Negativity and humiliation = excellence in music education?
The above link is to an article showing the most extreme side of music education. It warns us again what can be produced by the toxic music education culture prevalent in many schools and higher education, and which extends into professional music culture.We have all experienced this to some degree.
Music education has avoided the rigorous assessment and evaluation processes that has reformed and developed education in other disciplines, mostly because it still predominantly exists in the domain of private education. It's quite staggering to think how little music education has developed - having church choirs operating the same way they did in the Middle Ages is not necessarily a good thing.
The music education world, and the classical music world in particular, needs to do away with the following:
Although admittedly El Sistema in Venezuela does not avoid all of the above, it is so refreshing how it demands us to ask questions of our music education contexts. Many El Sistema-inspired programs are approaching things in a very different way - but we must be careful not to replace some of the above with Venezuelan celebrities. The more music education programs become accessible to the wider community, the more accountable and progressive they will have to be. Teaching and learning methods will have to be based on solid academic research and brain science rather than the possession of a performance diploma or degree. Teachers will have to be engaged in reflective practice rather than replicating from experience at a conservatory. Much of this is starting to happen and we need more!
The above link is to an article showing the most extreme side of music education. It warns us again what can be produced by the toxic music education culture prevalent in many schools and higher education, and which extends into professional music culture.We have all experienced this to some degree.
Music education has avoided the rigorous assessment and evaluation processes that has reformed and developed education in other disciplines, mostly because it still predominantly exists in the domain of private education. It's quite staggering to think how little music education has developed - having church choirs operating the same way they did in the Middle Ages is not necessarily a good thing.
The music education world, and the classical music world in particular, needs to do away with the following:
- Perpetuation of the 'Talent' myth
- Idolization of prodigies and maestros
- Idolization of 'dead, white blokes' and the fixed concept of a 'one true way' to perform their music
- Elitism and maintaining music education in a silo separate from other disciplines
- Unhealthy focus on technique to the detriment of fostering musicality
- A total lack of interest in considering audiences
- A hierarchy of 'most talented' musicians from conductor, soloist down to teacher - Those who are not a professional soloist have not 'made it' and have made to feel that they have failed
- The dismissal of the potential of music as an integral part of how a community functions and how we serve each other
Although admittedly El Sistema in Venezuela does not avoid all of the above, it is so refreshing how it demands us to ask questions of our music education contexts. Many El Sistema-inspired programs are approaching things in a very different way - but we must be careful not to replace some of the above with Venezuelan celebrities. The more music education programs become accessible to the wider community, the more accountable and progressive they will have to be. Teaching and learning methods will have to be based on solid academic research and brain science rather than the possession of a performance diploma or degree. Teachers will have to be engaged in reflective practice rather than replicating from experience at a conservatory. Much of this is starting to happen and we need more!
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