An Aesthetico-Political Approach to Music Education: Transformation Beyond Gender

Abstract

This chapter takes Jorgensen’s thoughts regarding how music education can contribute to a better world, developed in Transforming Music Education, as a starting-point. Based on her statements, I elaborate upon possibilities for equal music education. The picture of transformed music education, as I interpret Jorgensen’s work, is based on a dialectic approach, including mutual curiosity and respect. Through my research where I have interviewed female electric guitar playing upper secondary music students, shows though, that transformation of music education has to continue. For example, the analysis of their expressed experiences shows that they are diminished, quieted, encouraged to care, and seen as the other musical sex. Therefore, the chapter communicates a philosophical exploration of how an aesthetic-political understanding of democracy, based on Arendt, Merleau-Ponty and Ranciere, could be used to go beyond gender, and imply in what ways music education could offer equal dialectical spaces of musical wonder. My hope is that voices of philosophical scholars, within the field of music education, will continue open-ended collegial discussions based in friction and friendship in Jorgensen’s spirit in deliberative scenes. That could be one contributor towards a professional discussion towards equal music education. The aesthetico-political voice could be one that aims to encourage both music teachers and students to be and become themselves, in music educational settings, where all individuals are heard and listened to, in intersubjective musical activities.