Culturally responsive and meaningful music education: Multimodality, meaning-making, and communication in diverse learning contexts

Abstract

Music is learned and taught in multiple ways dependent on the socio-cultural contexts in which learning occurs. The processes employed by music teachers have been extensively explored by music educators and ethnomusicologists in a range of contexts, although there has been limited research into which modes are most predominantly used in different socio-cultural contexts. Further, it is unknown how students make meaning in these different contexts. This article presents three distinct music learning and teaching contexts—Carnatic music, instrumental music in Australian schools, and online music learning. Using a socio-cultural semiotic tool to identify musical modes, this article examines the ensembles of modes used during music learning events and considers how this knowledge may improve the learning and teaching of music for all students, particularly those whose culture and language differs from the majority of the population. It aims to identify how students make meaning in learning contexts through distinct modes of communication. Findings demonstrated that different “ensembles of modes” were used in diverse learning contexts and that these approaches were influenced by socio-cultural contexts. It is important for teachers to understand that varied combinations of modes of communication are possible because students may find learning more meaningful when related to their own personal frames of reference. Without this knowledge, music learning and teaching practices may continue to privilege some modes over others.

The multiplicity of preservice music teachers’ positioning in a participatory action research project

“…Considering Barton and Riddle's (2021) argument that varied modes of communication in the classroom are important in making music education meaningful for diverse groups of learners, different forms of agency might be fruitful as well.…”

“…The question is whether these forms of agency are all fruitful and relevant for students’ future music teaching in schools. Considering Barton and Riddle’s (2021) argument that varied modes of communication in the classroom are important in making music education meaningful for diverse groups of learners, different forms of agency might be fruitful as well.…”

Nurturing student ethnic identity through culturally responsive music teaching in China

“…To address issues of cultural diversity in music education, international educators have advocated using CRT to facilitate the development of students' ethnic and cultural identities (e.g. Barton & Riddle, 2021;Bond, 2017;Bond & Russel, 2019;Crawford, 2020;Fitzpatrick, 2022;Lindl, 2018;Locke & Prentice 2016;Palmer et al, 2021;Shaw, 2014Shaw, , 2016Shaw, , 2020. Gay (2010) defined CRT as an approach that uses 'the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them ' (p. 31).…”

“…In addition to forging a link between students’ musical experiences at home and at school, teachers play an important role in students’ ethnic identity development (e.g. Barton & Riddle, 2021; Bond & Russel, 2019; Crawford 2020; Fitzpatrick, 2022; Lindl, 2018; Shaw, 2016). Teachers can play the roles of co-learners, listeners, facilitators, organisers, culture bearers, friends or parental figures during the music learning process, thereby promoting students’ ethnic identities (Fitzpatrick, 2022; Lindl, 2018).…”

Educating Global Citizenship in a Changing World via After-school Music Program in Korea

“…Music carries a set of unique codes and patterns, which are universally understood (Juslin, 2013;Whiteford et al, 2018). Music, therefore, can be a core feature of social celebrations, such as weddings, as a means of cultural expression and maintenance through the ceremony (Barton & Riddle, 2021). According to research conducted by Mehr et al (2019), they found that, across societies, music is associated with behaviors such as infant care, healing, dance, and love (among many others, like mourning, warfare, processions, and ritual), and they discovered that songs that share behavioral functions tend to have similar musical features: "[...] music pervades social life in similar ways all around the world " (Mehr, et al, 2019:1).…”