LEARNING TO LEARN
Diversity in expressive arts education
Tau Wey , Head of Keyboard , Music
A pertinent agenda
According to UNESCO , ‘ three quarters of the world ’ s major conflicts have a cultural dimension ’. In a world in which globalisation and interconnectedness have become an undeniable reality , arts and humanities are critically placed to either endorse divisions and prejudices , or , by promoting cultural diversity , to , ‘ reduce inequalities and build more inclusive societies ’.
Diversity is now one of the top agendas for educators . Quite apart from the fact that we need to live and learn together as heterogeneous individuals within a society , studies have shown that diversity has positive effects on innovation . If we merely engage with people and ideas of our own tribe , we become ‘ prisoners of our paradigms ’ ( Syed , 2021 , p . 12 ). The outsider mindset helps people question status quos and envision new possibilities . This is crucial when dealing with complex problems like social inequality or international treaties . If , for example , women are marginalised or excluded from full participation in society , ‘ the diverse perspectives , information and discoveries- the collective brain [ is ] serially diminished ’ ( Syed , 2021 , p . 156 ).
How does the issue of diversity manifest itself in music education ?
Within academia , music has in many ways been presumed to be like maths – meaning its truth is independent of the society which gave rise to it . With this presumption , music educators have proselytised students with the Western canon and its rules . Although incremental changes have taken place over the last few decades , the old ways of thinking still have their spell . To give an example , if , as is claimed , Mahler ’ s symphonies are universal in their meaning , then they are also good enough to be imposed on all of humanity .
Recent discourse has sought to dispute this , with Bloechl et al arguing that ‘ the most prominent work on difference in the past fifty years has proceeded from a politicized awareness of injustice carried out in the name of sameness and universalism ’ ( 2015 , p . 5 ). What is at stake is whether our social discourse and cultural engagement respects the diversity of the world in which we live , and ‘ understand [ s ] different things , people , and ideas , in terms that are closer to the way in which they perceive themselves ’ ( 2015 , p . 7 ).
An obvious problem in music education is the scarcity of female composers . To overlook women ’ s contribution to music history helps to sustain the gender system itself . On the other hand , engaging with their work , and the same is true for other marginalised repertories , is to accord them , in Bloechl et al ’ s terminology , recognition , redistribution , and representation ( 2015 , p . 7 ).
How can schools adapt ?
That is why at Sevenoaks School students are now used to hearing for instance Florence Price alongside Beethoven in school concerts , and the corridors are adorned with posters of composers from Schubert to Samuel Coleridge-Taylor . The aural and visual environment can make a surreptitious yet lasting impression on the whole community .
Changes are afoot , too , in curriculum music , which now gives greater prominence to music from around the globe as well as vernacular styles of music within the West . As important though is how the subject matter is studied . Hitherto it would have been customary to study the lone genius of Western culture , for example Beethoven . This contrasts with studying ‘ world music ’ as an entity that is rooted in the functions and rituals of the tribe and created by communities , such as Indonesian gamelan music . This can unwittingly contribute to the perception of Western music as being higher up in the musical hierarchy . An improvement would be to seek equality in the way different areas of music are studied . For example , one could study eighteenth-century Viennese music ethnographically , and uncover important musical personalities in the history of gamelan .
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