives and consider this in our teaching. If I read correctly on page 69, I believe Blacking is saying that learning through schooling allows us to learn what we need to play a piece, but the meaning is often lost when the piece is removed from it’s social context. My professors have always emphasized learning the background of the music, why it was created, who created it, and I believe this is important for me as I teach music to my own students.
Exposing students to songs and dances as they were used in a cultural setting is so important for why we sing and perform these songs in class. I think it is then possible to tie in Blacking’s philosophy with parts of Scruton’s view that the focus of music teaching should be of “high culture”. I agree it is important to pass on music that has been carried through time because it is what defines our “classic understanding” and “provides ‘connectivity’ between generations”, but it needs to be balanced with the everyday music. I think teaching Pre-K through 5th is a huge advantage in this spectrum but also challenging. I think incorporating music of “high culture” along with regular everyday songs at a young age helps immerse students to all kinds of music to where it becomes a part of their music culture even if it starts at a more basic level. The challenge is if they are getting enough exposure to both, and how is it shaping them?
I believe Blacking’s philosophy is where our roots are tied and that we learn through doing and listening to music which, in turn, allows us to learn about the music culture, musicians, and people that helped shape it.
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Emily,
Thank you for sharing about growing up around music. Music was also a part of my everyday life growing up. My brother was always practicing music and we were often left to run around the sanctuary as my parents rehearsed with the church orchestra. When my family got together at my grandparents house the aunts would play piano in the background. These experiences are what gave me such a passion for music as well. When it came time for me to choose if I wanted to be in band or not, there was no question. I knew I was going to be in band. I just had to figure out what instrument I wanted to play.
I agree with you about needing to learn the background of a piece. That is what gives a piece meaning. This is definitely something I need to work on more in my teaching. As a band director, I simply get so caught up teaching for performance instead of teaching for feeling. I believe the students often create their own meaning, but why am I limiting them to their own creative devices? There are so many things I can do to spark more creativity and meaning for them.
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Teaching from the perspective of “high culture” is important for students and the community. As opposed to popular music, it is the rule and not the exception that high culture music requires higher-level thinking, refined skills, and ample amounts of time. Aside from the concepts that are acquired, teaching music associated with high culture invites all students to appreciate and engage in music because it is their right as a performer. As we all know, music requires much of its students. They must use both the left and right brain at the same time, learn to interpret the foreign language of western music, and communicate the message of the composer as well as their own to an audience. There are many avenues for students to learn popular music or music specific to their culture and in general, much of this music is transmitted person to person. High culture music lends itself to the assistance of teachers and schools lend themselves to creating wonderful ensembles capable of meeting this challenge to give students a unique and rewarding opportunity. I don’t think that this needs to be our exclusive offer to students but I do believe it is a responsibility we must consider.
I have read a few articles about the process of teaching music with performing being an emphasis. The music learning theory is based on the belief that we should learn music the same way we learn a language. First we hear it, then we speak it, and then we read and write it. I understand the theory and I see the value. When they discussed the first concert for an ensemble using this theory being mostly improvisational and learning by rote, my support decreased. This kind of reminds me of Christopher Small and musicking. Of course, I have students perform for each other and play every day but I also come from a program with a very strict regimen that was enforced. Straying from that feels sacrilegious. The program I went thorough, was completely organized and thorough. It was successful and produced many successful students. The process is clear to me today with an emphasis on fundamental skill development and public concerts twice a year with concerts once a year. I like to think though, because I do have smaller classes, I am able to incorporate some different strategies including hearing more students play individually and for the class. I guess if I met with Christopher Small, I would ask him how he would change the scope and sequence that I have developed to fit his beliefs on musical development? I don’t disagree to premise behind it all, I’m just challenged by the thought of truly facilitating it. With Smalls similarities to McClary, I again would want to ask the best way to begin including introducing social meanings with the music. I have a friend taking a course right now that has a heavy emphasis on the social meanings behind the music and not much on music itself. I often wonder what the balance should be because I have yet to experience anything that gave a good grasp of both.
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You make excellent points from the perspective of “high culture”. I think it is our responsibility to challenge and expose our students to this music, but I believe it is also dependent on age and type of music we teach. Band, choir, music theory, and general elementary all teach different musical aspects and material so maybe the approach should be dependent on the class? It would be challenging to implement learning the social meanings behind the music in a band class when the main focus is to play the music. That being said, knowing the meanings will also impact a students performance. It is also a challenge because music classes are “performance based” and homework is often not required.
As far as your view of Small’s theory, do you disagree with performing music that has been learned by rote? Or that we should not teach students in this way at all?
I am finding that balance in my own teaching. From personal experience, I learned from rote in the beginning, and I believe that an exploratory method helps engage and connect students to the fundamentals of music later on- and at what point do we begin implementing the theory?
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I enjoyed the diversity of views and opinions this chapter explored. Reflecting on teaching music as “High Culture,” I do believe there is merit to this. We want our students to understand the complex history and cultural meaning music hold in our society. If we do not uphold music in this light then who will? I don’t believe many parents are taking their students to operas on the weekends and talking with their children the reason the opera was written and certain underlying political statements that are being represented. We, as music educators, are certainly responsible for showing our students the “time-honored artistic and moral values” that music can provide. However, we cannot only teach music from the “High Culture” perspective. I could argue that we should consider this to be the case a majority of the time, but we must speak to a level that will connect to the students at least occasionally. Thinking about middle school, I think my students would not be as engaged if I spoke to them as if music had no casual role in their lives. It goes back to the first year of music education in college, we must connect the known to the unknown. My students know casual role music has on their lives. They don’t know the cultural and moral influences that are also present. It is our job as music educators to connect this. I am certainly considering how well I do this in my classroom currently, and truthfully, I do not do it nearly enough. I must work on connecting the music we listen to and play to something more meaningful. What are some ways that you connect cultural significance to music you play or sing? Is it usually in lecture form, or project form? How do you measure the students’ understanding?
When I think about ethnomusicology, I see the significance in music of past cultures. What I struggle to see is the deep cultural role that the music in our present life plays on our moral values and history. If someone were to study our culture, what would consider to be impacting our culture morally or traditionally? While reading this chapter I couldn’t help but think about a story my colleague likes to tell about an experience in the town we work for before I was hired for the position. We are a 3A school with a mostly rural home setting for the students. One of the senior band students had a family member pass away. He invited my colleague and his wife to the funeral. At the funeral, they began to play a song that the deceased family member enjoyed. The song is titled, “Margie’s at the Lincoln Park Inn.” (https://youtu.be/2iguhDfGr3g) It was okay until it got to the chorus and they put together what the song was about. Let’s just say Margie isn’t the singer’s wife. My colleague tells that it was a very awkward experience as I can only imagine. I was thinking about this story when reading about “Musicking.” Everyone at the funeral was interacting with each other through music. I am not sure the result was really what the family was going for, but nonetheless the occurrence carried ritualistic meaning. I hope you liked the story. It is very much truth.
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Hi Eric,
I too agree that if we do not show our students the “High Culture” then they may not ever be exposed to it. It’s so very important to a well-rounded music education. It is also our job to introduce them to culture significance. In this regard, I feel like I’m cheating a little bit. Because I teach elementary music I have found that if I either tell a story about the music in a storytelling tone, my students’ are more engaged. If the music is from another country I turn to a Music Express video that shows pictures of the countries landscape and where it is on the map, and tells them about their culture and the types of music there. I then ask them questions such as “what instrument group do you think this instrument is from?”
The only way I am able to measure their understanding is when they understand background they are more frequently raising their hands to ask questions, I can hear their ooo and ahhhing during the storytelling or video portion, and the most evident is seeing their faces fully engaged in the musicking portion of the lesson. I can also tell when they are truly able to connect with the music because they omit a certain energy.
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Hey, Eric!
I completely agree with you! It is our responsibility as music educators to uphold the “time-honored artistic and moral values” of “high culture.” As you said, if we do not do it, who will? It is of the utmost importance that we expose our students to high culture music. They need to know it, understand why it is significant, and value it.
Also like you, I also believe that if we were to only teach the music of high culture, we would be doing a disservice to our students and undervaluing all of the other great music that is out in the world to be discovered! I’m not just talking about the “popular” music of today. What about the “popular” music of yesterday? There are so many “popular” songs/pieces that have withstood the test of time and have become true classics. I feel these are important for students to also know and experience. Then we have other genres! What about folk music? Multicultural music? Jazz? There is so much great music that does not necessarily fall under the umbrella of “high culture music,” and I think it is practically impossible for us to expose them to it all! Our students need to know that there’s more out there to experience, love, and enjoy. It is our responsibility to teach them to never stop seeking and experiencing great music wherever they may find it.
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Hi KG,
Wow! What a moving and sad experience that must have been! I’ve shed a tear or two by just listening to Be Thou My Vision therefore I couldn’t imagine the emotional journey your student went through that day, though what a great environment that your students felt that they needed to show their support for him in his journey.
With your story of musical connection it vaguely reminds me of the current community theatre production of Suessical the Musical I’m in since this week was our opening week. We have been in rehearsal since the beginning of November so our cast of 65 has gotten really close. With this closeness I believe that we all found meanings of the music portions as a group at the same time. Though since we have found the emotional connection through discussion with my cast mates, I have found it interesting that we have all had different days where we felt that we personally where on point with our performances whereas another person felt that they didn’t do so well because they where not quite “feeling it” energy wise for the same performance.
So as a whole though we have become a tight knit group because of our experiences and daily life we have found different songs as well as different days that we have been able to really connect to the music, which clearly demonstrates that connectivy just involves experiences and current situations. I also includes our personal energy level at that moment.
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Hi Eric,
Your statement of “if we don’t…who will” is completely true. I kept nodding my head in agreement while reading your post. As music educators it is our role to provide students with a well balanced diet. And the meat of our curriculum is high art. I think that when students foster an appreciation for “high art” they will appreciate the less traditional, more mainstream art whenever it is presented to them. You also stated in your response that we can not teach it as so. We have to make it real, inviting, and manageable. If we teach it in a stuffy way, then they will rarely connect to it.
Ways I connect cultural significance to pieces is much like Ashley’s approach. Lots of story telling, having students retell the meaning of the song in their own words, and visual art ( when applicable, having students draw images that match the piece). I have also found that if I find a version of piece that is “pop” or has student musicians playing it that the students can find greater connection. Academically I also like to point out known rhythms, melodic patterns in 2 part pieces. This is a given, but sometimes just stopping and highlighting that the skills we are learning in class are also found in “real, big kid music” is a huge connection for my students.
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Hi Eric,
I don’t teach cultural meaning to ensembles (as I don’t teach ensembles), but in my music appreciation classes I ask questions on the test that demand some thought go into these realms. I start lecturing at the board and I write 4 test questions on the board:
1) Composer
2) Title
3) Country of Origin
4) Nugget
I have defined the term “nugget” in my classes as a 3 or 4 sentence long discussion on something relevant to the piece and the time from which is was composed. This is my favorite part of testing because I really get some insight in to the level of understanding these students are obtaining about the pieces beyond mere identification. I intentionally write these questions on the board every lecture so the students can remember that 25% of their test score will depend on their ability to discuss something about the piece. I am always teaching non-majors, and usually non-musicians, so most of my discussion on pieces goes towards discussing what made the music stand out or fit in in it’s time, (ie. the defiance of the servant in the Catalogue Aria from Don Giovani, etc.).
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Eric,
Very well spoken, again! I agree that if we do not teach the students the “high culture” background, they surely aren’t going to go out and do it themselves! This topic made me think back to my Senior year in the CODA Symphonic Band. We had Dr. Lamb as our clinician and he talked to us about his love and passion for music. One thing he mentioned has stuck with me to this day. He mentioned one reason why he loves music so much is because of how much there is in the world. One could live their entire life and not explore all the music of the world. That would be to say ALL music of the world. Of course there is music which is not worthy of studying, but out of all the music that is worthy, I bet we still wouldn’t come close.
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As I read this chapter, I did not find myself disagreeing with much. In fact, I disagreed with very little! I thought all points of view had extremely sound arguments. The only viewpoint that posed a little bit of a challenge for me was the “High Culture” argument of Roger Scruton (p. 72). While I believe that Scruton makes many strong points about the importance of Western classical music, I feel that the exclusion of all other genres is closed-minded. Yes, Western classical music is important, but I do not believe that Western classical music holds a monopoly on great ideas, meaning, and value. And who wants to live in a world where the BEST (“best” as in “there will never be greater or equal to”) ideas have already been had? I sure don’t. Should we teach our students about Western classical music? Absolutely! Should they experience Western classical music by listening and playing? Without a doubt! I just do not accept that Western classical music should be the be-all and end-all. There’s so much more to be discovered and experience!
I think the point of view that I found myself most identifying with was that of John Shepherd. Shepherd believes that musical meaning is “derived from the interconnection between (1) what knowledge and experiences the listener brings to the social situation in which the music is heard, (2) what knowledge and experiences the listener associates with the piece itself, and (3) how both types of knowledge and experience relate to each other, positively or negatively, at the moment the music is heard” (p. 70). This construction of meaning point of view really struck a chord with me. I find that the pieces I most enjoy and value are the ones that stir up emotions deep within me. Oftentimes these emotions are attached to important events and/or memories from my past. All human beings are unique. We all come from different backgrounds, and the important events and relationships from our past shape who we are as individuals. I do not believe one piece of music can mean the exact same thing to one person as it does another.
When teaching a piece to my students, I always begin by discussing the composer’s personal thoughts and values regarding that piece (if accessible), but I often challenge my students to truly discover what the piece means to each of them. Through this process, I will usually share my own thoughts and feelings. I find that this process can sometimes leave us quite vulnerable, but we are vulnerable in the best way possible. Through this sharing of thoughts and feeling about a piece of music in our safe environment, we are almost always brought closer together as a group, ensemble, and band family.
In fact, one such situation occurred this morning. While rehearsing a piece (Chorale Prelude: Be Thou My Vision) this morning, I noticed one of my students had put his instrument down and placed his head in his hands. This particular student had recently lost his father. At the conclusion of the rehearsal, it was obvious that he could no longer hold in his emotions. Many students surrounded him with love and support as he let it out. Afterwards, he caught me as I was walking to my car, and all he could say was, “Mr. Robinson, it was the music—I just couldn’t hold it in anymore.”
I know this is a pretty extreme example, but it clearly demonstrates that we often construct musical meaning from our past experiences and current situations. We are all unique, and we all have varying different points of view.
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Okay, I just realized that this post posted as a comment from my wife’s fashion blog…. Sorry–this KG! Need to check which email address is auto-filling in the boxes!!!
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Well said! You seem to be an amazing teacher. We’re do you teach??
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Dr. Ciorba,
I accidentally posted the above response from my wife’s fashion blog account… So the “twotrendyteachers” post is really just me. The personal info boxes that you fill out when posting autofilled to her information, and I failed to notice it prior to clicking POST. Ooops!
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The best argument I can offer to support Scruton’s argument for high culture in education makes use of his definition of music from high culture as “more than a social document of its time”. One could argue that the music of culture (lowercase c) is mostly just a social document of its time. If room was allowed for the art outside of high culture in curriculums, I would have studied extensively the works of groups like Marcy Playground, The Black Eyed Peas, Papa Roach, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, etc. The fact that I absolutely hate the music produced by these groups, groups that produced wildly successful singles/albums around the time I was in high school and starting college, has nothing to do with why studying their work is problematic with me. My problems stem from the fact that these groups produced work that was/is almost exclusively a social document of its (short) time. It made use of technology, instrumentation, lyrics, and images that reflect the pop culture of a large portion of American teenagers from a small time in history. Should we have replaced Shakespeare with the Twilight Saga a few years ago in English classes, or better yet and more democratically, give equal time to them both? Should the works of Beethoven share time with Britany Spears? People use the ethnomusicology approach to argue for more inclusion of art from outside the western European practice, but in ethnomusicology classes we are asked to use our own mastery of art music and view cultural others as would a sociologist or anthropologist (and much of this concept is relevant in this class as well). While I can’t argue for complete dismissal of everything outside of high culture from the classroom, it is obvious that some art outside of high culture becomes relevant in academia only when another discipline (ie. sociology/anthropology/psychology/etc.) is offered as a lens through which to view. On the contrary, Any excerpt from Wagner’s Ring Cycle is a mesmerizing work of art, with no need for anything other than a score and an audio source for a student to be taken on an adventure of understanding the complexities that make up some of the most beautiful music mankind has produced. I specifically mention Wagner because everyone knows there is so much outside of the score and performance of his work that can be mentioned (and should be learned) but his work by itself is enough. If we are educating the general public in music, the music we choose should represent the best that humanity has been capable of producing, and the music should be capable of standing on its own without any need for justification from sources outside of the concentration of music. Music scholars should be those whose studies require critical thought that intertwines concepts of History, sociology, anthropology, etc. Even though I wrote this argument to fulfill the assignment, I agree with most of what I wrote. I welcome any comments, both yeas and nays.
I was most enchanted by the idea that Blacking and Small shared in that music making must be based on process and not product. If I were to meet either of them, I would hope to engage in a conversation with them about how this huge shift could ever take place in music education without killing music ed in the US. I think it would be easier to win this debate with students by just fostering a culture of falling in love with the process of learning and placing more value on that than on the performance (and even defining the performance as the byproduct of the process and not the goal); however, the bottom line with parents and members of the community is that they want to hear a good band. How does a school board learn to value process over performance?
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I was compelled by Blacking and Small’s emphasis on process not product, as well. This is also a very Orff-y concept that is largely attainable in the context of musicking with little kids. It’s a shift that, as I’ve kind of said before, took the community and my colleagues some time to trust as I experimented with instances that I could break from the historical performance-based construct. I KNOW that this is not do-able in many other ensemble and age constructs in the school system, though. When I walk through my neighborhood in the summer (it’s ~artistic~) I see a lot of music lovers creating and sharing and building community through music in their own contexts: drum circles, garage bands, acoustic porch sessions, and dance parties. I bet a large portion of them were in music programs in school and that their love and working musical knowledge was predicated by their teachers’ curriculum choices and personal influence. I wish, as you said, school boards saw this example, for one, as a goal of cultivating young minds.
I feel similarly to you about the curricular implications of Scruton’s philosophy. But, as with you, I’m at a bit of arms length. It is not comprehensive, it can be a focus but not the only one, even is he makes some compelling arguments. Nor is it pedagogically sound for my age-range of students. Schoenberg is not gonna fly with a five-year-old, much to his and Scruton’s probable chagrin.
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Hi Griffin,
I would like to see the reaction of a group of 5 year olds listening to Schoenberg. I often play his music for people just because I enjoy the response. I once met a graduate student studying 20th century post war music who grew up with the music of Schoenberg et al., as his parent were huge proponents of 20th century music, and he talked about how strange and new music from the common practice was when he began his undergraduate studies. I found it fascinating to meet someone who actually grew up feeling most comfortable and familiar with this music. After that little anecdote, I agree with you that there are pedagogical concerns in Scruton’s philosophy. At least the basic concepts of tonal centers, phrasing, and harmonic function present in pop music lend a hand to reinforce the accessibility of tonal music; and one must usually wade through years of stored up ideas about how music should or should not sound to even consider taking 12-tone or set theory seriously.
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Jonathan,
You speak so eloquently on the top of teaching “High Culture.” I agree with what you are saying without a doubt. The music written to represent pop culture is not the representation of music we are wanting to pass from generation to generation. I especially enjoyed when you said, “If we are educating the general public in music, the music we choose should represent the best that humanity has been capable of producing, and the music should be capable of standing on its own without any need for justification from sources outside of the concentration of music.” We must work as music educators to expose the students of this “High Culture” Music because if they are left to choose the music they listen to they will always choose the music that has followed Brittany Spears and Backstreet Boys.
As an answer to your question, it is tough to know for sure. It almost has to be a mindset you produce. What I mean is that many administrators want a great performance because that is all they are able to assess. They learned when they were teaching (or worse, coaching) is that if the band sounds good then the band teacher is good and the band is strong. I think this can be combated by getting the administration involved. Last semester, for the winter concert, we had our superintendent perform a slide whistle part on a fun piece called The Recession Depression Blues. The students loved getting to rehearse with the administrator and the administrator got a chance to look into what we do in the classroom and that the students can have a great time without having to sound like a college or professional ensemble.
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Hi Jonathan,
I agree with so much of what you said. I agree whole heartedly that the music at the forefront of our curriculum and lessons should be the “most beautiful that man kind has produced”. For the majority of pop music it is only around until the next auto-tuned, digitized single is released. Timeless repertoire whether that is art music or world music is worth bringing attention to.
As a music educator I would said I am much more interested in the process over the product. I get far more excited about planning lessons than performances. I would much rather my parents, administrators, and teachers walk in on their children making music together in the classroom than on the stage. This is where the real joy and learning takes places. I love what you said about the performance as byproduct not the “goal”. So true. Our drive should not be to perfect a song by the concert, but to lead students down a musical journey and for them to naturally develop a song/piece in the process.
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As I read this chapter, I did not find myself disagreeing with much. In fact, I disagreed with very little! I thought all points of view had extremely sound arguments. The only viewpoint that posed a little bit of a challenge for me was the “High Culture” argument of Roger Scruton (p. 72). While I believe that Scruton makes many strong points about the importance of Western classical music, I feel that the exclusion of all other genres is closed-minded. Yes, Western classical music is important, but I do not believe that Western classical music holds a monopoly on great ideas, meaning, and value. And who wants to live in a world where the BEST (“best” as in “there will never be greater or equal to”) ideas have already been had? I sure don’t. Should we teach our students about Western classical music? Absolutely! Should they experience Western classical music by listening and playing? Without a doubt! I just do not accept that Western classical music should be the be-all and end-all. There’s so much more to be discovered and experience!
I think the point of view that I found myself most identifying with was that of John Shepherd. Shepherd believes that musical meaning is “derived from the interconnection between (1) what knowledge and experiences the listener brings to the social situation in which the music is heard, (2) what knowledge and experiences the listener associates with the piece itself, and (3) how both types of knowledge and experience relate to each other, positively or negatively, at the moment the music is heard” (p. 70). This construction of meaning point of view really struck a chord with me. I find that the pieces I most enjoy and value are the ones that stir up emotions deep within me. Oftentimes these emotions are attached to important events and/or memories from my past. All human beings are unique. We all come from different backgrounds, and the important events and relationships from our past shape who we are as individuals. I do not believe one piece of music can mean the exact same thing to one person as it does another.
When teaching a piece to my students, I always begin by discussing the composer’s personal thoughts and values regarding that piece (if accessible), but I often challenge my students to truly discover what the piece means to each of them. Through this process, I will usually share my own thoughts and feelings. I find that this process can sometimes leave us quite vulnerable, but we are vulnerable in the best way possible. Through this sharing of thoughts and feeling about a piece of music in our safe environment, we are almost always brought closer together as a group, ensemble, and band family.
In fact, one such situation occurred this morning. While rehearsing a piece (Chorale Prelude: Be Thou My Vision) this morning, I noticed one of my students had put his trumpet down and placed his head in his hands. This particular student had recently lost his father to a degenerative disease. At the conclusion of the rehearsal, it was obvious that he could no longer hold in his emotions. Many students surrounded him with love and support as he let it out. Afterwards, he caught me as I was walking to my car, and all he could say was, “Mr. Robinson, it was the music—I just couldn’t hold it in anymore.”
I know this is a pretty extreme example, but it clearly demonstrates that we often construct musical meaning from our past experiences and current situations. We are all unique, and we all have varying different points of view.
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Hi KG,
That is such a touching story. I also identified with Shepherd’s beliefs as well. Something that I think it lends itself to is how the music changes the performer/listeners knowledge and experience. I have seen in my own students, when appropriate music is introduced at particular ages, the transformation that occurs within them. It is almost as if they bring what they have to the music and it has the ability to unlock the door to a higher of appreciation and maturity.
I agree with your comments about the value of teaching, listening, and preforming western classical music as well as other music. I think it is interesting however, to consider the other subjects taught in school. Much of the material taught to students will help them get into college or have a technical career. Do you think we do any disservice to our students if we lose too much focus of the music education that would be crucial to them getting into a music school or one day becoming a professional musician? There are only so many hours in the day and especially with larger classes I feel that we obligated to a certain extent to provide a specific education that requires a higher percentage of western classical music or certain band literature to be included.
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I was reading though your post and praising how you discuss the composer’s thoughts with your students and then challenge your students to discover what the piece means personally. It is so important and so true how the end result brings a group closer to one another. I suppose that is one aspect of why I loved high school band so much. There is nothing like making music together and then tying your own emotions in to it. I’ve heard from friends who no longer play how much they miss being a part of an ensemble and I think it is because there is nothing like bringing emotions to the table through the music that we play.
I also agree with Shepherd’s view of interconnection and how we can find those deep musical meanings in a piece. A piece of music speaks to a person on an individual level and it would be hard to discredit just because we hear it differently. What a touching story about your student and how he was moved. I wonder if because he was playing/participating in the music that the impact was that much greater than if he were simply listening.
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KG,
What an outstanding story to share about your student. I love the feeling and emotions that we get to each personally feel through music. It may not be the same for me as it is for you, but music moves us in ways sometimes we cannot explain or tears emotions out of us without us knowing why. Am incredible art, indeed. I love your approach to beginning a piece of music with your students. When accessible, sharing the composers personal thoughts is always important, I agree. Sharing how it could mean something different to you (the composer) and to them (the performers) can only give a deeper connection to the music.
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The writings of both John Blacking and Christopher Small had significant resonance with me. Blacking describes the difference between two types of learning as living and schooling. I think music teachers do a great job in elementary of providing meaningful, experiential learning of music. As students progress through a program and begin to choose a track, the emphasis is largely based on performance. In many other countries, music takes on a more holistic approach not only to the education of the students but the inclusion of society’s culture in the classroom. That’s not to say that I do not personally value performance or the impact that we as a country have had on music education as a whole. I feel that too often it has become the defining characteristic and value of the program. Music making must be a process, not product driven (pg. 74). I understand that we are beholden to our stakeholders, but how do we begin to change that culture? I believe that if we introduce this concept in incremental steps, the results will astound us. The musician will bring more to the program of they are experiencing the process and has a deeper understanding and value of the culture and beliefs associated with it. Think about a performance of Grainger’s Posy. What if the students had a better picture of what Grainger was trying to do in his collecting of folk songs? What if they knew the words and could sing the songs themselves? How would this inform their playing and interpretation? We know how it impacts the conductor to study and understand these important facets of the piece. Why should that be any different for our students? Imagine then, you decide to program another piece that had folk songs as the main melodic material. Would your students transfer their previous knowledge to the new piece in a meaningful way? Would you possibly spend less time talking about phrasing? I understand that there are varying degrees of transfer from one piece to the next, but the point is the purposeful teaching of the whole musician. We teach what we know and how we were taught. If the product was the only aspect of value, how do we change that perspective? I feel that this is where we have an obligation to our future students. To change the culture of what we value. The book describes this in relation to the work of MENC. NAfME has recognized the need for a shift in the fundamental nature of what and how we teach. The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards with the partnership of NAfME has developed and adopted the National Core Arts Standards in support of guiding educators through a quality arts education. The four processes of creating, performing, responding, and communicating help to guide music educators into understanding a well-rounded approach to teaching. The standards also include ensemble-specific standards that can allow for teachers to develop a curriculum to use in a large group setting. These standards help educators to address what Froelich describes as unified and agreed upon framework of why we teach music as a part of compulsory education (pg. 75).
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Hi Eric,
I think Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy is a very interesting selection to pick. Yes, the actual collection of the songs and the transference of this amazing oral tradition to wax cylinder and then to paper is invaluable to band literature and folk history in general but to play devil’s advocate, I think it would be difficult to provide students with a truthful explanation of Grainger’s purpose. As I’m sure you know, Grainger was an overt bigot. His own writings share that he isn’t that fond of folk music but felt the obligation to preserve the genius of the Nordic race.
When we discuss the social background involved, especially in today’s climate, I imagine it would be extremely difficult to share this information and perform the piece. At least for me, this is something I would struggle with. I also wonder, for high school students, how difficult it would be to process this. How can anyone discuss this without brining Wagner into the mix. What is the role of this music in today’s society? Is it better to leave the social context out when we are communicating the music of racist people? I know that personally, I prefer not to discuss the social beliefs of these men and instead value the music. Even writing that, I am still conflicted!
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Shepherd’s thoughts on construction of meaning were of interest to me. His statement of how people react to not only the sounds themselves but the situation in which they hear them shows how important context is to music. A piece of music can transcend it’s original meaning and take on new life for each and every listener. The lyrics, organization of sound, or instrumentation are the “objects” but whenever they are combined they take on a greater meaning. Shepherd’s discussion on knowledge in terms of connecting with the music made me reflect on how I encourage my own young music students to actively interpret the music in their own words. When we do a listening activity in class would they interpret it the same way at home? Is “high” art only music for music class or can they use their “music lingo” at home as freely as they would in the context of our music classroom? My hope is that I can instill in them the knowledge and understanding to appreciate music in many different contexts and situations.
I remember the first time I read the word “Musicking” in undergraduate MUED classes. At the time I saw it as a sterile academic word, but since then, I see it as music in action. I experience it everyday in my classroom with my students. Words that stick out to me in Small’s description of “musicking” are interaction in engagement. Small says that “the best form of music making lies in engaging students in informal music making in situations that are important to them” (pg. 71). When I read this it made me think of a situation that occurred in my class this past week. During “hoop group” rotations in 1st grade music I had placed a percussion rhythm reading station activity out for one of the groups. The task was to perform prescribed rhythm patterns as a group. This sweet group of 1st boys went rogue and started their own percussion ensemble. It was musical and joyful. They were working together and creating layers of musical sounds, not noise. It wasn’t the “task” that I planned, but they went beyond and created music freely and informally. Sometimes the moments between the lesson plans is where the real “musicking” takes place. As the teacher I need to remember to get out of the way and let it happen naturally.
As a general music teacher I found this statement interesting, “Whose culture and/or subculture in our own society do we highlight?” (pg. 74) It is impossible to cover every single genre, culture, and period of music in single school year, or for me, a succession of several years. What we can do is give students a firm foundation of musical styles and give them the words to describe the music that they hear and to have the knowledge to understand music that was not covered in detail. The text discusses different scenarios of how to go about choosing what to cover in an academic term. (Music of of the majority of students/subcultures/completely different world cultures from their students). I think it is important to try to encompass a little of both. It is important to shed light on the music of the majority of our students cultures to show that their music is relevant. I also think the study of world music provides rich learning opportunities to discuss geography, cultural differences, and musical styles. It literally opens up the world and allows students to feel connected to various people groups.
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Ashlynn, I think we come to the same conclusions and share similar values about what and how to teach music–are we the only elementary people in this discussion?
You are much more elegant in finding and considering questions posed in the text. “Whose culture and/or subculture in our own society do we highlight?” Well…all of them? how? We both WANT to do it all. And the soundest option we have (in the constructs within which we work) is exposure to many musics that will help them bring “music lingo” from school to their social lives. This is the kind of a middle-of-the-road approach if we are considering a scale from Small to Scruton that Froehlich seems to purport at the end of the chapter.
I remember the same feeling about “musicking” from undergrad. And I, too, have developed a deeper understanding of it and appreciation for it. I develop lessons for improvisational group work on instruments before I try to have them do something rigidly prescribed. This gives them the space to fall into musicking with their friends and also to construct their own understanding of the instrument without straightforward didactic instruction. My thought process is that it will give them a deep musical understanding that fosters musicking in the non-school setting.
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Ashlynn,
In a previous course, we were discussing the value of practice and musical expertise. During the discussion, we stumbled upon a video of a “musical playground,” built with the intent of children having time for “free play” on instruments. There are normal playgrounds that have some type of instruments for kids to experiment with, but this was purposefully built with music in mind. The various instruments were designed to allow children to manipulate pitch or timbre by use of whole body engagement. While we try and train our students to work towards deliberate practice, there is something profound about “free play.” Removing the structures of a rehearsal and allowing students to be “in the moment,” will have a tremendous impact on their musical perception and can help to influence their retention later. There is a balance that must be struck, but too often we have greater percentages of time on the structured side of music making (research is still out about what ratios work best). I’m glad that your students took it upon themselves to have this musical moment! And I agree that too often we try and put ourselves in the middle…show them the tools, and let them start working!
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Is music inherent an inherently societal conception? (I think so.) But in what capacity: As the art that documents our societies and propels our thinking? Or as a socially situated act that informs our identities. I think the issue of identity placement, much like in the personal/teacher identity issues developed through the first chapter, is integral to how music teachers develop their curriculum. While reading Froehlich’s quick run-down of certain ethnomusicologists and cultural theorists, my thoughts stayed largely on how I view and achieve my curricular goals and where I could align in the bi-polar spectrum that was presented.
John Blacking believed music to be a part of the human identity—a defining characteristic. He presents two kinds of musical learning: socially situated musical skills that arise from acts of making music, and conventional music literacy. I strive for both of the learning outcomes that arise from these separate musical intelligences in my lessons. If I understand this summary of Blacking’s work, I think the former (the more socially situated one) is more indicative of a “deep” understanding of musical meaning and intent. The latter, to my interpretation, may lend itself more to the philosophizing of Roger Scruton.
I related to Scruton’s arguments far more than I thought I would have. The summary of his philosophy seems to “straw man” and “slippery-slope” the more liberally sided arguments about musical value judgments that are based on critical theory and Marxism. But Scruton’s arguments are compelling. His assertion that “high culture” is the standard from which a society draws its accepted gestures, emotional reactions, and understanding extends to music. From there they extend to curriculum choices. Scruton would contend that the job of the music educator is to provide connectivity between generations by teaching preference to works that historically represent shared values. “A feeling involves a picture of the world and a stance towards it; it is predicated by understanding.” To him, Western Art musics are the basis of sound curricular choices, which consequently downplays the relevance of self-constructed musical meaning. Shepard and most other cultural theorists purport a Constructivist agenda—which is more in line with how people learn, so I assert that they are more pedagogically sound than Scruton’s proposals.
I am very interested in how cultural theorists like Susan McClary formally analyzed music in societal premises rather than music theory premises. I’d read some of Christopher Small and the concept of have long since adapted musicking into my vocabulary, but from this reading, many of his ideas are not particularly applicable to the classroom. The structure of Western education must be dismantled for Small’s musings on the placement of knowledge to be relevant. Froehlich is not tying Small’s work directly to Marxism like she has with others, but his seems to be the most radically socialist musical pedagogy of the summaries she writes.
The historical and social structures on which American music education—and music teacher education—stands endorse autocratic models and Art music based curriculum with exposure and exploration into other musics. Music educators are also bound by standards from the site, district, state, and nation. Music educators are bound by the natural inclination to teach what they know, and to transmit their own cultural standards. All these structures in some way supplant much of the organic musicking of folk culture and of the ideals of theorists like Small and Blacking. An ideal model that accounts for the contexts within which music educators work must then be one that is derived from the most sound learning theories, not strictly social theories. It must provide a way for students to traverse from existing musical idioms in their social situations to unfamiliar territory utilizing both Art music and World music sounds and structures.
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I think Scruton’s opinions on teaching from the perspective of the “high culture” alone does have merit in my job each day. The genre of music we teach and the cultural background of the music does hold more weight than that of the “lower culture”/pop music. For me and teaching my Wind Ensemble students, this gives us many higher level concepts to work with during rehearsal and individual practice time. The same would be true applied with my Jazz Ensembles, although I don’t think considered in the reading. Working on legit Jazz tunes versus Katy Perry for example.
Right or wrong, Shepard and Small had me thinking about my music education curriculum I use. They both raised interesting points that had me very intrigued. Before jumping in and actually supporting their ideals, I would like to read more into them.
Shepard’s idea that people react to music based on the situation they hear them in sounds correct to me. While listening to a piece of music through my headphones or listening to the music from a live orchestra, I will absolutely react differently to the music. Same could be said in a rehearsal with a tyrant teacher and a great educator!
Small’s idea that the process of music making and listening rather than what is being performed or listened is very important to me.
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