Musicing

I love to see the smiles on my students’ faces as they participate in singing games and rhythm activities the first day of the semester. The elementary education majors especially come to class worried that it will be a regular stuffy class where you’re supposed to prefer some kinds of musics and musicings over others and where its necessary to put people on the spot–to make them sing in alone in front of others–and to establish and/or uphold a hierarchy of musicers relative to some abstract, set-in-stone, set of musical standards. I like to put their minds at ease on the first day and have some fun. We played a Name Rondo by Kay Leto, a wonderful music teacher in Las Vegas, and Down in the Valley (two by two). We also did some echoing to show the possibilities beyond the ta-ta-ti-ti-ta (do-do-do de-do; 1 2 3& 4) pattern that elementary teachers around here do to signal silence from their students. And, they smiled and laughed. They said it was because these activities broke the tension, were fun and different, it wasn’t like their other classes, it was challenging yet attainable, it involved group interaction, etc. We had some fun, plain and simple . . . and that’s okay.

I love the New England Dancing Masters books of singing games, Down in the Valley and Jump Jim Joe; they have wonderful accompaniments, the songs are down to earth, complex, and they swing. So, kids really love these games! I used Mary Helen Richard’s Let’s Do It Again! from ETM for 12 years as a primary resource and it’s a great book as well although the recordings are not quite as fun or useful.

Evan Tobias included a link to the following petition on his blog. I also heard a lot about this at MMEA. As with many other things with musicing and education, I have mixed feelings. I love the idea of a music education for all children, but I have some major problems with this document (no disrespect to Evan who simply provided the link, of course). I’ll mention just three:

First, the only connection made in this petition between music education and life after/outside of school is to the workforce–music helps develop creativity, a vital attribute of an efficient worker. What about all of the joys people experience through musicing that are not work-related? Aren’t lifelong enjoyment and social interaction through musicing just as or more important? Also, music curricula in the United States don’t seem to foster creativity but, rather, conformity and discipline–skills needed in the workforce of the past. As John Kratus pointed out last week, Latin used to be justified in the curriculum for so-called extra-Latin(ish?) benefits for a productive life and, today, Latin is not longer taught in most public schools. In other words, justifying music education based on the development of efficient workers doesn’t place MENC or music educators in a stronger position at all.

Second, as I pointed out in a panel discussion at MMEA with MENC President, Barbara Geer, and retired high school band director, Jim Oliver (I was very honored, BTW, to be on this panel with such wonderful career teachers), we still haven’t achieved the ideal of music for all and we’ve been talking about it for over 100 years (not me, personally, or either of the other two panelists, but the profession). One could argue that we have been successful at providing quality music programs for all middle-class, suburban students, but our music programs still privilege the privileged–rich over poor, suburban over rural and urban, elites over just plain everyday folk. In what other K-12 curriculum, for example, is success predicated on students’ opportunities for private instruction outside of school? I could go on . . .

Third, music is already considered a core subject in No Child Left Behind. This is a publicity stunt from an organization that at least 30 years ago chose advocacy over adaptation to changing musical values and practices. People generally don’t want what we are providing anymore. Let’s get over it and think about what our students might value musically throughout life and give them that.

So, no, I won’t be signing . . .

Here’s the petition . . .

Be it resolved that we, the undersigned, agree that all Americans should work to enhance and support music
education in our nation’s schools. To that end, we call on the U.S. Department of Education and all American
leaders to:
• Mandate that music and the other arts be part of every child’s core curriculum;
• Ensure music and the other arts are included as a part of a balanced education addressing the whole
child, to prepare them for the creative thinking necessary for success in the work force of the future;
• Ensure qualified music teachers and sequential curricula be recognized as the basis for providing
all students with substantive education in music and the other arts;
• Ensure programs in music and the other arts provide rigorous instruction, monitor progress and
performance through meaningful assessment, and take place within a structure of accountability to
school officials, parents, and the community.
Be it therefore resolved that the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known
as No Child Left Behind, not only identify music as a core subject, but also recognize music education as a
mandatory component of every public education curriculum in the United States of America.

John Kratus was a guest at our Missouri Music Educators Association annual conference. He gave outstanding presentations on Music Education at the Tipping Point (like his MEJ article) and on teaching song-writing classes. I agree (and have written about it before in this blog) that music education in the U.S. needs to adapt to the musical interests and practices of everyday people outside of schools. MENC and public music education, however, are changing so  s  l  o  w  l  y . But, still, some change is apparent, for example, in the proliferation of guitar instruction in public schools.

The second topic, song-writing, is a great idea on many levels. I’ll just mention one: In his presentation, Dr. Kratus discussed the use of rhyme and alliteration in a song by Eminem. I can envision this type of lyric analysis (although not Eminem)–by itself or as a prompt for song-writing–being an effective form of music and language arts integration in middle school.

Anyway, it was another great MMEA conference with some outstanding presenters. In addition to John Kratus, we also had Phyllis Wiekert and John Feierabend. And, I distinctly heard John Feierabend use the word “musicing”. . .  Pretty cool!

It’s been an eventful summer with family trips to the desert, the beach, the mountains, and back to the beautiful (and I really mean it) rolling hills of Northwest Missouri. Towards the beginning of the summer I took a flight out to Boston for the twentieth Mayday Colloquium (my third). We had some great presentations and discussions. Thanks, Patrick Jones, for hosting us at Boston University. I did a presentation entitled, “What do the simple folk do? Sustainable music education for poor white rural students.” It seemed to be well-received. I shared a bit about my own family’s background and about how we all (all nine kids) played in school concert bands and are still involved in music, but not in concert bands or jazz bands. In fact, our musicing relates more to what we did at home growing up than it does to our public school experiences. I’m the only one of my brothers and sisters who still plays a “band instrument.” My question in the presentation (in a nutshell) regarding school band, “What was the point?” Not that concert band is a bad thing or not worth spending time and resources on. But, should it really be the focus of public school music (along with choir depending on the school) for so many kids who ultimately end up never playing again after they graduate? I guess I’m being kind of critical. But, then again, this IS a post about the Mayday Colloquium.

Happy MayDay! I was just thinking of the MayDay Group today. For anyone reading this, it’s a group of/for critical theorists in music education. I learned about the group from my mentor, the late Steve Paul, during my doctoral studies at the University of Arizona. I have since chatted with a number of the group members and founders on the MayDay website and have attended two MayDay conferences (Vancouver and Princeton). I have met some wonderful people through this group and have learned a lot. I encourage anyone reading this to check out the website link to the group. In my mind, we really are involved in a “labor of love”–pointing out how formal music education might become more responsive to the needs of people. I had a conversation with a prominent researcher in music education a while back who said that the MayDay Group really doesn’t contribute anything–that it’s all just a bunch of talk. From my perspective and in my experience as a music teacher, all the so-called research in the world about what works best in teaching and learning music doesn’t amount to a “hill of beans” if what works best has no real connection to human needs. That’s where critical theory comes in; it points out practices of discrimination and exploitation. It’s a labor of love on behalf of and in fellowship with the oppressed. Seriously, check out the MayDay website; I think you will find it valuable.

We need an elementary and middle school music method that reflects the rich and complex American musical heritage without making it subordinate to elite European classical traditions. I am envisioning a method with American Roots Musicing and American Popular Musicing at the heart of instruction. Students might choose to explore elite European classical music, but hopefully with the understanding that there were also European folk traditions that contributed more deeply to the American musical mix. Students might also be encouraged to explore diverse musicings from around the world–those that may have contributed to American music and those that might not have yet. Music, in this method, would not be understood as a collection of musical works to be studied and revered, but a vibrant and evolving social practice. In order to reflect the give-and-take and everyday-ness of American music, the method would be loose collection of practices and musicings rather than a strictly ordered and unquestioningly adhered to sequence.

I’m really quite serious about this and have begun outlining an American Music Method and envisioning what it might look like in practice. Please send your thoughts if you are interested.

In his comment on a previous post, Joe wondered how to define “country” music. As I understand it, country music never has been clearly separated from other popular musics and it has always been evolving. Rather than a presentation of country music’s history, country music education might involve more of an “exploration” and “discovery.” In my “Enjoyment of Music” course, for example, I give a music genealogy assignment that goes something like this.

Step 1: Choose a favorite current musical artist.
Step 2: Research this individual on the internet (wikipedia and youtube)
Step 3: Choose someone who influenced the music of the individual in Step 1
Step 4: Research the individual from Step 3 . . . choose one of their influences . . . and so on until you can’t go any further.

I have really enjoyed seeing the reports (some excellent slide shows) from these projects. The point here is that I think this would be an excellent way to approach the history of country music. There are no country music history textbooks as far as I can tell and so a country music curriculum would have to be developed from scratch (and maybe that’s appropriate relative to the “make do with what you have” spirit in much of country music) and, from my perspective, this is not necessarily a disadvantage. For some students this type of project can be a real eye-opener as they “discover” the diverse styles that contributed to country music.

We had a meeting of the GRIME (Gender Research in Music Education) SRIG (Special Research Interest Group) here at MENC in Milwaukee today. Patti O’Toole, the first chair of the SRIG, spoke a little bit about its history. I enjoyed her discussion very much and felt that it alone was worth the $225 conference fee (yes, it is rather steep!). She suggested to feminists in music education that it’s time to be “good” rather than “strong.” This was (as I interpret her talk) tied to the idea that we need to create a more civil dialogue within GRIME. She also asked a number of times something like, “What have feminist researchers in music education accomplished?” From my point of view, feminist research in music education (as with feminist research in other fields) has provided a good foundation for inquiry into additional areas of social justice research. My own interest in social class and music education, for example, has, I feel, been informed by feminist dialogue. And, much of that dialogue has been and is rather strident. So, I’m not sure where to stand on this issue–strong or good. Can I choose both?

I grew up listening to country music–Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Jim Reeves, etc. Of course, we also had a good dose of American folk music. Mom played the guitar and sang; Dad played the accordion. My brothers and sisters all learned guitar and I, being the rebellious one, learned accordion. We played and sang together as a family (and we still do play together a bit at family reunions). This music helped to shape who I am and how I view the world.

Now, as I have reached the ripe old age of 40, the musicing I enjoy most is playing guitar (I’ve been playing guitar for 7 years now) and singing country and folk music. It “takes me back” and reinforces my sense of identity.

Theories about basic human needs agree almost universally that belonging is a basic human need. Country music, for me as well as many of my students here at Northwest Missouri State University and music students throughout North America, provides a source of identity as it has been interwoven with everyday life and significant life events (funerals, reunions, weddings, graduation). These students have a right (basic needs=rights) to explore the rich heritage of country music and to have it placed on par in their music classrooms with rock, jazz, and classical traditions as well as other folk and popular traditions from around the world.