Ethical Song Research for the General Music Teacher

Considerations to Create Change

When considering real change in repertoire and programming choices, there are several barriers to be addressed. The first of these barriers is the narrow concept of what constitutes a beautiful singing voice in general music classes. This label of praise can and should be applied, both outwardly in class and in our own inner critiques, to voices that are from a variety of timbres, genres, and styles. Historically, the accolade is preserved only for students singing in a head voice. Yet there are many cultures both in the United States and internationally that do not appreciate head voice as the most desirable tone to produce. This leads us to continue the messaging that certain sounds based in particular traditions are of the most worth.

Modeling for students that all styles of singing are worthy of examination and consideration is a step toward decentering the long overemphasized Western European singing traditions. The approach does not take away from the beauty of any particular tradition. Rather, it creates an atmosphere of curiosity and sharing and nurtures a more sophisticated ear that detects nuance and difference. This attenuating of the ear and intellect makes difference feel normal.

Over the decades, general music classes and university methods courses have spent increasing amounts of time dedicated to teaching rhythmic and melodic reading skills. This approach leaves the impression that Western-notation reading is the end goal of general music learning. A particular piece may be selected because it is helpful for teaching the half-note, or there are easily identifiable melodic phrases including the pitches mi, re, and do in order. It is common for music educators to express a heartfelt desire to create lifelong lovers of music and to facilitate avenues of expression through music-making. Yet these deserving goals are often discarded as they are difficult to measure and assess. Notation-reading accuracy is something that can be measured in a way that is akin to a math quiz. This perception of music does not align with what general music should and could be, and it is an imbalance that once recognized can be reevaluated and redesigned to place a more suitable (lesser) emphasis on notation.

The previous two barriers are large, and yet far more insidious is the presence of racism throughout the education framework in the United States. Matters of white supremacy have infiltrated all aspects of curriculum, and yet it is rarely acknowledged or examined. Music educators are sent into their teaching roles with little experience in questioning curricular decisions and repertoire selections, having come through university programs with faculty who also likely lack the necessary skills. The following process is intended to assist music educators in creating a routine that allows for deeper interaction with music and the relevant culture.

An Ethical Song Research Process

There are multiple avenues to get to the same types of information. The process laid out here is one possible path to follow. This is intended as an exemplar to guide music educators in the important process of understanding the sociocultural and sociohistorical context of the music brought into general music classes.

The following tune, Toi Si Bonne, is from Haiti. I came across the tune while scouring old recordings in the Smithsonian Folkways archive (see Figure 1). This particular recording is from the 1970s, and it includes children singing at a school in Port-au-Prince, the capital city: https://folkways.si.edu/zammi-mann-man-man-toi-si-bonne-petit-oiseau/caribbean-childrens/music/track/smithsonian

Toi Si Bonne

Traditional Haitian Birthday Song

Language: Haitian French

OPEN IN VIEWER

Figure 1.

Transcription for Toi Si Bonne.

On hearing the tune and figuring out a translation, I was taken with the charm and singability of it. I could picture children singing the simple lyrics, and I was excited at the possibility of something different for us to sing for the always-present birthdays, each one needing to be as special as the last. I knew close to nothing about Haitian music and culture, and so I began researching.

The first step is as simple as searching a phrase such as “Haitian Traditional Music.” This inevitably will bring you to sites that while not perhaps the most academically rigorous on the surface, include helpful information. In the case of Haiti, I was able to find on the very first site a listing of folk music genres such as Kontradans, Méringue, and Rara. I made note of these genres and then searched them one by one. This step brought me to descriptions of the particular styles, with references to certain songs and artists which I sought out next. Many recordings and YouTube videos later, I returned to the original site to explore Haitian popular music genres such as Kompa and Zouk. I followed the same process, listening as I went, taking notes about pieces I had a positive response to, and ideas for teaching and learning that popped into my mind. I created a digital folder where I could start to collect images, websites, recordings, videos, and other interesting information to help build a library of sociocultural and sociohistorical content related to Haiti. I followed the roots of the different genres, many with links to West Africa and the forced movement of slaves and to colonizing cultures.

This process allowed me to collect the original recording, then to create a transcription, translation, and pronunciation guide. I also gathered a basic understanding of different musical genres with numerous listening examples to include in future lessons. Videos of traditional and contemporary dance styles were gathered, as well as some handclapping games and counting out chants. A general history about the indigenous populations, the relationship between slavery and the West African presence in Haiti and its strong influence on all practices, and dominant colonizing cultures was formed to assist me in designing higher order questions and experiences for students of any age to contemplate as they engage with Haitian music.

I See the Importance, and Yet

This is a common conversation starter when discussion of true change in a music curriculum is undertaken. Reasons given may include “I do not have time,” “I teach too many songs/students,” or “My job is to teach music, not fight racism/teach history/learn new languages.” While the first two responses may be true for all music educators, the last statement is flawed. Music is not sound alone. Music is made up from people, in places, with histories, presents, and futures. There is a multidirectional traffic of give and take that happens in the creation of new and continuation of old music genres.

As with any new routine, researching the music we use takes time, but grows more streamlined with practice. It allows for the removal of materials that cause harm and perpetuate the dominance of whiteness in music education, and the meaningful influx of music that celebrates traditions honored by people around the world. Does this mean that a music educator must include music from every culture, every lesson, every concert? No one person can cover everything. Yet, it does not take forever for new musics, cultures, and traditions to add up to a healthy part of a curriculum. Music educators who become diverse programmers find it to be the healthy norm, rather than finding such efforts to be a chore and the responsibility of someone else. That someone else is each one of us, one song at a time.