Missing solemnis: reforming music in schools

Abstract

This paper is intended as a sequel to my earlier paper, ‘What's Wrong with School Music? (BJME 1995, 12, 185-201). It carries an account of recent research into the arts in secondary schools which suggests that, despite National Curriculum reforms and innovations, music still lags behind the other arts in the general esteem of students. The paper proposes that the trouble with music in schools is that it has failed to modernise, that is, that it has somehow been impervious to the creative developments in classical and popular music. Robert Witkin's Art and Social Structure (1995) provides a theoretical account of modernism. The baleful influence of Hymns Ancient and Modern on generations of music teachers is condemned. Cited by way of contrast are two examples of a fully modem music education discovered at the Dartington International Summer School of Music. These, it is argued, capture the participatory ethos promoted in the Anthony Everitt's recent Gulbenkian publication Joining In.

Class music learning activities: Do students find them important, interesting and useful?

“…Over time, various reasons have been put forward for why this might be happening (Sloboda, 2001;Ross , 1998;Swanwick, 1996;Ross, 1995;Hargreaves, 1986). However, there has been little agreement on appropriate mechanisms for investigating the problem.…”

“… methodological confusion, with competing teaching approaches ranging from Kodaly to Orff and Dalcroze  a narrow curriculum still largely centred on the Western canon  an over dependence by teachers on non-contextual skill acquisition  a lack of understanding by many teachers of the creative process in music These issues were also identified in a stinging criticism of UK music education practice by Ross (1998;1995), who claimed that problems persist despite significant curriculum reform. Sloboda (2001) went further by questioning whether students fundamentally enjoyed a formal approach to the study of music as found in many schools.…”

“…Despite problems identified in past research in this field, the constant in the music education literature is the link between classroom practice and student retention (Rosevear, 2003;Handford & Watson, 2003;Sloboda, 2001;Ross, 1998;1995;Swanwick, 1996;Boswell, 1991;Pogonowski, 1985).…”

“…Music educators in the past have often struggled to agree on appropriate frameworks for examining why students drop out from class music programs (Handford & Watson, 2003;Sloboda, 2001;Ross, 1998;Plummeridge, 1997;Ross & Kamba, 1996;Gammon 1996;Ross 1995;Hannam, 1992). Further, the majority of research in this field focuses upon instrumental music students (Bruenger, 2009;Baker, 2009;Williams, 2007;Droe, 2006;Cassell, 2003;Sloboda, 2001).…”

Western Australian music teachers and the WACE Music syllabus five years down the track: Where are we now?

“…Further, three subsidiary themes were generated relating to the syllabus document itself. These included the way in which the syllabus initiates contact with the content, its motivational value to students, and ease of understanding and delivery for teachers (Abeles & Custodero, 2010;Bowman, 2005a;Burnard, 2005;Elliott, 2005;Ross, 1995Ross, , 1998Regelski, 2005;and Swanwick, 1999).…”