LIFELONG LEARNING AND MUSIC IN ELEMENTARY TEACHER EDUCATION
Betty Hanley
University of Victoria
Copyright © Betty Hanley
Background to the Research
In the past, the required music methods course I presented for elementary pre-service classroom teachers at
the University of Victoria had the following broad purposes:
1. to develop students’ personal musicianship in terms of knowledge, understanding, and skills
2. to convince students of the importance of music education for their future students, and
3. to provide an overview of basic teaching ideas for music education.
The pedagogical approach has been integrated; that is, I integrated the methods with the music learning in
a seamless way, modeling how to teach children. While the course was and is a methods course, I really
didn’t expect (or truth be known, want) these students to teach music; I thought specialist teachers should
assume that role.
By 2000, it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain this position for two reasons. First, elementary
music specialist teachers are, unfortunately, no longer being developed in British Columbia (Hanley,
1997a, 1997b, 1998), but music still remains part of the mandated provincial curriculum. While I am
unwilling to abandon the argument that qualified and knowledgeable teachers (in any discipline) will best
serve students, I am also aware of the need to promote musicality in the general populace and the
contradiction that exists in claiming that music education is for everyone but not everyone should teach
music, even at beginning levels. Second, new ways of thinking about learning and learners and, therefore,
teaching (Cf. Vygotsky, 1978, 1986; Bamberger, 1991; Gardner, 1991; Bruner, 1996) have fostered my
interest in helping all students uncover what they can achieve in a more deep way than previously. What
might classroom teachers learn if I approached the class differently?
It occurred to me that in my rather exclusive focus on musical skills, knowledge, and pedagogy I was
neglecting the larger role of music in the lives of my students. It seemed that considering lifelong
learning—“the imperative for learning to be an activity engaged in throughout people’s lives” (Aspin,
2000, p. 75)— might provide a new way of addressing the impact that music could play in my students’
lives and in their teaching. What would happen if I changed my course to address this different
perspective? I decided to make adjustments to my course and undertake a qualitative study to investigate
the impact of one elementary music methods course for classroom teachers on pre-service students’
interest in lifelong learning in music—as expressed by students by the end of the course. The change
involved moving from a more traditional teacher-directed, content-centered approach where content is
imposed and learning supposed, to a more constructivist one that recognizes that students make meaning
(Brooks & Brooks, 1993; Fosnot, 1996; Duckworth, 1996; Davis, Sumara, & Luce Kapler, 2000; Wiggins,
2001). That is, I had to refocus my teaching from requiring students to internalize an external reality to a
realization that meaning making is a constructed event that occurs in a community of learners. At the same
time, I was moving from an exclusive focus on the expressive qualities in music to one that also
acknowledges the multiple uses of music (Jorgensen, 2003; Reimer, 2003). My hope was to improve my
course by making it more relevant to students’ long-term needs as individuals who are also going to be
teachers.
Methodology and Participants
For this study, I used an adapted action research approach (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1988; Mills, 2003)
designed to improve my teaching practice and understanding of students and their learning. The many
changes in the course were quite complex and too lengthy to include here but generally involved giving
more decision making to students and inviting connections across classes and in-school experiences. In
this paper, I focus on what students told me about what they perceived to be the impact of the course on
their lifelong learning in music and what I learned about my students as a result of listening to them. The
data consisted of four student assignments: a circle exercise, student-led interviews, critiques of live
performances, and weekly journals. The data analysis procedures used were those outlined by Taylor and
Bogdan (1984).
Post-degree students are required to select one course from art, drama, or music methods as part of their
teacher certification program at the University of Victoria. One third of the students in EDUC 306 chose
the music methods course as their first option, but one third did not want to be in the course at all, for a
variety of reasons. The background of the students ranged from one with a B.Mus., to those not singing in
tune or otherwise feeling incapacitated in music. This music methods class had 19 students from ages 23
to 45, including single students and parents with up to six children. There was a mixture of continuous
students and adult (returning) learners (Coffman, 2002), with 14 women and 5 men. The class met twice
weekly for 80 minutes between September 2002 and April 2003.
Throughout the class students were involved in a variety of musical and pedagogical experiences (see
Table 1). Quotations from student assignments are provided. Pseudonyms have been used to protect
student anonymity. The power over grades issue was dealt with by having a third party collect the consent
forms and copies of all assignments until grades were submitted. All students in the class agreed to
participate.
Table 1. What we did in the music methods class
Singing
Songs (cumulative, game, partner, lyric, folk)
Playingthe
Composing
Improvising
Listening
Reading
Movement
Across
& arts
Writing
Rounds
Recorderofmelodies
Ostinatos
Children’s
stories
and fables
Questions
Variety
Iconic
and
music
answers
Traditional
Orff
Integrated
instruments
Listening
notation Model
Scarves
Poems
Small group work solving musical problems and responding
Keyboard
Maps
to poetry or art
Group collage
Mirror
Art works
Teaching
Provincial curriculum study
Resources for teaching music
Lesson planning and overviews
Small group singing game
Three micro-teaching opportunities
There is no intention to suggest that the results of this study are generalizable in a statistical sense. Rather,
as in qualitative research, the concern is with trustworthiness. Each assignment will be examined in greater
detail, giving students their own voices. In the conclusion I will reflect on what I learned from the
research.
1. Circle Exercise
The circle exercise, an assignment given early in the term to draw attention to the early and many roles of
music in our lives, was drawn from Barrett, McCoy, and Veblen’s Sound Ways of Knowing (1997, pp. 2–
7). Students were asked to “think about your personal music experiences and their impact in your life” (p.
2) and show areas of activity in a “music circles” diagram. The purpose of this activity was to encourage
students to remember ways in which they had been involved with music since their early years. Eight of
the circle diagrams indicated an active involvement with music performance either through singing or
playing one or more instruments. One student included dance as a significant recollection. Seven other
students recalled performing music at some point in their childhood but were no longer engaged in making
music. Four students described strong involvement with music as listeners. Since the circle categories
were generated by students to represent their own experiences and memories, the categories they chose
were informative. In their diagrams they identified circles labeled intriguing music, music from travels and
summer camps, concert memories, least favourite music (rap, heavy metal, country), family experiences
with music, music lessons, school music, music they could not live without, music they had performed,
hidden pleasures, music that challenged them, and childhood comforts. The kinds of music named
included children’s songs, rock music (from heavy metal to soft rock), classical, country, jazz, world, and
school songs. Elementary school was mentioned by 13 people but only in terms of songs sung. “O
Canada” and Christmas songs were mentioned most often. Secondary school music was mentioned by
seven people; five mentioned band (one as a negative memory) and two mentioned musicals (fondly). The
importance of family involvement in music was vividly recalled by five students.
The exact content of each circle is less important than the subsequent reflections, especially after the circle
diagrams were viewed by all. What surprised students was the pervasiveness of music in all their lives, the
rich memories invoked by the exercise, and, in comparing their categories with those of their colleagues,
how much more they could have addressed—how much they had overlooked. The memories of music
experiences are powerful; students were clearly excited. This activity was meaningful to students,
generating a high level of engagement (Morgan & Saxton, 1991).
2. Interviews
The interviews provided students with an opportunity to examine their beliefs and assumptions about
music education (see Table 2 for a description of the assignment).
Table 2. Interview assignment
Assignment:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Interview three people about their memories of music in elementary school and early life.
Describe your own memories of music in elementary school and early life.
Consider the four sources of evidence. Do you find any patterns, any similarities, any differences?
Reflect on these relationships and how collective knowledge might affect views of music in the
school and your view of teaching music.
Process:
1. Consider what has influenced you in your early music life, including family and school
experiences.
2. What would you like to know? What kinds of questions would yield the answers you would like to
receive? Generate a list of questions.
3. Follow the four steps of the assignment. Use essay format. Use some quotations from your
interviewees to provide corroborating evidence. A first person approach is the most appropriate
style. Please do not use any real names when reporting.
This year, the students reported mostly favourable memories of singing, playing, and music performances
at home and at school in their own experiences and those of their interviewees. John, who LOVES music,
was surprised by the positive tone of his informants’ responses:
I seem to remember very few things about my personal elementary musical experiences. The memories I
do have are rather negative. I had musical experiences in church and at home that were much more
meaningful to me. When I designed my questions I anticipated that others would share similar dislike
toward their educational experience while having positive experiences elsewhere. I was greatly
mistaken…. I was amazed at the amount and quality of the memories that came from early childhood
experiences in education. The people I interviewed could remember specific songs with lyrics clear back
to first grade and kindergarten. Memories were almost all positive with so many examples of positive
experiences that I could have written a book!
The exceptions to pleasant recollections about students’ own memories of music and music education
were informative. Writing about classical music and repertoire issues, Sam explained: “Whenever my
parents would play classical music, I would ask them to turn it off because I found it overwhelming. I
would see images that I could not handle.” It had not occurred to me that the much-celebrated complexity
of classical music could have such a devastating impact on an inexperienced or unguided listener.
Martha was critical of her music teacher’s approach: “I would have felt more positive about my school
music lessons if they had been less performance-based so children with less musical ability could know
success.” Does performance ability equal musicality? Our society places a high premium on performance,
and many assume that only the talented can perform. Nonetheless, performance, important as it is, is not
the only way to engage people in music. Reimer (2003) suggests that there are many valid ways that
people can be involved with music. These include musicianship roles—performing, improvising,
composing, arranging—and listenership roles—listener, theorist, critic, psychologist, philosopher,
neuroscientist, historian, ethnomusicologist, anthropologist, sociologist, etc. (p. 253). The idea that unless
one can perform one is “less musical” is contradicted by brain research indicating that “all human beings
are born with a musical brain” (Hodges, 1996, p. 258). Further, this belief in talent neglects the research
that indicates that many other factors beyond innate ability contribute to performance success (Sloboda,
1994).
Liza wrote of feelings of missed opportunities or things left unlearned in her elementary school music
classes. Janice agreed: “We were exposed to a form of ‘hands on’ learning whereby we were taught at a
very basic level without ever being instructed in what it would lead to.” This is an intriguing commentary
on elementary music education. Although the teaching method is not identified, I suspect an activity
approach where the idea was to let the students have “fun” in music class was in place.
In a somewhat similar vein, Janice did not feel sufficiently challenged in her elementary music classes.
Her recollections from 40 years ago were remote and sparse, leaving a neutral or slightly negative
impression.
I remember distinctly rows of students, all standing slouched beside our desks, being told not to be like
“snakes,” (our teacher meant that our rows should be straight, as should our bodies). She was my music
teacher, very dry, very “British,” very “grey,” very regimental, from grades three to six. We sang —I only
remember “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” as a round—I have vague memories of playing a flutophone,
wooden drumstick-like implements, and of playing the triangle. I also remember being overwhelmed by
the performance of a full symphony orchestra, probably at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver.
While I’m sure there must have been more than this, it is all that I remember. I think now that this is very
sad.
Two students specifically addressed the problematic issue of singing and being male, an issue well
acknowledged in the North American literature (Gates, 1989; Koza, 1993; Szabo, 1999). Sam wrote:
I was never able to escape my self-consciousness. I was good at singing when I was young [he still is], but
I was worried about appearing girlie…. After class some of my friends gave me a hard time and from then
on I sang quietly in music class.
John’s account is enough to make me weep. He wrote:
I LOVE MUSIC. Music to me is one of the few things that moves me, that brings me joy and fulfillment.
To be without it would be unthinkable. In elementary school, however, if I could have changed my music
curriculum, I would have chosen to go without it. I enjoy singing. This is an unusual trait for most males.
Well, maybe to enjoy it and to be able to carry a tune is unusual. I am not sure. One thing is certain,
though, if you are a male and you can sing you don’t want anyone to know about it in elementary school.
Let me explain.
In the 5th or 6th grade we had a music teacher for the whole school. Individual teachers would give up their
classes for an hour and we would go and receive musical instruction. The music teacher was new to the
school and I think the music program was permitted as an experiment. Unfortunately this teacher probably
wasn’t the person to try such an experiment with. She selected modern or contemporary rock songs for the
children to sing. Many of her choices had objectionable material. For instance teaching 5th and 6th graders
to sing “Bohemian Rhapsody,” by Queen with lyrics such as “Mama, just killed a man, put a gun up to his
head, pulled the trigger now he’s dead,” probably offended some parents (Maybe>?!!…sarcasm intended).
Unless my memory is incorrect, the teacher was planning on having me sing part of this song as a solo in
front of the school. She changed her mind after a while and instead tried to get me to sing a solo of “The
Way We Were” by Barbra Streisand. While the lyrics aren’t nearly as offensive to the general populace,
they were lethal to the social status of an eleven or twelve year old boy. Other kids would imitate me
singing the song. People would laugh at me during class time. I finally just wouldn’t sing the song no
matter what the teacher asked or how much she threatened me with poor grades.
The strong influence of peer pressure in music and its impact on the classroom is addressed in the
literature (Finnäs, 1987; Howe & Sloboda, 1992; O’Neill & Bolton, 1995; O’Neill, 1997).
The importance of family is also recognized (Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde, & Whalen, 1993; Sloboda,
1994; Davidson, Howe, Moore, & Sloboda, 1996). John explained that it was his family experience that
preserved his love of music where his school experiences failed him:
Luckily I have a mother that loves music, and she continued to encourage me. My mother would sing in
the church choir and asked me to come along. I would either have to just sit there or participate. I
reluctantly participated at first. Over time though I noticed that nobody even noticed me. What I did or
didn’t do simply didn’t matter. In an environment where I blended in and I wasn’t singled out I enjoyed
singing and harmonizing with the others. I had some very moving experiences as a child singing in the
choir.
What students wrote that they learned from the interviews they conducted was equally revealing. For
Eleanor, the interviews brought up previously forgotten moments of childhood and the importance of
performance in her musical memories. She also noted the importance of digging deeper and reflecting on
the past and the power of the beliefs people seem to have about music and being musical:
The initial reaction of the interviewees to my questions about music in childhood was a declaration that
they were not musically trained, had no musical experience and therefore not much information to give.
This is an assumption that many people seem to make when musical experience is the object of discussion.
People seem to assume you mean training and the amount of time spent playing an instrument, rather than
the art of music appreciation. Once my questions began to guide the interviewees towards their actual
memories rather than knowledge, they were full of music.
Martha elaborated on these beliefs from her own experience:
I believed I had no musical experiences. I thought that one could only claim musical experience if one was
musically gifted or formally trained in music. Upon reflection, it became apparent that I, who have little
musical ability or training, have a rich musical history. It was only after I expanded my definition of what
constituted musical experience that the richness of the experience unfolded…. Music has the wonderfully
positive power to connect individuals together. Music can [also] be a source of uncomfortable exclusion.
The recollections expressed in the interviews clearly demonstrated (to an astonishing degree) the wide
variety of backgrounds and experiences shaping the musical lives and attitudes of my students and the
long-term impact of their music teachers (for good or ill). The importance of interacting with students as
individuals, not as a class and the need to plan learning experiences accordingly was starkly evident to me.
3. Performance Critiques
This assignment was designed to foster an interest in live music, to begin to broaden students’ musical
interests, to provide an opportunity for students to apply their music learning, and to ascertain the depth of
responses to this kind of musical experience. See Table 3 for a description of the assignment.
Table 3. Critical Response to a Live Musical Performance/Production
Purposes of the assignment
• to expose you to a new genre of live music (opera, music theatre, symphony orchestra, wind
symphony, choral, etc.)
• to evaluate a musical experience and express preferences
• to develop your listening skills
• to introduce you to cultural, historical, and/or societal values and ideals expressed through music
• to experience how the arts may be used for communication and expression in society
• to experience music aesthetically
• to acquaint you with local organizations and venues where music-making occurs
• to recognize the expectations for participation as a member of an audience
• Select a concert that broadens your musical horizons
Content of the critique
1. Why did you select this concert?
2. Describe the event (what, where, when, who). Make some general, introductory comments about
the performance and your enjoyment of this new experience. Include an official program. Write
about your response to the music. What did you appreciate? Why? Was there anything you disliked
or found confusing? What did you learn from this concert? What was your emotional reaction to
the performance? When jotting down notes during the performance you might consider focusing on
“What do I hear? What do I think? What do I feel?” How do the various elements of the
production/music work together to create particular moods? Give specific examples to support
your statements.
3. How effective was the performance? How successful were the principal
characters/performers/conductor in delivering a satisfying performance? Modify your critique to
suit the event. You might want to make additional comments about the conductor/sets/storyline,
etc. if these apply to the event you experienced.
4. What long-term impact might attendance at this event have on your musical development?
S. Sim, adapted with permission
Seven students selected instrumental performances (Celtic, School of Music students, flute soloist,
Symphony Orchestra, and UVic Wind Symphony). The other twelve chose performances involving
singing (Victoria Operetta Society, choirs, Victoria Opera Society). Four students attended the dress
rehearsal of Puccini’s La Bohème, and five, the dress rehearsal of Berg’s, Wozzeck. A few students
attended more than one performance before selecting one to critique. Whereas most students were
enthusiastic about the performances, there were some exceptions.
Eleanor identified positive features in the concert she attended (the performer’s introductions to the songs
and the diversity of her repertoire) but she also expressed disappointments (the repertoire was too difficult
for the performer; she arrived late; she lacked emotional input):
What I took from the performance is that music for me doesn’t have to be complex and technically
sophisticated. I need music with emotion infused into it. I like to know that the player is soulfully
expressing himself or herself through the music. I also learned that introducing songs before playing them
is really effective if you choose your words carefully. I think A’s performance taught me what not to do if
I ever give a performance, and she made me think about what I like as an audience member.
Eleanor’s emphasis on the importance of emotion (feeling) in music reflects Reimer’s (2003) view that
“the music itself—sound arranged in ways that yield meaningful feeling— is at the root for and value of
music” (p. 88).
John attended the dress rehearsal of La Bohème and two student performances in the School of Music in
his search for a concert that would appeal to him. He wrote that opera is “out” and, regarding the student
performances, that he enjoyed the earlier compositions on the program but was dismayed by the later
works (contemporary):
While I enjoyed the overall experiences the conclusions were a real disappointment. I am sure the
conductor was very satisfied with accomplishing what he had designed to do. I just think it is a shame to
end a concert on such a sour note. It also makes me wonder if this is intentional since both concerts that I
attended ended this way [an accurate stylistic observation]. I think that the concerts would perhaps be
better attended if they would end positively giving the listener a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment
rather than depression or horror.
John put his finger nicely on the challenge of programming contemporary music and concluded that
nothing beats singing my kids lullabies at night. John’s discomfort with the unfamiliar was shared by Bob,
who nevertheless wrote that such music might need to grow on you for a while before you develop
appreciation.
Four of the five students who attended Wozzeck had remarkably positive and insightful comments to make
about this relatively contemporary (1921) and challenging opera. Janet provides an example of applying
knowledge learned in her music methods class:
The music, performed by a 28-piece orchestra, was very disjointed to my ear, but seemed to go with the
feeling that the action on the stage was trying to portray. This disjointed feeling comes from the fact that
Wozzeck is atonal, which, from my understanding, means that no one tone stands out, but instead all tones
sound equally strong.
David noted the importance of familiarity:
I left the Royal Theatre thinking that I should go see Wozzeck again if I have the opportunity…. I also
thought that I should attend a “traditional” opera—again to compare the atonal qualities ofWozzeck to the
more tonal style of a “traditional” opera—but also for pleasure.
Don was more challenged by Wozzeck:
My beliefs about opera music centre on the belief that opera challenges me. The genre is very foreign to
me as far as the style of the music, the setting, and even my perception of the type of person who attends
an opera performance.
Don attended this performance with his wife, who described the opera to him as a “bad opera,” very
different from operas she had attended in the past. Nevertheless, in spite of his “confusion,” Don
concluded with a statement that shows an insight into the music and a willingness to explore the genre:
As I reflect on this performance, it is obvious to me that I felt confused and out of my element throughout
…. This response was a common critique of the performance that I heard from several guests as we were
leaving …. I think that the confusion throughout the performance with respect to the musical
accompaniment, the set and props, the opening and the final scene, and the singing range of the male
performers, was on purpose. I think it must have been the goal of the composer to challenge traditional
opera and confuse the audience …. I am left feeling curious about opera, and I am looking forward to
seeing another performance.
Like Don, most students indicated an interest in attending other concerts. Janet, for example, wrote that
she found herself looking in the paper to see when the next opera production arrived. Alison also looked
forward to attending another musical in the future.
This assignment was successful in its learning objectives and, in addition, reinforced for me the
importance of teachers acknowledging what students bring to music experiences. When students don’t
know how to read music or play an instrument it is too easy to assume that they bring little to the music
classroom. This assignment is evidence that relatively “untutored” adults bring to music involvement a
wealth of experience and knowledge that they apply in sophisticated ways.
Journals
From the first class I asked students to write a weekly entry to be submitted to me for feedback and
dialogue. Although I had requested that students address lifelong learning issues surrounding music, these
regular entries not surprisingly tended to focus on pedagogical issues and questions. I, therefore, requested
that, in their last two entries, they reflect a little more deeply on the subject of the (positive or negative)
impact of the course on their lifelong learning in music. These final entries were particularly helpful to my
research purpose.
The themes that emerged in student journals were interlinked with those from the other assignments and to
their learning throughout the course. The strongest theme was that music is a significant, joyful, and
powerful force in the lives of these students. There were, however, both positive and negative responses to
what students identified as the “technical” aspects of music, with some seeing these as tools for
understanding and others as interfering with their enjoyment of music. Lisa, for example, commented that
while music was a big part of her life, she thought that this analysis and the persistence to “move forward”
in music can sometimes be too much. Sam, on the other hand, had
avoided learning many musical forms and elements because I was worried they would define and limit my
creativity. However, during the year I discovered that technical knowledge can pull together and clarify a
lot of musical knowledge learned by ear …. The technical knowledge organized a lot of my lifelong
learning into a more coherent and accessible base.
Since I make a point of integrating the conceptual aspects of music with its experience, I was surprised
that students distinguished so readily between the experience of music and “technical” knowledge. The
technical aspects to which students refer must relate to the musical concepts we explored, reading music
notation, and a brief foray into scales in contrast to singing and listening experiences.
Another theme that emerged related to listening to music differently and
acquiring a taste for a wider range of music by the end of the course. Don expresses the first component
position well:
The way that I interact with music has changed. The listening exercise that we did on the last day
emphasized this to me. When listening to the piece of music, two main things were going on: I was
listening for the musical parts of the song [Hovhaness’ “And God Created Great Whales”], understanding
the structure, and using my knowledge (now) of music theory to do that. The other thing that was
occurring was—images appearing in my mind in relation to the music. I think that before I took this course
I only had images in my mind in relation to the music…. Some days I was really a harsh critic [of the
class], but the final listening exercise brought me around and showed me the wisdom in all the experiences
I have had this year. The piece of music taught me about the power of music.
The approach used to listening in the class was varied (including mapping and movement) but revolved
around the Integrated Listening Model (Hanley, 1997c), which encourages students to identify what they
hear in the music (rather than imposing a focus), how they feel, and how the qualities in the music and
their personal responses are related.
The importance of making music was another theme that emerged. While playing the recorder had its
supporters (generally those who played well) and naysayers (those who were experiencing difficulty either
with playing skills, reading notation, or both), singing was generally looked upon as enjoyable, renewing,
for some, an interest in this music activity. The class did sing very well, maintaining three-and four-part
rounds with confidence and musicality; a number indicated that they missed singing when we did not sing.
Learning to sing better and with greater confidence and the importance of singing with others were
identified as significant to their enjoyment. Playing instruments was also important to some students.
David wrote that accompanying himself on guitar rekindled a love of playing. It had been 25 years since
he had played his guitar. Bob wrote:
This course has helped me as a musician. I think my knowledge has grown from being a passive nonmusical person to an active, eager to learn person relating to music. I have always been eager to learn in
many topics but music was more of a frill. Now it is something I want to pursue. So, as a musician, it has
given me a place from which to work.
Composing was another way of making music that helped students apply what they were learning. Janice
commented that when composing in small groups she could “feel” the ideas and technical material we had
examined suddenly make sense.
The final theme that emerged was the changed attitudes of students in terms of confidence and a desire to
continue learning. While some students wrote with broad strokes about their learning, Sara expressed a
more careful assessment of her growth:
In some ways I feel I have taken a large leap forward, but in reality it is only a small step—but I am
moving forward! My own personal learning has stemmed from a renewed appreciation for music in many
forms—it is an expression of life and simultaneously the condition of life, which is how it takes on a life
of its own for me. I remember the first week I had to start singing and felt an increase in energy and a tune
in my head the rest of the day—I had forgotten that feeling.
The journal experience was for some students an unnecessary responsibility where they felt they were
repeating themselves but, for others, writing a journal had a very positive impact on “learning” in music
[Janice]. I found the journal entries to be helpful in maintaining a dialogue with each student. They
provided an additional window into what students were thinking.
What I Learned
Although I was previously aware of the importance of music in people’s lives, this importance and its
varied expressions took on new meaning for me as a result of this study. Many of these students wrote of
their love of music in eloquent and passionate ways, ways that one might think reserved for musicians or
professed music lovers. Aspin (2000) claims that “many people are drawn to the arts and cultural activities
because of the opportunities for social interaction and the practical enjoyment of creative activity that they
offer” (p. 79). My students indicated that they do not all want to engage in music in the same ways. They
acknowledged the social benefits of involvement with music in their discussion of group work and singing
together as well as the enjoyment they felt when they engaged in music in ways meaningful to them.[1] The
importance of singing and community was reinforced. At the same time, the expression of the depth of
some of their fears and concerns about teaching music because they thought they lacked musical ability,
fears sometimes reinforced by early school or family experiences, made me more sensitive to how I
encourage them to take risks.
Beliefs about musicality impact on what people will attempt, especially if they see talent as a fixed entity,
an ability one is born with, rather than as a capacity that can be nurtured (see Dweck, 2000 for a discussion
of entity and incremental theories applied to intelligence and personality). We are all familiar with
anecdotal evidence of poor musical self-concept resulting from in-school experiences.[2] Coffman (2002)
summarizes Sloboda and Howe’s conclusions on a 1991 study that
adults with a lifelong commitment to music often had childhood memories that involved supportive
conditions for musical activities and strong positive emotions. Adults not involved with music often
reported strong negative emotions to the context of musical activity (for example, teacher criticism). (p.
201)
Psychologist John Sloboda (1994) discusses people’s beliefs about music as a “gift” and challenges the
“myth” of talent, discussing the years of work that go into appearing “talented.” He claims that “the vast
majority of the population possesses the inherited characteristics needed to perform music well, and that
differences in accomplishment are mainly due to differences in experience, opportunity, motivation, and
differences in learning outcomes that follow from this” (p. 1). These findings reinforce the importance of
music methods classes for generalist teachers if we have any hope that they will include music in their
classrooms in a meaningful way.
Students have a great deal to teach us if we acknowledge what they bring to the classroom as well as what
they don’t. Flexible planning is key. Of course, I could claim that I have always responded to students, but
this response went much further than before. Here are a few of the kinds of student responses I received:
one student asked to teach a song; another brought in a CD to expand on what we had listened to in class;
another taught her jazz recorder composition to the class; we revised how the mini-teaching experiences
were planned (including small group sessions with no teacher presence); and we did some large scale art
responses to music. Making these adaptations provided, I thought, a more relaxed and risk-taking
classroom than my earlier teacher-centered approach.
We are often unaware of what students are learning. Sam surprised me in the following entry in his
journal:
This course has taught me how to listen to others when I am singing with them. I have learned a lot about
how to interact with people musically. In the past I would try to be the centre of attention. Now, I have
begun to understand how to relax and enhance the overall sound in subtle ways. The compositions and
round singing really taught me how to do this.
How unlike John’s desire not to be noticed. Even though I always encourage musical responses, I had no
idea that Sam had realized this important insight about his behaviour. Although I had noticed his
propensity for attention seeking, I had thought about whether I should say something or not since it was
impacting on the class. As I monitored the situation, I noticed that Sam was moderating his behaviour on
his own—but I did not know why. What else was happening in my classroom?
There remains a serious gap between knowledge and skills in music (growing competence) and what
people call appreciation or immediate pleasure. For many, there is a dichotomy between these two views
rather than a synergistic interaction (Reimer, 2003) that yields greater enjoyment as competence increases.
How does an either/or view impact on how students responded to a music methods course, on what they
might teach their own students, and how they will engage with music in the future? The view that music
should be “fun” (not work) and the product not evaluated is held by many. Should a teacher education
course focus on content (what music teachers should know and be able to do) or on the learning (what
students can do as a result of their experiences)? I am not sure of the answer and admit to waffling
between the two positions. I also wonder what exactly my student learned in the past, when I thought I was
teaching a successful music methods class.
Finally, at one level, my course involved a mixture of instructional styles. Instruction for adult learners is
called andragogy— “a set of assumptions about adult learners” that are learner-centered (Coffman, 2002,
p. 201). These assumptions include that adults: “display a wide variety of learning styles, prefer problemcentered learning that readily applies to specific personal concerns, are influenced (aided and hampered)
by prior experiences …and tend to be self-directed learners” (p. 201). My students, however, were in a
pedagogy class, where teaching methods for children were being modeled. When traditional teaching
methods (teacher-directed and content-driven) are used, there is a divergence between instruction and
learning styles. When the teaching being modeled is constructivist, however, there is a closer match
between andragogy of the adult learners and the pedagogy being modeled for elementary students. My
shift to a more constructivist perspective towards learning did result in a closer match between course
delivery and the learning styles of the students but it also resulted in challenges to my ideas about the
course. There is a conflict between meeting the needs of pre-service teachers in a methods class (and
possibly limiting what is learned) and the future needs of their students (as delineated in the provincial
music curriculum). What do I expect students to know and be able to do in music and teaching music? I
am still “conflicted” between my desire to help my students achieve their potential and the need to prepare
them to meet the needs of their future students. Nevertheless, I am more convinced than previously that at
least some of these students can teach some music. It does seem that teacher education is “fuzzy” (Raths,
2002)[3] and lives in the midst of paradox and dilemma (Louis, Toole, & Hargreaves, 1999).
According to the students, the course did have a positive impact on their lifelong learning in music. I
accept their reports with caution because most research of this kind has a positive outcome. I wonder how
long the initial glow will last. The scholar in me wants to be very cautious about claiming overwhelming
success. Still, some students with little prior background were confident enough to teach music in their
practicum. This had not been the case in the past. So, there was some success after all. I can conclude that,
from my perspective, the action research supported the importance of an emphasis on lifelong learning in a
music methods course for classroom teachers. I will give Don, whose thoughts are significant in view of
what he called his “harsh criticism” of the course, the last word:
I now find myself seeking out and purchasing different types of music to listen to, such as classical, opera,
and world music. My confidence to play instruments and sing in front of others has increased a lot. I find
myself excited by the prospects of teaching music during my practicum instead of being intimidated by it.
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[1]
Playing the recorder was not it for some in the class.
Being asked to lip-sync rather than sing out comes to mind.
[3]
A type or non-Aristotelian form of logic that goes beyond “true” and “false,” allowing for more
intuitive responses and sometimes applied to complex systems.
[2]