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Judith
A. Jellison is the Mary D. Bold Regents Professor of Music at
the University of Texas at Austin.
I was looking forward to an address by a nationally
prominent politician who was known to music educators as a supporter
and advocate for the arts. After he gave a few preliminary remarks
praising the work of the thousandsof music educators in attendance,
it happened again. Never losing eye contact with his audience
and in a strong voice, this polished, articulate, generous,
intelligent speaker proudly admitted, "I was 'tone-deaf'
in music classes . . . and still am . . . never played an instrument.
But (voice growing louder) my wife sings . . . beautifully!"
(applause).
Is there a problem? His wife sings beautifully
and he supports the arts. But the tone of his voice, his lack
of embarrassment, and the message he
conveys is disturbing, particularly since this scene is not
new. Wouldn't he and all the other men and women who "don't
sing" (play an instrument, go to concerts, listen to classical
music, etc.) really love to participate successfully in the
music experiences that seem to bring so much joy to many of
us? What happened to this man when he was an eager and intelligent
young boy in school that led him to confidently declare himself
a "tone-deaf" adult?
This paper is about learning. Moreover, it
is about how alllearners acquire music knowledge and
skills through their school experiences and the impact of school
music experiences on their adult musical lives. What music experiences
are meaningful for school and adult life? Are there commonalties
among meaningful music experiences in school and out of school?
How can participation in meaningful music experiences in school
transfer to adult life? How can all people continue to participate
in meaningful music experiences?
This paper is also about all adults and all
future adults (present children). I chose the language "adults
and future adults" to blur the traditional separation between
school and out-of-school contexts. Many of the salient characteristics
of school and out-of-school contexts (physical and social setting,
instruction and support provided by individuals, behavior of
peers, and the inherent norms and expectations) are in fact
different, but there exists an implicit assumption that school
music programs provide students with the knowledge and skills
that will enable them to participate successfully in a variety
of meaningful music experiences in adult life. But many children
do not choose to participate in the adult music experiences
we may have intended for them.
What can we observe in adults' music knowledge,
skills, and attitudes that are products of their school music
experiences? Are adults living the musical lives we intended
for them, and if not, how can we prepare future adults more
successfully? How can we replace feelings of apathy or embarrassment
among adults who are "not good at music" with skill,
knowledge, and feelings of accomplishment and happiness? Consider
these scenarios:
• Bill is a college economics major who
loves music but admits that he has never gone to a classical
concert because he just doesn't like to wear a tie and get
dressed up. He has more than 150 CDs in his collection—mostly
rock and country. He's considering buying a keyboard but hasn't
gotten around to it.
• Helen is a successful young professional
woman who wishes she could still play her trumpet. She feels
guilty that she hasn't given it to a beginning student. She
just does not have the time to play and is afraid of the community
band audition process. Sometimes when she is alone, she plays
her trumpet solo from El salon Mexico, and it brings
back fond memories of her high school band performance at
contest. She proudly remembers getting a "1."
• Carlos agrees that playing an instrument
could be fun, but he never did because he just wasn't talented.
If his young son shows any talent, he might suggest that he
join band because he remembers that someone in their family
owns a clarinet that isn't being used.
• Mary is 78 now and lives in a retirement
community. Her school had a choir and a band; she's sorry
she never participated. A friend suggested she join the Monday
night recorder group. They take beginners. She'll try it,
thinking that she surely could learn an instrument she heard
her granddaughter play, although admittedly the songs her
granddaughter played were not that interesting. She wants
to learn to play folks songs from her native country—some
that she could play, and even sing, with her granddaughter.
Music educators know these individuals—they
are neighbors, relatives, or friends. We have experienced social
situations when conversations turn to music, and friends or
acquaintances comment, without concern and sometimes quite proudly,
that they know nothing about music and can't sing or play instruments.
We have observed adults sing (or not sing) "Happy Birthday"
or "Auld Lang Syne," or play one of the parts for
"Heart and Soul" on the piano. In these situations,
we often make judgments about the music knowledge and skills
of these adults and their previous experiences in school.
Some of the adults we know have rich musical
lives, choosing from a variety of music experiences at different
times throughout their lives. Other adults' music experiences
may be limited but enjoyable (e.g., listening to popular music).
What kinds of music experiences did most of these adults have
in school? What did their school music experiences contribute
to their lives as adults?
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