Introduction
Introduction
This study looks at the fundamental aspects of multicultural music education ( MME ) – the teaching of music from diverse cultures and the teaching of students from diverse cultural backgrounds ( Herbert and Karlsen , 2010 ) – in Singapore , exploring the challenges MME teachers face and the creative pedagogies they employ . Singapore makes for a compelling case study because of its culturally diverse society and the prominent presence of many musical heritages . Taught at local primary and secondary schools , the existing General Music Programme ( GMP ) syllabus incorporates the teaching of music from both Singapore and the world in order to both preserve Singapore ’ s cultural heritage and raise global awareness among students ( Ministry of Education , 2015 ). However , this study extends the field of research to include teachers from the private sector who also teach outside of the GMP syllabus , and enjoy more autonomy in the absence of a prescribed curriculum .
A key aspect of teacher autonomy is the independence and control teachers have in most aspects of classroom matters , such as curriculum planning , course content , materials used and teaching methods , which may be inhibited by pressures to conform to a standardised syllabus ( Choi and Mao , 2021 ). In the case of the GMP syllabus , teachers are tasked with ensuring that students achieve specific Learning Objectives and use established , music-specific pedagogies such as Kodály , Dalcroze and Orff , which may be adapted in the classroom ( Ministry of Education , 2015 ). However , research shows that autonomy can be immensely helpful in allowing teachers to adjust pedagogical approaches to better accommodate classroom dynamics and students ’ educational needs , especially in the case of multicultural education where both the content and students are diverse , and need to be taught in a “ culturally relevant and responsive way ” ( Choi and Mao , 2021:1 , Collie et al ., 2018 ; Mausethagen & Mølstad , 2015 ).
Existing research also highlights inauthenticity as a concern in MME provided by classroom teachers , who are often non-specialists grappling with the imposing task of teaching several different musical traditions from a syllabus . The concern lies in whether classroom teachers can teach music which they may only have an elementary understanding of , and the extent to which they are able to accurately and authentically represent these diverse musical traditions ( Herbert and Karlsen , 2010 ). Therefore , Lum and Chua ’ s ( 2016 ) work , which has been influential to establishing the scope of this study , expands on how classroom MME teachers may benefit from collaborating with culture bearers or specialists , and grow in competence in teaching the music of the various cultures found in Singapore . Nonetheless , concerns surrounding inauthenticity still remain because “ transferring music from its original cultural context to the classroom increases the chances that authenticity will be in jeopardy ” ( Palmer , 1992 : 33 ), and it is important to recognise that “ most performances in the modern age separate sound from their original context ” ( Szego , 2005 : 209 ).
There is also a lack of robust research surrounding challenges faced by specialist music teachers in Singapore ’ s private sector and tertiary institutions who are often culture bearers themselves , who may enjoy significantly more autonomy than classroom teachers , and have the freedom to employ pedagogies informed by their own personal philosophies and values . Culture bearers refer to “ practitioners who are able to provide an insider perspective of the music tradition under study ”, although those included in this study are also respected and skilled music teachers in their own right , and have years of valuable teaching experience in their specific traditions ( Lum and Chua , 2016 : 36 ). In their work , Lizeray and Lum ( 2018 ) explore the profiles of Singaporean musicians , and the dialectic relationship between their identities and the music they make , resulting in sounds and practice that innovate upon their own cultural heritages and values to produce novel representations of their music traditions . Similarly , this study aims to highlight the value of personal histories , narratives and philosophies in crafting creative pedagogies to overcome challenges faced by specialist music teachers providing MME , enabled by teacher autonomy and the absence of a prescribed curriculum . It extends the field of research to include specialist teachers from both the private sector and tertiary institutions , who fit the description of culture bearers due to their work and training in their specific musical traditions and heritages .
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