Abstract:

Insights from Community Music 

Music plays a central role in the life of adolescents, impacting wellbeing and identity, however, this is often contrasted with limited engagement in formal school-based music education. Why are youth motivated to participate in non-formal community musicking? How does this contribute to their thriving? What lessons can school-based music education take from this? This paper examines the motivations of youth to participate in community musicking and the contribution of this to flourishing, using the constructs of positive psychology and positive youth development. Community musicking is used as an external reference point, providing a contrasting perspective through which school music education can be re-envisaged.

Kodály Nova

We live in a rapidly changing global and educational context which challenges notions of discrete, definable elements, traditional music literacy, neatly categorised masterworks, and definitions of quality. On the one hand, we steward a tradition of excellence in Kodály musicianship, which more than meets the need to test, measure and categorise student achievement, competitively ranking students for tertiary entrance, or preparing them with the necessary skills to become professional musicians. On the other hand, we find the increasingly blurred boundaries of technology, and the new frontiers of creativity beyond the classroom, accessibility and relevance in a rapidly changing educational context. This tension between the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ presents a liminal space, a challenge, but also an opportunity for Kodály educators. The aim of this paper is to examine the scope of Kodály practice to respond to current research trends, our strengths, and where we are currently constrained, needing to adapt to be fit for purpose. This paper will provide an overview of the literature, highlighting key issues that challenge traditional Secondary Music Education, and by extension, Kodály practice. Challenges such as relevancy, engagement and credible creativity, course construction and broader education, will be posited as opportunities for thriving in our collective Kodály journey.