Repositioning 'The Elements'
Rose, L. S., & Countryman, J. (2013). Repositioning ‘the elements’: How students talk about music. Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education 12(3): 45–64.http://act.maydaygroup.org/articles/Rose Countryman12_3.pdf
Annotated Bibliography 1
When I first began reading the article I thought that learning the elements of music was essential in beginning any type of music study, and that it would greatly benefit the musician. As I continued, I began to really enjoy the points that the authors were making. I found it very surprising that the elements of music used to just be one way of learning music. In today’s society, the elements of music are our entire curriculum. It is what we learn from as young as elementary school and expand upon for however long we continue to study music. By teaching music this way, we are assuming that each child will be able to learn these concepts, and then be able to make and play music. This is not the case because children most often learn by doing. I also firmly believe that there is no specific way that music should be taught. Every child is different and teachers should be able to adapt and help each child understand in a way that is comfortable for them. I found it very frustrating to read that music educators are given strict instruction on how music should be taught. The school boards are taking away from so much music and joy that could be made. I agree that the curriculum that is being taught in schools is forcing each child to try to be the same as each other and that in turn they are missing the emotional and joyful aspect of music learning and making. It upsets me that in schools throughout Canada and the United States, children are only being taught Western canon music. Unless a child goes on to take music in university they will not have the chance to learn about jazz, Hindustani vocal music, rap, traditional fiddling or anything other then the western canon curriculum. I know this because now that I am attending university for music I am learning about many new types of music and how it is learned in other places in the world. I agree that the elements of music are definitely useful but that other ways of learning music should be explored. When students are given the opportunity, they will share their own experiences and what they hear. Music brings people together and I definitely agree with this article that the current curriculum of the musical elements is taking away creativity and forcing students to conform. I would just like to thank the authors of this article for writing their opinion on this topic for the world to see. As a future educator and someone who has been involved in music my entire life it is nice to see that music educators are starting to fight for what they believe in. Both of my previous music teachers were extremely hardworking people who loved music. Unfortunately they are both dealing with board cuts and strict curriculum themselves and are also fighting for what they believe in. I hope that in the near future that things will change and that music can be taught freely without any constraints.
Annotated Bibliography 1
When I first began reading the article I thought that learning the elements of music was essential in beginning any type of music study, and that it would greatly benefit the musician. As I continued, I began to really enjoy the points that the authors were making. I found it very surprising that the elements of music used to just be one way of learning music. In today’s society, the elements of music are our entire curriculum. It is what we learn from as young as elementary school and expand upon for however long we continue to study music. By teaching music this way, we are assuming that each child will be able to learn these concepts, and then be able to make and play music. This is not the case because children most often learn by doing. I also firmly believe that there is no specific way that music should be taught. Every child is different and teachers should be able to adapt and help each child understand in a way that is comfortable for them. I found it very frustrating to read that music educators are given strict instruction on how music should be taught. The school boards are taking away from so much music and joy that could be made. I agree that the curriculum that is being taught in schools is forcing each child to try to be the same as each other and that in turn they are missing the emotional and joyful aspect of music learning and making. It upsets me that in schools throughout Canada and the United States, children are only being taught Western canon music. Unless a child goes on to take music in university they will not have the chance to learn about jazz, Hindustani vocal music, rap, traditional fiddling or anything other then the western canon curriculum. I know this because now that I am attending university for music I am learning about many new types of music and how it is learned in other places in the world. I agree that the elements of music are definitely useful but that other ways of learning music should be explored. When students are given the opportunity, they will share their own experiences and what they hear. Music brings people together and I definitely agree with this article that the current curriculum of the musical elements is taking away creativity and forcing students to conform. I would just like to thank the authors of this article for writing their opinion on this topic for the world to see. As a future educator and someone who has been involved in music my entire life it is nice to see that music educators are starting to fight for what they believe in. Both of my previous music teachers were extremely hardworking people who loved music. Unfortunately they are both dealing with board cuts and strict curriculum themselves and are also fighting for what they believe in. I hope that in the near future that things will change and that music can be taught freely without any constraints.
- Olivia Houle
Fumbling Towards Vulnerability: Moving Out of the Familiar for Music Education’s Sake
Dawe, L. (2016). Fumbling Towards Vulnerability: Moving Out of the Familiar for Music Education’s Sake, Canadian Music Educator, (57) 2, pp.22-24.
Annotated Bibliography 2
When I began reading this article, I was shocked with the similarities that I shared with the author in the written introduction. It was interesting to read about their thoughts on how music is being taught and the experiences that she had when she was studying music. I agree that in today’s society music is being taught in a very traditional matter. There is little to no creativity and everything is done by the book. In terms of the “ teacher knows best” way of thinking, I wouldn’t say that is something I’ve noticed. Teachers are not able to teach the way they would like, and are following rules/ guidelines on how they are supposed to teach any information. The problem with the teachers having such strict guidelines is that the students are becoming disengaged with their music studies even though outside of school they love music. I agree that we shouldn’t necessarily take away the traditional practices of the past. These practices have been around for so long and do have benefits to being taught. They can be very helpful in helping students to grasp a basic understanding of music. Instead of getting rid of traditional practices, we should learn to have different ways of teaching that can be useful to any person. Something that frustrated me about this article is when Dawe mentioned that she felt like she needed to be perfect because that’s what was expected of her. This upsets me because music is something that a person studies if they truly love it. It is not about being perfect but about being able to express yourself through your music. Something that I really enjoyed about this article is when Dawe said that she feels as if she is a co-learner with her students. I believe that all educators should have this mindset because it puts both the students and teacher on the same level. It also allows the students to feel more comfortable and understand that their ideas will not be disregarded because the teacher genuinely wants to hear their ideas and opinions. When a teacher shares this mindset with their students it allows for a very open and understanding classroom. If I had the opportunity to talk with the author I would say that I agree with all of her points and really appreciated her way of thinking. I really enjoyed that she has the co-learning mindset and the follow your dream program. I believe that this article is very beneficial to read as a future music educator because it allowed me to grasp an understanding of what the author went through when they began teaching and how she felt she had to change her way of teaching to better herself as an educator and to have her classroom be a creative and open space for students to learn.
Annotated Bibliography 2
When I began reading this article, I was shocked with the similarities that I shared with the author in the written introduction. It was interesting to read about their thoughts on how music is being taught and the experiences that she had when she was studying music. I agree that in today’s society music is being taught in a very traditional matter. There is little to no creativity and everything is done by the book. In terms of the “ teacher knows best” way of thinking, I wouldn’t say that is something I’ve noticed. Teachers are not able to teach the way they would like, and are following rules/ guidelines on how they are supposed to teach any information. The problem with the teachers having such strict guidelines is that the students are becoming disengaged with their music studies even though outside of school they love music. I agree that we shouldn’t necessarily take away the traditional practices of the past. These practices have been around for so long and do have benefits to being taught. They can be very helpful in helping students to grasp a basic understanding of music. Instead of getting rid of traditional practices, we should learn to have different ways of teaching that can be useful to any person. Something that frustrated me about this article is when Dawe mentioned that she felt like she needed to be perfect because that’s what was expected of her. This upsets me because music is something that a person studies if they truly love it. It is not about being perfect but about being able to express yourself through your music. Something that I really enjoyed about this article is when Dawe said that she feels as if she is a co-learner with her students. I believe that all educators should have this mindset because it puts both the students and teacher on the same level. It also allows the students to feel more comfortable and understand that their ideas will not be disregarded because the teacher genuinely wants to hear their ideas and opinions. When a teacher shares this mindset with their students it allows for a very open and understanding classroom. If I had the opportunity to talk with the author I would say that I agree with all of her points and really appreciated her way of thinking. I really enjoyed that she has the co-learning mindset and the follow your dream program. I believe that this article is very beneficial to read as a future music educator because it allowed me to grasp an understanding of what the author went through when they began teaching and how she felt she had to change her way of teaching to better herself as an educator and to have her classroom be a creative and open space for students to learn.
- Olivia Houle
Unmasking the Hidden Curriculum in Canadian Music Education
Wasiak, E. (2017) Unmasking the Hidden Curriculum in Canadian Music Education Canadian Music Educator
Annotated Bibliography 3
I believe that music is a way for each person to express themself. It is a way of being able to show who you are in a creative outlet. It is not for any specific group of people but for all people. Anyone can take part in music and in most if not all elementary schools it is mandatory. No child is turned away from learning music. Any child that wishes to participate can. With that being said, I do agree that the material being taught is based around all things eurocentric and that not all cultures are being taught.
I did not realise the social justice issues that exist because I came from a small town where any social justice problems were not spoken of or were not easy to see. I wonder now if maybe I just was unable to notice them because I was naive. I believe that music educators should have to teach music of other cultures in the classroom. I don’t think it is fair that the students are only being taught the western canon when there so much more that they could learn. That is not to say that the western canon isn’t important because it is very helpful in learning any music study.
The only problem with adding different cultures to the curriculum is how does one decide which cultures should be taught? By deciding on adding one culture to the curriculum you are turning away another which in turn is excluding some peoples cultures. So my questions to the author are, how do you decide which cultures to add to the curriculum without excluding other cultures? How does one go about changing the curriculum in the first place when school boards have a set curriculum that they intend on being followed?
Annotated Bibliography 3
I believe that music is a way for each person to express themself. It is a way of being able to show who you are in a creative outlet. It is not for any specific group of people but for all people. Anyone can take part in music and in most if not all elementary schools it is mandatory. No child is turned away from learning music. Any child that wishes to participate can. With that being said, I do agree that the material being taught is based around all things eurocentric and that not all cultures are being taught.
I did not realise the social justice issues that exist because I came from a small town where any social justice problems were not spoken of or were not easy to see. I wonder now if maybe I just was unable to notice them because I was naive. I believe that music educators should have to teach music of other cultures in the classroom. I don’t think it is fair that the students are only being taught the western canon when there so much more that they could learn. That is not to say that the western canon isn’t important because it is very helpful in learning any music study.
The only problem with adding different cultures to the curriculum is how does one decide which cultures should be taught? By deciding on adding one culture to the curriculum you are turning away another which in turn is excluding some peoples cultures. So my questions to the author are, how do you decide which cultures to add to the curriculum without excluding other cultures? How does one go about changing the curriculum in the first place when school boards have a set curriculum that they intend on being followed?
- Olivia Houle
The Invisible Student: Understanding social identity construction within performance ensembles
Hourigan, R. M. (2009). The invisible student: Understanding social identity construction within performing ensembles. Music Educators Journal, 34-38.
Annotated Bibliography 4
Unfortunately, I have seen many instances that involved an ‘invisible student’. Whether that be when i was in a co-op position or just a student that I have grown up with, there is always students who seem to be left out or at times bullied. It makes me extremely upset that this happens. I grew up with parents that taught me that everyone is equal and no one should be treated poorly. Throughout my life whenever I would see an ‘invisible student’ I would always make it a point to involve them in whatever I was doing. Learning about Jason’s story made me very upset. Jason reminds me of a girl that I grew up with that has always had a hard time in social situations because of her disability, so this article felt very personal to me. I really enjoyed the suggestions that the author gave for how to involve these students and how to make school a better place for the students. I agree that on the first day of music class/ensembles the teacher should greet each student and ask a little bit about the. They should also take that class to have each student introduce themselves to the rest of the class and do some icebreaker games. It is very important that each child gets to know one another. Teachers should also talk with their students about being inclusive in all aspects of their lives and mention how the music room should always be a safe place for people to go to. I really enjoyed the authors idea of peers as allies. I think have older students mentor the younger/newer students can be an extremely beneficial addition to the classroom. This can allow all students to feel like they have someone they can talk to and go to if they ever need it. I also really enjoyed that the author mentions school trips. When I was in high school, band trips always seemed to be the place that ‘invisible students’ would feel left out. Even if students aren’t intentionally trying to exclude other students, going off with their group of friends without making sure that everyone has someone to explore with can unintentionally be excluding someone. I liked the authors idea of having the teacher pick the rooms for the students but that can also be a very difficult task. In most cases, especially in high school, students have close groups of friends that they will want to room with. I understand this because rooming with your friends in a new place can often be very exciting. While this is very difficult, it is still up to the teacher to make sure that every student feels included. Music brings joy to people. It is the job of the music educators to instil positivity and inclusivity in their classroom. No child should ever have to feel as if they don’t fit in. It is an extremely unpleasant feeling and can often lead to further problems such as depression. I feel that all music educators and future music educators should have to read this article so that they know what to do if they have a student who feels left out of feels as if they are invisible. If I had the opportunity to ask the author a few questions I would ask, what they would recommend for picking rooms on school trips. I would also ask what to do in a situation where a child does not want to socialize because of past rejection?
Annotated Bibliography 4
Unfortunately, I have seen many instances that involved an ‘invisible student’. Whether that be when i was in a co-op position or just a student that I have grown up with, there is always students who seem to be left out or at times bullied. It makes me extremely upset that this happens. I grew up with parents that taught me that everyone is equal and no one should be treated poorly. Throughout my life whenever I would see an ‘invisible student’ I would always make it a point to involve them in whatever I was doing. Learning about Jason’s story made me very upset. Jason reminds me of a girl that I grew up with that has always had a hard time in social situations because of her disability, so this article felt very personal to me. I really enjoyed the suggestions that the author gave for how to involve these students and how to make school a better place for the students. I agree that on the first day of music class/ensembles the teacher should greet each student and ask a little bit about the. They should also take that class to have each student introduce themselves to the rest of the class and do some icebreaker games. It is very important that each child gets to know one another. Teachers should also talk with their students about being inclusive in all aspects of their lives and mention how the music room should always be a safe place for people to go to. I really enjoyed the authors idea of peers as allies. I think have older students mentor the younger/newer students can be an extremely beneficial addition to the classroom. This can allow all students to feel like they have someone they can talk to and go to if they ever need it. I also really enjoyed that the author mentions school trips. When I was in high school, band trips always seemed to be the place that ‘invisible students’ would feel left out. Even if students aren’t intentionally trying to exclude other students, going off with their group of friends without making sure that everyone has someone to explore with can unintentionally be excluding someone. I liked the authors idea of having the teacher pick the rooms for the students but that can also be a very difficult task. In most cases, especially in high school, students have close groups of friends that they will want to room with. I understand this because rooming with your friends in a new place can often be very exciting. While this is very difficult, it is still up to the teacher to make sure that every student feels included. Music brings joy to people. It is the job of the music educators to instil positivity and inclusivity in their classroom. No child should ever have to feel as if they don’t fit in. It is an extremely unpleasant feeling and can often lead to further problems such as depression. I feel that all music educators and future music educators should have to read this article so that they know what to do if they have a student who feels left out of feels as if they are invisible. If I had the opportunity to ask the author a few questions I would ask, what they would recommend for picking rooms on school trips. I would also ask what to do in a situation where a child does not want to socialize because of past rejection?
- Olivia Houle
Think Everything's "Normal?" Then It's Time To Reconsider And Promote A New Narrative Of Disability
Serres, D. Think Everything’s “Normal?” Then It’s Time To Reconsider And Promote A New Narrative Of Disability.
Annotated Bibliography 5
I personally really enjoyed reading this article. I am completely on board with changing the thoughts that surround people with disabilities. People with disabilities are people and should be treated as such. When I was in elementary school, children with any type of disability would be segregated from the class and brought into another classroom if it seemed that they were being “disruptive”. I do not believe that segregation is ever the case. By segregating the child, it makes them believe that they are different and it makes the other children in the class think they are different as well; when there were no such thoughts before hand. I really enjoyed the 16 actions listed in the article. I think that every person should have to read this article. I feel that it sheds light on a topic that most people don’t really understand or have preconceived opinions of. In terms of being ‘normal’, I personally don’t believe that normal exists. I believe that everyone is different from each other and that’s what makes us all special in our own way. I also completely agree with action 10 that states that schools need to be given more resources to provide accommodations instead of “special education”. Schools should be doing everything in their power to accommodate each student so that learning can be easier, and a more joyful experience for all. Schools could also be doing more by being inclusive. No child should be treated differently or be seen as ‘different from the rest’. With that being said, accommodations should 100% be given if needed by the child. Something that I found very frustrating was that there is a certain idea that people with disabilities are “suffering” and should be “fixed” in order to be normal. I think that we as a society should be better informed and take it as an opportunity to learn more about different types of disabilities rather than assuming that people should be “fixed”. Something that I really enjoyed in the article was reading that people in deaf communities often feel as if they are speaking their own language rather than having a disability. We cannot consider any life to be “abnormal” or “odd” just because they have a different way of living/communicating. All lives are equal and all lives matter. Some questions that I would ask the author if I could would be, what could school systems do with more resources in terms of accommodation for children with disabilities? Do you feel that if people were better informed about disabilities that there would be less judgement towards them? What made you feel so strongly about this topic? I would also like to thank the author for writing this article because I feel that I can now do more in terms of informing people about changing the preconceived opinions/ thoughts about disabilities.
Annotated Bibliography 5
I personally really enjoyed reading this article. I am completely on board with changing the thoughts that surround people with disabilities. People with disabilities are people and should be treated as such. When I was in elementary school, children with any type of disability would be segregated from the class and brought into another classroom if it seemed that they were being “disruptive”. I do not believe that segregation is ever the case. By segregating the child, it makes them believe that they are different and it makes the other children in the class think they are different as well; when there were no such thoughts before hand. I really enjoyed the 16 actions listed in the article. I think that every person should have to read this article. I feel that it sheds light on a topic that most people don’t really understand or have preconceived opinions of. In terms of being ‘normal’, I personally don’t believe that normal exists. I believe that everyone is different from each other and that’s what makes us all special in our own way. I also completely agree with action 10 that states that schools need to be given more resources to provide accommodations instead of “special education”. Schools should be doing everything in their power to accommodate each student so that learning can be easier, and a more joyful experience for all. Schools could also be doing more by being inclusive. No child should be treated differently or be seen as ‘different from the rest’. With that being said, accommodations should 100% be given if needed by the child. Something that I found very frustrating was that there is a certain idea that people with disabilities are “suffering” and should be “fixed” in order to be normal. I think that we as a society should be better informed and take it as an opportunity to learn more about different types of disabilities rather than assuming that people should be “fixed”. Something that I really enjoyed in the article was reading that people in deaf communities often feel as if they are speaking their own language rather than having a disability. We cannot consider any life to be “abnormal” or “odd” just because they have a different way of living/communicating. All lives are equal and all lives matter. Some questions that I would ask the author if I could would be, what could school systems do with more resources in terms of accommodation for children with disabilities? Do you feel that if people were better informed about disabilities that there would be less judgement towards them? What made you feel so strongly about this topic? I would also like to thank the author for writing this article because I feel that I can now do more in terms of informing people about changing the preconceived opinions/ thoughts about disabilities.
- Olivia Houle
Another Perspective The iPad Is a REAL Musical Instrument
Williams, D. A. (2014). Another Perspective The iPad Is a REAL Musical Instrument. Music Educators Journal, 101(1), 93-98.
Music Ed Annotated Bibliography 6
I really enjoyed the definition given of a musical instrument. I completely agree that a musical instrument is a device used to produce music. I think the use of Ipads, or any other electronic device to make music is a really interesting and new creative idea. I think that using more electronics can make music more intriguing and relatable to today’s students/ generation. With that being said, of course there will be people who don’t agree with adding new elements such as Ipads into music studies. There will always be people who don’t want to move outside of the Western Canon, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. We as a society need to grow and change to keep music, and any subject for that matter, relevant and fascinating. I really enjoy that people are starting to do more with electronics. I also really enjoyed just how much work is being put into the Ipad ensemble called ‘Touch’. I’m happy that people are trying to bring this new music out and share it with the world. As mentioned previously, it frustrates me that there are some people who do not believe in this new type of pedagogy simply because it is new and they are using new technology and not sticking to the “norm”. Music is meant to bring joy to people. If adding more electronic elements to music is enjoyable for the performer then that is all that matters because it is guaranteed that there are some people who will enjoy it. As a future music educator, it is important to me that as times change that I will continue to grow and change with them in terms of teaching new and relevant music/ music making to my future students. If I had the opportunity to ask the author a few questions I would ask ‘What made you decide to bring this new type of music making into your teaching?’ ‘Have you had to face many challenges with adding this new music making?’ and ‘Do you find students are accepting and enjoying this new music making?’
Music Ed Annotated Bibliography 6
I really enjoyed the definition given of a musical instrument. I completely agree that a musical instrument is a device used to produce music. I think the use of Ipads, or any other electronic device to make music is a really interesting and new creative idea. I think that using more electronics can make music more intriguing and relatable to today’s students/ generation. With that being said, of course there will be people who don’t agree with adding new elements such as Ipads into music studies. There will always be people who don’t want to move outside of the Western Canon, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. We as a society need to grow and change to keep music, and any subject for that matter, relevant and fascinating. I really enjoy that people are starting to do more with electronics. I also really enjoyed just how much work is being put into the Ipad ensemble called ‘Touch’. I’m happy that people are trying to bring this new music out and share it with the world. As mentioned previously, it frustrates me that there are some people who do not believe in this new type of pedagogy simply because it is new and they are using new technology and not sticking to the “norm”. Music is meant to bring joy to people. If adding more electronic elements to music is enjoyable for the performer then that is all that matters because it is guaranteed that there are some people who will enjoy it. As a future music educator, it is important to me that as times change that I will continue to grow and change with them in terms of teaching new and relevant music/ music making to my future students. If I had the opportunity to ask the author a few questions I would ask ‘What made you decide to bring this new type of music making into your teaching?’ ‘Have you had to face many challenges with adding this new music making?’ and ‘Do you find students are accepting and enjoying this new music making?’
- Olivia Houle
Toward Convergence Adapting Music Education to Contemporary and Participatory Culture
Tobias, E. S. (2013). Toward Convergence Adapting Music Education to Contemporary Society and Participatory Culture. Music Educators Journal, 99(4), 29-36
Music Ed Annotated Bibliography 7
I really enjoyed reading this article on adapting music. I personally believe that as society changes, ways of teaching should grow and change along with it. This article was all about having students be able to work with music that they enjoy. It also talked about giving students the freedom to remix tracks that they either like or feel as though they can improve. I really liked this idea because I can see how it will be very beneficial in a school setting. I wish that I had the opportunity to do something of this nature before I came to post-secondary school. These ideas help students to learn about music as well as not only being taught the western canon. I think incorporating music that the students enjoy will bring more positivity in the classroom, and more student engagement. In elementary schools, students are often ‘bored’ when learning about classical music seeing at it is not the music that they go home and listen to. By having communication in the classroom and listening to what your students are interested in, the classroom will be an open space for creativity and students will genuinely want to participate. Unfortunately, there are some issues with incorporating apps that have contests. It opens students up to feedback which could be both positive and extremely negative. By using these apps, teachers will need to receive permission from parents as well as principles and possibly members of the school boards. There are some major positives to using this new technology, such as students will be able to see what others have done and get ideas from that, and they will be able to share their music that they have created and are proud of with the world. If I had the opportunity to ask the author some questions I would ask do you feel that students are more willing to participate when they have the ability to choose the music? Do you find that students prefer to create their own music or to remix off of other people’s music? Do you find that parents/the school boards are willing to accept these new ways involving technology? What do you find are the struggles with incorporating these new ways of teaching?
Music Ed Annotated Bibliography 7
I really enjoyed reading this article on adapting music. I personally believe that as society changes, ways of teaching should grow and change along with it. This article was all about having students be able to work with music that they enjoy. It also talked about giving students the freedom to remix tracks that they either like or feel as though they can improve. I really liked this idea because I can see how it will be very beneficial in a school setting. I wish that I had the opportunity to do something of this nature before I came to post-secondary school. These ideas help students to learn about music as well as not only being taught the western canon. I think incorporating music that the students enjoy will bring more positivity in the classroom, and more student engagement. In elementary schools, students are often ‘bored’ when learning about classical music seeing at it is not the music that they go home and listen to. By having communication in the classroom and listening to what your students are interested in, the classroom will be an open space for creativity and students will genuinely want to participate. Unfortunately, there are some issues with incorporating apps that have contests. It opens students up to feedback which could be both positive and extremely negative. By using these apps, teachers will need to receive permission from parents as well as principles and possibly members of the school boards. There are some major positives to using this new technology, such as students will be able to see what others have done and get ideas from that, and they will be able to share their music that they have created and are proud of with the world. If I had the opportunity to ask the author some questions I would ask do you feel that students are more willing to participate when they have the ability to choose the music? Do you find that students prefer to create their own music or to remix off of other people’s music? Do you find that parents/the school boards are willing to accept these new ways involving technology? What do you find are the struggles with incorporating these new ways of teaching?
- Olivia Houle