Instructor: Stephen Mayo
Guests Lecturers
Dr Thomas Regelski: University of Helsinki
Dr Lisa Scrivani-Tidd: St Lawrence University and Jefferson Community College
Dr Roger Rideout: University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Description of Course: Study of psychological and sociological foundations of music education, emphasizing current issues and developments. Particular application to curriculum and instruction in school music. One of three required Music Education courses in Master of Music in Music Education.
Required Texts
Hodges (H1), D., ed. Handbook of Music Psychology. University of Texas at San Antonio: IMR Press, 1996.
Rideout (1), R., ed. On the Sociology of Music Education. Norman, Oklahoma: The University of Oklahoma, 1997.
Suggested Readings
Bowman, W. Philosophical Perspectives on Music. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. Chapter 7-8. Campbell, P. S. Songs in Their Heads: Music and Its Meaning in Children’s Lives. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. Part 1.
Elliott, D. Music Matters: A New Philosophy of Music Education. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995. Chapters 2, 7.
Hargreaves (H3), D.J. The Developmental Psychology of Music. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986. Chapter 7.
Hargreaves (H2), D. J. and North, A. C. eds. The Social Psychology of Music. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997. Chapters 1-5,7-11
Kramer, L. Classical Music and Postmodern Knowledge. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1995. Chapter 1.
Martin, P. J. Sounds and Society: Themes in the Sociology of Music. New York and Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1995. Chapter 5.
Rideout (2), R. and Paul, S., eds. Innovations in Music Teacher Education. Norman, Oklahoma: The University of Oklahoma, 1997. Pages 1-15, 30-63.
Rideout (3), R. and Paul, S., eds. On the Sociology of Music Education II. Norman, Oklahoma: The University of Oklahoma, 2000. Pages 1-18, 40-50.
Scott, D. B., ed. Music, Culture, and Society. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Pages 83-87, 221-224.
Small, C. Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening. Hanover and London: Wesleyan University Press, 1998.
Swanwick, K. Music Knowledge: Intuition, Analysis, and Music Education. London and New York: Routledge, 1994. Chapters 4-6
van der Veer, R. and Valsiner, J. eds. The Vygotsky Reader. Oxford and Cambridge: Blackwell, 1994. Chapter 5.
Suggested Web Sites
ACT [Action for Change in Music Education] http://mas.siue.edu/ACT/
G.R.I.M.E. [Gender Research in Music Education] G.E.M.S. [Gender, Education, Music, Society] http://music.boisestate.edu/GEMS
MAYDAY Group https://maydaygroup.org
CAIRSS (Computer Assisted Information Retrieval Service System) http://imr.utsa.edu/CAIRSS.html
Project Zero Research Projects http://www.projectzero.harvard.edu/research/research.htm
Expectations
This course follows much of my own personal development as a musician and thinker. My training was in experimental music psychology with large doses of qualitative research. I have specialized in developmental psychology, and increasingly in social and musical development of children.
When I started my doctoral studies, experimental psychology of music was in vogue. However, over the years the experimental has been overshadowed by qualitative research paradigms, which are very much in evidence in sociological research in music. The sociological paradigms offer much more rich and contextual (i.e., real life) observations about music and the people who make music.
I will expect you to be challenged as a thinker of, reader of, and teacher in music education. You will develop skills and strategies for reading difficult materials and for applying your understandings to your own teaching. (Not only are the readings often written in the jargon of the field, but they also explore difficult and abstract ideas.) Finally, I will expect you to change; it is the true measure of learning that you will accommodate new ideas to your existing ideas, practices, and ideals to effect differences in your teaching and life.
This is the first time that this course will be offered with the new content format and the last time it will be listed with the current number. During the course, I will ask for your suggestions about how to make it better. This course will be even more unusual since I will be gone during the middle of the course; Dr. Lisa Scrivani-Tidd will be teaching for five days and offering her expertise on popular music. We will have two other guests talking about their articles and current research/thinking: July 11-Dr. Tom Regelski; July 26-Dr. Roger Rideout. Finally, during my absence I will participate via Blackboard in class discussions and otherwise be available for consultation.
Objectives
1. One of the objectives of the course will be to compare the psychological and sociological viewpoints of the same topic. To facilitate this objective, each student will be a member of a small group, which explores an assigned topic. Over the four weeks, you will meet and discuss the assigned readings and prepare a final presentation during the last several days of class. Details concerning the presentation will be posted online. Your group will be assigned one of the following topics: Social and Musical Development of Children, Aesthetic Issues in Music, Gender and Music, Music as Social and Political Action, Music in a Post-Modern World, Musical Taste and Performance, Music Research and Teaching.
2. For each assigned class reading, you will prepare a one-page crib sheet to be used in the class discussion. This sheet will include a summary of the major points and two questions that clarify, extend, or question the reading. At the bottom or back of the sheet, summarize your thoughts after the class discussion. These sheets will be collected at the end of the class so that I can review how well you are reading and understanding the readings and thereby make adjustments to my teaching of the class. As such, I may change dates and assignments to better reflect your and my involvement in the class.
3. At the end of the first, second, and third weeks, you will write a short summary of sky-blue thoughts related to the week’s activities (sky-blue refers to an airplane pilot metaphor of having no boundaries where you fly, no weather or other realities to limit your flight, and nothing but the flight to enjoy: let your mind soar where it will). Using WORD or other appropriate text program, write your thoughts and upload the document or the text to Blackboard for the class to read and make comments (I suggest using WORD so you can spell-check and otherwise check your paper for inaccuracies). This is not a summary of what you have read, but rather an up-to-the-minute report of what and how your mind is working related to the course and your life as a teacher. What will be most important are your responses to other papers in the class. Consider this as an extension of the class discussion. During the fourth week, you will write a “what I have learned and how it may affect my teaching” document and submit it for reading and discussion.
4. In all instances, you will be expected to contribute to class and online discussion (some of these are free discussion and some are required discussion topics), be prepared by reading all assignments, participate in all group deliberations and preparations, and attend all classes.
Calendar, Topics, Assigned Readings
Week 1
Monday, July 8–Introduction to Psychology and Sociology of Music Education.How to read long and complicated readings for meaning. Introduction to group topics. Introduction to Blackboard.
Tuesday, July 9–Assgn: Hodges (H1)-Chap.1; Hargreaves (H2)-Chap. 1,15.
Wednesday, July 10– Assgn: H1-Chap.12; Rideout (R)-Pages 1-12, 65-69
Thursday, July 11–Assgn: R-pages 85-111; Guest-Dr Tom Regelski
Friday, July 12–summary of the week; groups meet and choose topic
Week 2
Monday, July 15–Assgn: H1-Chap. 4-5; Internet-5PM post Sky-Blue #1
Tuesday, July 16–groups meet (discuss readings) (Mayo gone)
Wednesday, July 17–groups meet (discuss questions)
Thursday, July 18–Assgn: R-pages 70-94; Guest-Dr. Lisa Scrivani-Tidd; Internet-5 PM close discussion on Sky-Blue #1
Friday, July 19–Assgn: R-pages 55-64 (explain model on p. 64); Guest-Dr. Scrivani-Tidd
Week 3
Monday, July 22–groups meet (discuss presentation); Internet-5 PM post Sky-Blue #2
Tuesday, July 23- Assgn: H1-Chap. 7,9; Guest-Dr. Scrivani-Tidd
Wednesday, July 24–groups consult with teacher (presentation discussion); Guest-Dr. Scrivani-Tidd
Thursday, July 25–Assgn: R-Pages 43-64, 143-179; Guest-Dr. Scrivani-Tidd; Internet-5 PM close discussion on Sky-Blue #2
Friday, July 26–Assgn: prepare questions for guest; Guest-Dr. Rideout [Mayo returns]
Sunday, July 28–Internet-5 PM post discussion on Sky-Blue #3
Week 4
Monday, July 29–groups consult with teacher (final consultation on presentation; preparation for discussion on synthesis)
Tuesday, July 30–presentation of group 1, class discussion on synthesis of readings; Internet-5 PM close discussion on Sky-Blue #3
Wednesday, July 31–presentations of groups 2 & 3
Thursday, August 1–presentations of groups 4 & 5
Friday, August 2–presentations of groups 6 & 7; Internet-5 PM post final paper-What I have learned
Grading Rubric
I. Preparation for class discussion (crib sheets)
A=all assigned readings summarized and on time, questions show excellent understanding, final discussion shows excellent insight
B=all assigned readings summarized and on time, questions show good understanding, final discussion shows good insight
C=most assigned readings summarized, some not on time, questions show a general lack of understanding, final discussion shows basic insight
II. Sky-Blue papers
A=posted on time and free of grammatical errors, shows wonderful creativity and leaps of logic
B=posted on time and free of grammatical errors, shows some creativity and some basic propositions of logic
C=not all posted on time, some grammatical errors, shows lack of creativity and lackluster observations
III. What I have learned paper
A=posted on time and free of grammatical errors, demonstrates personal growth and exceptional understanding of the topics
B=posted on time and free of grammatical errors, demonstrates some personal growth and basic understanding of topics
C=not posted on time, some grammatical errors, shows inconsistent personal growth and a general lack of understanding of some topics
IV. Free Internet discussions
A=responds prolifically and with insight and professionalism to all sky-blue papers and given topics
B=responds consistently and with some insight and professionalism to all sky-blue papers and most given topics
C=responds inconsistently and with occasional insight and professionalism to all sky-blue papers and some given topics
V. Classroom discussion
A=responds consistently and with insight about all topics, asks insightful questions that show an inquisitive mind at work, demonstrates acceptance of ambiguity and ignorance that may lead to later understanding
B=responds regularly and with basic insight about most topics, asks basic questions that show understanding at a basic level, demonstrates uneasiness with ambiguity and ignorance that may lead to later understanding
C=does not respond on a regular basis, does not show understanding on all topics, asks some questions, concerned with answers and certainties.
VI. Group presentation (everyone in the group receives the same grade)
A=superbly organized, demonstrates superb understanding of topic, creative and interesting presentation, useful and clear handout, efficient presentation, demonstrates insight concerning application of topic to teaching
B=well organized, demonstrates good understanding of topic, interesting presentation, useful and clear handout, overall good use of time in presentation, demonstrates basic understanding concerning application of topic to teaching
C=basically organized, demonstrates basic understanding of topic, pedestrian presentation, somewhat useful and occasionally clear handout, not good use of time in presentation, does not demonstrate basic understanding concerning application of topic to teaching.
Final grade is the average of 6 grades from the 6 rubrics.