This is a deliberately provocative book crossing many disciplinary boundaries and locating music and art education within a context of contemporary social and political problems in a time of growing disruption and authoritarianism. Intended firstly for music teacher educators, practicing music teachers, and graduate and undergraduate music education majors, the book also speaks to arts and media studies teachers, parents, or others interested in exploring how composing, performing, improvising, conducting, listening, dancing, teaching, learning, or engaging in music or education criticism are all political acts because fundamentally concerned with social values and thus inseparable from power and politics. Among the book’s central themes are the danger of democratic deconsolidation in the West and how music education can help counter that threat through the fostering of democratic citizens who are aware of music’s ubiquity in their lives and its many roles in shaping public opinion and notions of truth, and for better or for worse! The arts can obviously be used for ill, but as George Orwell demonstrated in his own work, they can also be employed in defense of democracy as modes of political thought and action affording opportunities for the revitalization of society through its re-imagining.

"This book is about the construction of gendered identities in the music technology classroom. It explores how gendered discourses around music composition and technology are constructed and how young composers position themselves within these discursive frameworks"--Introd.

Higher Music Performance Education, as taught and learned in universities and conservatoires in Europe, is undergoing transformation. Since the nineteenth century, the master-apprentice pedagogical model has dominated, creating a learning environment that emphasises the development of technical skills rather than critical and creative faculties. This book contributes to the renewal of this field by being the first to address the potential of artistic research in developing student-centred approaches and greater student autonomy. This potential is demonstrated in chapters illustrating artistic research projects that are embedded within higher music education courses across Europe, with examples ranging from instrumental tuition and ensemble work to the development of professional employability skills and inclusive practices. Bringing together diverse and experienced voices working within Higher Music Education but often also as professional performers, this edited collection pairs critical reflection with artistic insight to present new approaches to curricula for teaching interpretation and performance. It calls for greater collaboration between Higher Education and professional music institutions to create closer bonds with music industries and, thereby, improve students’ career opportunities. Teaching Music Performance in Higher Education will appeal to scholars, performers, teachers, but also students whose interests centre on innovative practices in conservatoires and music departments.

The Sage Handbook of School Music Education stands as an essential guide for navigating the evolving educational landscape in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and the transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The handbook addresses philosophical foundations, social justice challenges, the envisioning of a transformative curriculum, and critical issues in music teacher education. Written by a diverse team of leading scholars, this handbook offers a truly global perspective with contributors from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and North and South America. The handbook engages with the profound interplay of economic, political, and social forces that shape educational policies. Scholars within this collaborative work delve into what it means to educate in a world undergoing significant changes. This entails an exploration of emerging educational approaches, considerations for societal implications, and the interconnectedness of school music education with broader curricular and global contexts. As a cohesive resource, The Sage Handbook of School Music Education not only addresses the challenges faced by educators but also envisions the transformative potential of music education in fostering creativity, inclusivity, and adaptability. This handbook serves as a compass for students, practitioners and scholars in the field, and all those passionate about navigating the complexities of redefining music education for a new era. Part 1: Foundations Part 2: Struggling for Social Justice Through Music Education Part 3: Curriculum Development Part 4: Teacher Education

Counterpoints: Music and Education--Estelle R. Jorgensen, editor

Unfreezing Music Education argues that discussing the conflicting meanings of music should occupy a more central role in formal music education and music teacher preparation programs than is currently the case. Drawing on the critical theory of the Frankfurt School, the author seeks to take a dialectical approach to musical meaning, rooted in critical formalism, that avoids the pitfalls of both traditional aesthetic arguments and radical subjectivity. This book makes the case for helping students understand that the meaning of musical forms is socially constructed through a process of reification, and argues that encouraging greater awareness of the processes through which music’s fluid meanings become hidden will help students to think more critically about music. Connecting this philosophical argument with concrete, practical challenges faced by students and educators, this study will be of interest to researchers across music education and philosophy, as well as post-secondary music educators and all others interested in aesthetic philosophy, critical theory, cultural studies, or the sociology of music and music education.

Introduction -- The arts and social change -- The power of utopian thinking -- Transforming society -- Music education and utopia -- Conclusion.