Creating Music Cultures in the Schools: A Perspective from Community Music Therapy

This book focuses on the powerful influence music programs can have on well-being and connectedness in schools. It is written specifically for music specialists working in school communities, including music therapists, classroom music teachers, instrumental teachers and generalist teachers. In the first three chapters, Rickson and McFerran outline relevant philosophies, policies and practices to provide a rationale for why an expanded view of music is needed in contemporary schools. Drawing on theories and practices from community music therapy they then demonstrate how music cultures can be developed and nurtured when the values of mutuality, respect, empowerment and commitment are applied through a collaborative model of action and reflection. Seven chapters provide different examples of how this might look, with each written from the perspective of either the school principal, classroom teacher, instrumental teacher, music coordinator, service manager, assistant teacher and of course, the music therapist.  These examples convey the authors’ experiences of building strong music cultures in schools, in collaboration with colleagues. The book concludes with a discussion of evaluation that is grounded in the values that drive collaborative programs, and an evaluation tool is provided with two examples of how it should be applied.  McFerran and Rickson’s stories and theories clearly draw on their decades of experience as registered music therapists, music therapy teachers and researchers working in special schools, special education units, and regular mainstream schools with staff and learners who have an array of cultural knowledge, skills, and abilities.  This book offers a much-needed expansion of traditional ways of using music in schools and will inspire the reader to explore new ways of fostering growth in their own school community.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Chapter 1: Philosophies and Values 4

• Outlining a Vision 4

• Underpinning Assumptions 6

•  Music Therapy 6

•  Education 7

•  Music 10

• Toward Collaboration 14

Chapter 2: The Bigger Picture Surrounding Musicking in Schools 17

• Marking Out the International Context 17

•  Health and Disability 17

•  Human Rights and Social Justice 19

• Considering Relevant Theories of Learning 21

• Considering Relevant Developments in Music Therapy Theory 23

• Understanding the Context of Contemporary Schools 25

•  The Move Towards Inclusion 25

•  Changing Roles for Therapists 27

• The Distribution of Power in Schools 28

• Empowerment 30

• Music in Schools 31

• Health, Equity, and Empowerment Through Musicking 33

Chapter 3: Building Flourishing Music Cultures in Schools 34

• Principles of Musical Engagement 36

•  Mutuality 38

•  Respect 39

•  Empowerment 40

•  Commitment 42

• A Model of Action and Reflection 43

•  Cycle 1: Getting a Feel for the System 45

•  Cycle 2: Providing Experiences and Experiementing with What

•  We Can Do 47

•  Cycle 3: Implementation of Potential Programs 49

•  Cycle 4: Embedding Music in the School Community 52

•  Cycle 5: Considering Sustainability  52

• Conclusion 54

• Introduction to the Vignettes 55

Chapter 4: Embedding Music into a Mainstream School to Promote Connectedness: A Principal’s Perspective 57

• Getting a Feel for the System 57

• Implementing Potential Programs 63

• Establishing Music in the School Community 65

Chapter 5: Including Diverse Learners in a Major Music Event in the Community to Promote Inclusion: A Teacher’s Perspective 68

• Getting a Feel for the System 68

• Experimenting With What We Can Do 71

• Implementing the Program 74

• Considering Sustainability 76

Chapter 6: Contributing to Community-Building Activities in an All-Girls Private Secondary School: A Music Teacher’s Perspective 79

• Getting a Feel for the System 79

• Providing Examples and Experimenting With What We Can Do 83

• Implementing Potential Programs 88

• Establishing Music for Well-Being in the School Community 92

• Considering Sustainability 93

Chapter 7: Working with the Barriers for an Individual Child: A Teacher’s Aide’s Perspective 95

• Getting a Feel for the System 95

• Providing Examples of What We Can Do 99

• Implementing Potential Programs 101

• Establishing Music in the School Community 102

• Considering Sustainability 103

Chapter 8: Incorporating Well-Being into Music Lessons: An Instrumental Teacher’s Perspective 105

• Getting a Feel for the System 105

•  Working with Mark 107

•  Experimenting with What We Can Do 107

•  Implementing a Program 108

• Working with Tan Chuan 110

•  Experimenting with What We Can Do 110

• Working with Hamzah 111

•  Experimenting with What We Can Do 111

•  Implementing a Program 112

• Establishing Music in the School Community 114

• Considering Sustainability 115

Chapter 9: Building on Musical Foundations to Foster Social Development: A Teacher’s Perspective 116

• Getting a Feel for the System 116

• Providing Examples and Experimenting With What We Can Do 119

• Implementing Potential Programs 121

• Establishing Music in the School Community 123

• Considering Sustainability 124

Chapter 10: Consultation with a Bilingual School in Thailand: An Administrator’s Perspective 126

• Getting a Feel for the System 126

• Providing Examples and Experimenting With What We Can Do 129

• Implementing Potential Programs 132

• Considering Sustainability 135

• Chapter 11: Evaluating Musical Engagement 137

• Critical Decisions 138

•  Targeting Structures, not Individuals 138

•  Using Reflection Rather than Measurement 139

• Evaluation Tool 145

• Evaluation Examples 146

• Conclusion 160

Chapter 12: Conclusion 161

Appendix 1: Example of a Final Report  167

Appendix 2: Musical Engagement Tool (What did people say and do?)  172