Title: Musical Communities?: I'm Not Even in the Ballpark!
Abstract:Caught in a 'non-musical' loop, 20 out of 29 self-perceived non-musician participants reveal how, from early childhood, they 'learn' to feel that they are not musical. My investigation into individual...Caught in a 'non-musical' loop, 20 out of 29 self-perceived non-musician participants reveal how, from early childhood, they 'learn' to feel that they are not musical. My investigation into individuals' perceptions of their musicality reveals a pervasive societal belief that individuals are either born 'musical' or they are not; their everyday reality is one where music is perceived as a performance, an object, something that only talented people can 'do'. This paper presents a brief overview of how some individuals feel that they are left out of the 'musical ballpark' where convictions that they are not musical deter them from an active engagement in music making. Details from conversations with participants in my study illustrate a constricting cultural imposition perpetuated in many schools and also in private music teaching. Data reveal that current educational practice contributes to a denial of a natural birthright and alienates some individuals from being part of a musical community.Read More
Publication Year: 2007
Publication Date: 2007-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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