My Emerging Understanding of Socially Inclusive Music Education

My emerging understanding of socially inclusive music education has grown significantly over the course of the semester. At the beginning of the semester, we were required to write short reflections on what our understanding of music education and socially inclusive music education were at that point. I then summarised that music education included learning about, listening to and playing music, reading notes, improvisation and appreciating music of various cultures. I also identified that it entailed considering how music can make us feel, something which I feel was particularly relevant as I learned more over the semester, with particular relevance to how socially inclusive music education can make everyone feel included and part of a wider group through the medium of music-making and song-singing and various other forms of engagement with music, specifically identifiable in my analysis of the Sonas programme. I also acknowledged that music education involves using the voice, solo or in unison, both accompanied and unaccompanied, or using formal and informal instruments. I noted exactly how this could be implemented in a lesson through my experience of bucket drumming on campus and my reading of the bucket drumming lesson samples embedded above. Most importantly however, I noted, was that music education should always be engaging, inclusive and fun, resulting in fostering a love of music in each child in the classroom.

Since the beginning of the semester, I have encountered various forms of music education and how it can be engaged with. According to Fautley, Music Education presents in a typology of settings, including classroom music, formal instrumental teaching, group instrumental teaching, whole class ensemble teaching, theory of music, in school informal learning, out of school informal learning, formal ensemble playing, informal ensemble playing and specialist music learning (Fautley, 2020). These varying setting are all important in terms of understanding music education, and it can help one to realise that socially inclusive music education is not a type of music education, and rather a philosophy, an underpinning principle or a key pedagogy in terms of music education.

In terms of differentiating between music education and socially inclusive music education, I recognised at the beginning of the semester that socially inclusive music education caters for everyone, regardless of differing musical abilities, gender, age or ethnicity. Since then, I have learned that socially inclusive music education transcends cultural differences, differing identities, affluence or poverty. It transcends the nine ground of discrimination included in the Equal Status Act; gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, disability and membership of the Traveller community (Lodge & Lynch, 2004). As socially inclusive music education defies all sense of discrimination and provides an equal, fair and diverse environment where everyone is free to express their authentic selves, it makes it a useful tool for dealing with wider world social issues in the classroom, such as issues of social justice. Undoubtedly, socially inclusive music education provides a great amount of scope for dealing with social issues through the accessible medium of music. Throughout history, music was advocated in the name of justice, ‘from its power to provide a sociocultural good, maintain social control, contribute to sociopolitical ordering, build international harmony among nations, and represent the interests of marginalized groups, to enriching the lives of youth from lower socioeconomic or underserved populations’ (McCarthy, 2015). As referenced to above, songs from the Protest Movement of the 1960’s in the United States of America, such as Respect by Aretha Franklin that rose to fame during this time, drew attention to ‘changing political, social and demographic patterns’ during this time (Drummond, 2005). This newfound awareness of cultural plurality was an identifiable undercurrent of most popular music at that time, and has presented time and time again since then, shifting from the restrictive viewpoint of musicology, that largely focused on Western music that was dominated by white, European males, towards a more open, globally-minded ethnomusicology approach. This broadening of musical horizons notable on a global scale from the 1960’s onwards, has largely contributed to socially inclusive music education (Drummond, 2005).

Music education provides an adequate and highly effective avenue for achieving inclusion, equality and diversity in the classroom. When music education is ‘underpinned and informed by an aesthetic of difference’, it can recognise and explore musical knowledge that surpasses traditional Western culture and cultural appropriation within music (Drummond, 2015). It can also help to prepare young people for a culturally plural world, through the exploration of a musical plurality as socially inclusive musicians (Drummond, 2015). As socially inclusive musicians, young people gain the opportunity learn about the cultural context of music, in turn creating a 'unified experience that empowers the individual both politically and musically' (Drummond, 2015). During the semester, we explored how democracy could be explored within socially inclusive music education, through songs such as Vote For Me which can be found embedded above. The messages sent through such songs allow for a understanding of democracy, political representation, voting rights and diversity to be gained, through passive listening, direct listening and singing, exploring the lyrics of the song and integrated the song with other subject areas such as SPHE, history and CSPE at second-level.

Differentiation is an important aspect of socially inclusive music education. Music education should be accessible for all and should differentiate for each child. However, it is important to recognise that despite the folk psychological view on musicality that leans towards the notion that musical ability is an innate thing, musicality is sparsely recognised as an innate capability, and very few individuals display 'overt signs of musical precocity' (Sloboda, Davidson & Howe, 1999). Musical ability. or a perceived lack there-of, is not necessarily a definite characteristic of the child. Within socially inclusive music education, process is much more important than product, and participation carries more weight than a perfectly practiced performance. This allows for an authentic, creative, individualistic and unique experience for each child, in a collaborative, open and inclusive musical environment.

Overall, I feel that my emerging understanding of socially inclusive music education has developed greatly over the semester. I have recognised that it can provide a suitable backdrop for the exploration of a variety of social and political issues. I have addressed how socially inclusive musical activities can be used in a variety of settings, including nursing homes, where it can have significant benefits for mental health and well-being. It can be implemented in a variety of settings and can be highly beneficial for exploring other subject areas through integration, such as history, geography and SPHE. I truly look forward to developing my current understanding of socially inclusive music education further, over the course of this year.

AP210 Socially Inclusive Music Education - Laura Marie Furlong

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