Event Title
Reinventing Ourselves as Musicians
Start Date
31-5-2011 11:00 AM
End Date
31-5-2011 11:30 AM
Description
As music educators most of us have come through a very well-defined system of musical training and education. We have excelled at a very narrow genre of music and that is what has brought us to study music in higher education. Thus the music with which we identify, and indeed, our musical identities are bounded not only by the specific repertoire that we play, but also by the ensembles within which we make music and the places where it is made. The study of Western European music is still the dominant curriculum in universities and teacher education programmes. World Musics though encouraged and promoted are still viewed as an “alternative” to the canon of Western Art Music. As teachers we are called to respond to a diversity of music making students and contexts, most of which do not correspond to our education—in schools or in university. We are called therefore to adapt, evolve and reinvent ourselves as musicians and music educators. Most of us do not give thought to the continuing evolution of our musical selves throughout our lifelong journey as teachers and musicians. In this presentation a narrative study of the life long journey of James, self-taught jazz musician, classical pianist, choral conductor and church musician will examine how we reinvent ourselves as musicians throughout our lifespan. James’ story covers 70 years of music making and teaching. A gifted pianist, his goal was to teach others through school music. That goal was not realized and music making and teaching took place in other forms and in other contexts. What are the challenges to adapting as we engage in musical leadership throughout a life? What are the opportunities that shape and reshape our musical identities. Through this narrative study, we will illustrate and examine the role of community in defining our musical identities and the multi-musical, multi-cultural selves that we inhabit as we perform those identities. The narratives of pre-service and beginning teachers will be set in dialogue with that of James in order to allow us to move forward and backward through the time continuum. This presentation will make recommendations for professional education that deconstructs normative identity frameworks and promotes a fluid, reflective stance toward identity construction. It is hoped that through this presentation all of us who take leadership roles in music will have the opportunity to engage with our multi-faceted identities. As individuals we are challenged to recognize those identity perspectives that hinder continued growth, celebrate our life long transformations, and identify where there is room for expansion of perspectives.
Reinventing Ourselves as Musicians
As music educators most of us have come through a very well-defined system of musical training and education. We have excelled at a very narrow genre of music and that is what has brought us to study music in higher education. Thus the music with which we identify, and indeed, our musical identities are bounded not only by the specific repertoire that we play, but also by the ensembles within which we make music and the places where it is made. The study of Western European music is still the dominant curriculum in universities and teacher education programmes. World Musics though encouraged and promoted are still viewed as an “alternative” to the canon of Western Art Music. As teachers we are called to respond to a diversity of music making students and contexts, most of which do not correspond to our education—in schools or in university. We are called therefore to adapt, evolve and reinvent ourselves as musicians and music educators. Most of us do not give thought to the continuing evolution of our musical selves throughout our lifelong journey as teachers and musicians. In this presentation a narrative study of the life long journey of James, self-taught jazz musician, classical pianist, choral conductor and church musician will examine how we reinvent ourselves as musicians throughout our lifespan. James’ story covers 70 years of music making and teaching. A gifted pianist, his goal was to teach others through school music. That goal was not realized and music making and teaching took place in other forms and in other contexts. What are the challenges to adapting as we engage in musical leadership throughout a life? What are the opportunities that shape and reshape our musical identities. Through this narrative study, we will illustrate and examine the role of community in defining our musical identities and the multi-musical, multi-cultural selves that we inhabit as we perform those identities. The narratives of pre-service and beginning teachers will be set in dialogue with that of James in order to allow us to move forward and backward through the time continuum. This presentation will make recommendations for professional education that deconstructs normative identity frameworks and promotes a fluid, reflective stance toward identity construction. It is hoped that through this presentation all of us who take leadership roles in music will have the opportunity to engage with our multi-faceted identities. As individuals we are challenged to recognize those identity perspectives that hinder continued growth, celebrate our life long transformations, and identify where there is room for expansion of perspectives.