scholarly journals Applying music-and-movement to promote agency development in music education: a case study in a special school

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Sutela ◽  
Marja-Leena Juntunen ◽  
Juha Ojala
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Teaching Experiment ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
General Level ◽  
Special School ◽  
Embodied Interaction ◽  
Music Classroom ◽  
Education Theory ◽  
Relaxation Exercises

AbstractIn this article, we describe the agency development in one student with special needs through Dalcroze-based music-and-movement activities. The case study was conducted in the context of classroom music education in a special school. The data were produced via a teaching experiment (from August 2015 to March 2016), in which a group (n = 13) of 15- to 16-year-old students participated in added lessons (one lesson per week) provided by the first author. The lessons included a variety of Dalcroze-based activities, such as singing with movement, quick reaction and follow exercises, movement improvisation, body percussion exercises, dances, and relaxation exercises. The data consist of video-recordings of the lessons, a research diary, and interviews with teachers, teaching assistants, a therapist, and a specialist of special education. During the teaching experiment, the case student’s agency developed from being a passive outsider to being an active participant and leader. The change in agency was noticed also outside the classroom. The study suggests that using music-and-movement in a music classroom offers possibilities for nonverbal embodied interaction and thereby opportunities for the development of students’ agency and autonomy foremost by developing their body and social skills. On a more general level, the article contributes to developing such music education theory and practice that acknowledges the significance of experience in learning music and in embodied interaction, where individuals interact and make sense of the world through nonverbal communication. In addition, this study highlights the strength of such education in supporting the development of the whole human being.

scholarly journals Composing music, developing dialogues: An enactive perspective on children's collaborative creativity

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-276
Author(s):  
Ana Luísa Veloso
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Music Composition ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Collaborative Creativity ◽  
Collaborative Processes ◽  
Education Theory ◽  
Teacher Researcher ◽  
New Ideas

This study aims to provide new insights on the nature of the embodied and collaborative processes related to the emergence of new musical ideas that occur when children are composing in groups.Data was obtained by participant observation of the teacher/researcher and by ten videotaped one-hour musical sessions dedicated to the development of a music composition by two groups of children, all of whom were eight years old.It was found that when composing in groups a) children use embodied processes to transform what they experience on diverse realms of their existence into musical ideas, and that b) while creating music, children engage in several improvisatory moments where new ideas emerge through the diverse ways they enact the surroundings where the activity is occurring. Findings suggest a conception of music composing as a multidimensional phenomenon that entails cognitive processes that are distributed across and beyond the physical body. Findings also suggest that composing music in collaboration with others nurtures a set of creative possibilities that would otherwise, not occur. Considerations for music education theory and practice are addressed in the last section of the article.

Reflection, theory and practice

2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Swanwick
Keyword(s):  
British Journal ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Reflection Theory ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

A brief review of the state of music education in the UK at the time of the creation of the British Journal of Music Education (BJME) leads to a consideration of the range and focus of topics since the initiation of the Journal. In particular, the initial requirement of careful and critical enquiry is amplified, drawing out the inevitability of theorising, an activity which is considered to be essential for reflective practice. The relationship of theory and data is examined, in particular differentiating between the sciences and the arts. A ‘case study’ of theorising is presented and examined in some detail and possible strands of future development are identified.

Music Education and Utopia

2021 ◽  
pp. 135-161
Author(s):  
Alexandra Kertz-Welzel
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Social Fact ◽  
Education Theory ◽  
Socially Responsive ◽  
Utopian Theory ◽  
Other Regarding ◽  
Two Sides

This chapter applies the ideas developed in the previous chapters to music education theory and practice. It presents utopia as method in music education, emphasizing its meaning as a hermeneutic, visionary, and exploratory tool. This leads to reconceptualizing music education as utopian theory and practice regarding two different approaches of music education: politically or socially responsive music education and esthetic music education. They represent two sides of music and music education, which need each other regarding political engagement and musical autonomy, being based on music as social fact or as existing for its own sake. This reconceptualization helps to overcome a long-standing dichotomy in international music education.

scholarly journals Introduction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Alexandra Kertz-Welzel
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Innovative Approach ◽  
Education Theory ◽  
Utopian Thinking ◽  
Education And Social Change ◽  
Interdisciplinary Study ◽  
Specific Contribution

The chapter introduces the topic of music education and social change and shows the need for an interdisciplinary study. It discusses research related to social change and music education critically and shows possible directions for new investigations. It develops the theoretical framework of utopia and utopian thinking as an innovative approach to music education and social change. It offers a much-needed scholarly foundation for music education and social change. Furthermore, this chapter presents the purpose of the present study, and the specific contribution this book will make to music education theory and practice. Finally, it offers a brief overview of the book chapters.

Authoritative discourse in advanced studio lessons

2020 ◽  
pp. 102986491989608
Author(s):  
Kim Burwell
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
General Education ◽  
Systematic Instruction ◽  
Advanced Students ◽  
Education Theory ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Studio Practices ◽  
Personal Expertise ◽  
Authoritative Discourse

The purpose of this paper is to explore authoritative discourses in advanced studio lessons. Authoritative approaches have been described variously as systematic instruction, direct teaching and teacher-centred, and they appear to be widely accepted in music education, and sought by advanced students. Concerns have been raised in general education theory about the limitations of such approaches, but they have been little researched in the context of studio teaching. This qualitative case study seeks evidence of authority in advanced studio behaviour, through Bakhtin’s account of dialogism and authoritative discourse and theories related to direct instruction. Specifically, an analysis is made of a single studio lesson given by an expert saxophone teacher to an undergraduate student. The terms of inquiry are focused on features of lesson dialogue, including representations of others as emblems of authority, the teacher’s initiation of tasks, student responses and teacher feedback. The study identifies internally consistent patterns of behaviour that provide abundant evidence of teacher-centred approaches to advanced studio tuition, which draw attention to the teacher’s personal expertise, privilege her perspective and convey a sense of her authority. However, the observed studio practices are found to be complex and sophisticated, with features of cognitive scaffolding that are inconsistent with authoritative discourse. It is argued that authoritative approaches are contingent on the subject matter, with their productivity contingent on the balance and match between participants’ expertise, commitment and purpose.

Envisioning collaborative composing in music education: learning and negotiation of meaning in operabyyou.com

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Partti ◽  
Heidi Westerlund
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Negotiation Of Meaning ◽  
Musical Meaning ◽  
Instrumental Case Study ◽  
Music Classroom ◽  
Construction Of Identity ◽  
Art Works ◽  
Music Community ◽  
Online Music

This qualitative instrumental case study examines collaborative composing in the operabyyou.com online music community from the perspective of learning by utilising the concept of a ‘community of practice’ as a heuristic frame. The article suggests that although informal music practices offer important opportunities for people with varied backgrounds to participate in the production of art works, and may thus represent and illustrate important aspects of the community life of the society, they do not necessarily provide ideal models for the music classroom. Based on the analysis of the operabyyou.com community, we discuss conditions for collaborative composing when aiming to design educational settings that support the students' construction of identity and ownership of musical meaning.

scholarly journals A cosmopolitan culture-bearer as activist: Striving for gender inclusion in Nepali music education

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Westerlund ◽  
Heidi Partti
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Music Classroom ◽  
Cultural Negotiation ◽  
Gender Inclusion ◽  
Musical Practices ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Right ◽  
Radical Processes

Although music education scholars have increasingly advised teachers to take heed of values, principles, and strategies of musical practices outside of school, very little has been written in music education regarding the ideological underpinnings of musical practices in these contexts. This article argues that musical practices outside of school do not necessarily provide ideal models to be directly applied in the music classroom, but need to be critically examined and transformed to better align with global imperatives such as inclusiveness. In addressing the imbalance between “inauthentic” learning in school and “authentic” learning outside of school, this article shows how working toward the global ideal of gender inclusion may require radical activism and a cosmopolitan approach countering the right of an ethnic group to practice and preserve their own distinctive culture. The life story of a Newar musician from the Kathmandu Valley is used to illustrate this argument by demonstrating what it takes for a “culture-bearer” to initiate radical processes of social change and transformation. In this qualitative narrative case study, we asked what kind of context-specific, socio-cultural negotiation was required to overcome the challenges the musician faced in including girls and women in musical learning in a Newar community.

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