Abstract
Social Psychology of Musicianship
by Robert Henley Woody Sr. Delray Beach, FL: Meredith Music Publications, 2013; http://www.meredithmusic.com
Robert Henley Woody Sr. presents a research-based explanation of the numerous benefits of a lifelong involvement with music. A professor of psychology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Woody acquired an education that includes degrees in music education, law, and psychology. Regardless of this varied background, Woody considers himself “foremost a musician” (p. viii), which motivated his research of this topic culminating in Social Psychology of Musicianship. His professional experiences in these diverse fields offer a unique, insightful perspective, and his findings should interest all actively involved in music, from the amateur to the seasoned professional.
Woody organizes this book into a preface, ten chapters, and a “coda,” spanning 124 pages. Drawing from existing research to support his findings, he cites works of celebrated and authoritative psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and Abraham Maslow. He clearly connects social psychology to situations that musicians encounter on a daily basis. Readers may be compelled to further explore this topic by learning about these connections. Woody’s citations and the comprehensive bibliography will prove helpful for those intrigued.
Music educators at the primary and secondary levels might wish to save this reading for the summer months, as such professionals are often preoccupied with the rigors of their occupation during the academic year. The content requires more than a cursory reading for full benefit. Also, Woody states that readers could benefit from the knowledge gained in an undergraduate psychology course and, accordingly, refers those unfamiliar with this subject’s vernacular to textbooks used in such courses.
Although Social Psychology of Musicianship contains a wealth of useful information throughout, the final two chapters may be the most engaging. Chapter 9, “The Lasting Ensemble,” discusses ensemble dynamics that are applicable to groups of every genre and size. Musicians will identify with discussions about personality conflicts and totalitarianism. Leaders of dysfunctional ensembles could find new insight into such difficulties and possible solutions, thus improving the atmosphere, morale, and quality of their organizations.
Chapter 10, “Moving toward Comprehensive Musicianship,” offers guidance for gaining unity in the seven sectors of musicianship, which Woody lists as listening, learning, practicing, teaching, arranging, composing, and performing. In this guidance, the author emphasizes the psychological fuel of music-making: emotions. His background in psychology clearly works to his advantage in this chapter, and he fully acknowledges a common thread among all successful musicians, namely, continuous improvement of their knowledge, ability, and understanding of the seven sectors. Although this chapter’s title might initially raise an eyebrow, the author does state: “There can never be fully complete musicianship” (p. 108).
Woody’s coda summarizes his purpose and findings in both a concise and comprehensive manner. Eloquently stated, the final sentence of the text should find many empathetic readers: “By appreciating, creating, communicating, hearing, and experiencing music, there is a celebration of human potential and all social relations are enriched” (p. 119).
Assistant professor of clarinet,
University of Delaware, Newark;
Dictionary of Music Education
by Irma H. Collins. Plymouth, UK: Scarecrow Press, 2013; https://rowman.com/Scarecrow
Irma Collins made an excellent contribution to music education with this new Dictionary of Music Education published by Scarecrow Press. There is certainly much to recommend in this work. To begin with, the book is comprehensive in its coverage. Right at the outset, Collins notes, “One must always be aware of the pervasive aspect of music when defining music education . . . without music, it would be education, and without education, it would just be music” (p. ix). Indeed, this dictionary goes beyond standard terms in music education to include specialized terms in both music and education. The coverage of music education is similarly broad—it includes events, terms, organizations, and people that have influenced music education over a broad span of time in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.
Collins places all the entries in context and interweaves them so that the dictionary is “more than just a lexicon,” but one that takes the reader into a “journey through time and the story of the evolution of music education” (back cover). For example, the entry “aesthetic education” is linked not only to key philosophers such as Bennett Reimer but is also placed within the larger context of Western aesthetics and references individuals such as Alexander Baumgarten and Susanne Langer. In addition, the chronology (time line) at the beginning of the book offers a helpful overview of the sweep of events from the time of the ancient Greeks to contemporary music education.
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Finally, the book is reader-friendly. All entries are set in boldface and listed alphabetically, and numerous clear cross-references link them easily to other terms. Collins also considers the sequence of her book carefully: she presents the acronyms and abbreviations before the chronology of music education events and the actual dictionary itself, and she concludes with useful lists of organizations, publications, examining institutions for music, and a comprehensive bibliography.
For future editions of this dictionary, the author may consider expanding coverage in certain entries. For example, it seems to me important that the term praxial be included in the entry on “David Elliott.” In fact, given the influence of the praxial philosophy of music education, the author may like to create an entry on this philosophy. Furthermore, just as important scholars who advocated the aesthetic philosophy of music education were covered, the author may consider including other praxial philosophers of music education in this book.
Nonetheless, this immensely valuable resource stands out as being comprehensive, context-specific, and reader-friendly. This dictionary is highly recommended for undergraduates, graduates, college professors, researchers, and even members of the international audience who wish to learn more about music education in Western countries.
Assistant professor of music,
National Institute of Education–
Nanyang Technological
University, Singapore;
