A “Sound” Approach: John Cage and Music Education

Rethinking experimental music within music education: Thoughts and feelings after a voyage through the Project INsono

“…Overall, this view points to a different conception not only of music but also of education. A conception linked to experimental music and to its educational potential (Tinkle, 2015;Woods, 2019;), a more, open, "democratic" understanding not only of what is considered as "music for children", but even more specifically, of what counts as musical material, and that, as Hill (2018) what is not musical, emancipating "sound from narrow definitions of 'music' and limited conceptions of what makes music 'good' or 'right'" (p.50).…”

“…Resembling the strategies used in non-formal learning contexts, in this approach the teacher is not seen any more as the expert, the absolute knowledge holder, the one that controls all the processes involved in learning music. On the contrary, sharing responsibilities with her pupils, the teacher ensures, in this way, that they gain ownership of their musical participations and learning pathway; acting as a guide, she knows that one of her main tasks is to give learners a starting point to work from, assuring that participants feel safe enough in order to take risks and explore possibilities amidst the ambiguity of the moment (Folkestad, 2006;Hill, 2018;Tinkle, 2015;Wright & Kanellopoulos, 2010). This aspect could, however, have been further explored.…”

Educating Ears: The Role of Sound in Music Learning

“…Missouri composer, conductor, and educator Stuart Chapman Hill advocated for more specific attention to sound within music and music learning. 1 He described his disappointing discovery that his formal music education did not help him perceive the aural nuance that his informally trained friends could hear. He encouraged teachers to expand the musical palette students engage with when listening, performing, and composing in schools.…”