International Journal of Music Education

This article examines ideas of musicality as they may apply to local, national and intercultural contexts of music education. Conceptions of multicultural music education are explored in the light of alternative approaches to musicality adapted from ethnomusicological perspectives. It is argued that while recently published music curricula in many countries appear to offer a more pluralistic view of music and music education than previously, these may fall short of providing an intercultural model for teachers and schools. Critically, an intercultural music education will draw on a variety of performing and learning practices, in addition to a range of beliefs and values that are pertinent to the musical systems in question. Ideas of bimusicalityand intermusicalitycan be adapted not only to our understanding of individual learners and performers, but also to the professional preparation of teachers, to the design of music curricula and to the development of musical infrastructures in contemporary societies.

The pontes (bridges) approach may be viewed as a teaching guide for action in music education. It may help music teachers to articulate the different aspects that surround the teaching–learning process, especially those related to cultural interfaces, such as: the student’s personal characteristics, the elements and essence of the sociocultural context, student’s knowledge and previous musical experiences, and the new knowledge to be learned. The pontesapproach implies significant musical encounters between the student and the music. Pontesrelates to: positive attitude, observation, naturalness, technique, expressiveness and sensibilities. This article is based on the partial results of a study about the music pedagogical knowledge of the masters of musical oral traditions. It is organized in two sections: (a) the theoretical basis for the proposed practices; and (b) specific examples for the use of pontes.

This article reports on a project to establish taiko drumming groups in schools throughout the southwest of England. The project is funded by the National Foundation for Youth Music (YM) which aims to increase access to music-making activity for young people in the UK. Taiko is a relatively new phenomenon in the UK. In the southwest, Kagemusha Taiko, a professional company, has been performing and teaching for 6 years and has built a strong reputation in both. The current project is focused on the professional development of teachers in achieving the aim of establishing a permanent foundation for taiko in schools across the region. Thirteen secondary schools and two primary schools were involved, and taiko was offered as an after-school activity.

The purpose of this study was to follow the development of mariachi music from its origin in the rural cultural celebrations of Mexico to its contemporary position in American music education. A dominant factor in traditional ceremonies, mariachi music emerged as the primary musical representation of Mexican nationalism in Mexico, a representation sustained and elaborated when Mexicans migrated to the United States. Incorporating mariachi training in the school curriculum ensures the continuing transmission of music that is vital to the identity of the Hispanic population. Music teachers can encourage children to explore the musical traditions of their own cultural heritage as well as those of other countries. Participation in meaningful musical performances can help students take pride in themselves and add a powerful dimension to their education.

This article looks at the indigenous music of Botswana as an African musical idiom, to illustrate common aspects between approaches to teaching and learning music in African societies and the Jaques-Dalcroze approach. The author argues that a strong foundation exists in African musical practices upon which the Dalcroze approach can build. That foundation is provided by the evidence of emphasis on certain musical concepts as displayed in the performance of a sample of song and dance genres discussed in this article. It is further contended that musical performance in African societies develops the same skills that the Dalcroze approach aims to develop.

The purpose of this article is to examine current arts and humanities elementary school textbooks in Taiwan and to make recommendations for the future. Using the paradigms of curriculum integration of Beane, Berton, Jacobs, and Snyder as a basis, the article compares selected current arts and humanities texts in both Taiwan and the USA, noting, first, the proportion of music versus other disciplines in each, and, second, the organizational method. Important findings are that the selected Taiwanese texts do not feature sufficient musical material in comparison with their US counterparts and also that the organizational method of the Taiwanese texts fosters confusion among teachers. Implications for the wider community include the facts that new textbooks should be piloted prior to receiving government approval, that the uniqueness of each art discipline should be preserved within carefully crafted thematic units, and that music can serve as an effective bridge between the various art disciplines.

Music service teachers’ biographies and occupational stages are discussed in this article. The life histories of 28 instrumental and vocal teachers, aged between 22 and 60 years, are explored. These individuals work for a Local Education Authority music service in the United Kingdom. Their occupation entails travelling between various state primary and secondary schools to provide specialist instrumental and vocal tuition. Respondents participated in the inquiry between October 2002 and March 2004. In the context of this study, life histories are purposefully co-constructed narratives without the commitment to an objective past. Instead, the foci are storytellers’ perspectives. The analytic induction of these multiple histories reveals a five-tier qualitative model of shared biographical phases; that is, stark transformations in the teachers’ perspectives across time. Storytellers’ notions of career, and their critical phases, signal the need for greater collaboration between music services and schools, and between music services and higher education providers. Pre-service and in-service training are also questioned, as is the career structure of music service teachers. Suggestions are made for future policy and practice.