Media Review: Music Education in England, 1950–2010: The Child-Centred Progressive Education

Abstract

Finney, John. Music Education in England, 1950-2010: The Child-Centred Progressive Education. Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2011. ix + 188 pp. Hardcover, index. ISBN 978-1-4094-1076-8, 60 [pounds sterling]. Music Education in England, 1950-2010: The Child-Centred Progressive Tradition by John Finney is more than a historical account of the child-centered progressive movement in music education; it is also part autobiography. Finney offers a unique perspective of the time period through his transitions from student to music educator to music-teacher educator to commentator on contemporary practice and policy. In the preface, he identifies the child-centered progressive practice and traditions as a cause of the shift in his music teacher identity. A senior lecturer in music education at the University of Cambridge, Finney is interested in finding ways to improve the quality of classroom musical experiences for teachers and students--what he calls the interaction between policy and practice. Finney's contextualized account of music education addresses the roles of social, political, and cultural matters. The book is divided into eight chapters and includes a bibliography, glossary, and index. In the introductory chapter, Finney provides a justification for the book, the history of music's development as a subject within general education, a brief description of child-centered and progressive traditions, and outlines the book's structure. This section provides an overview of the topics and time period in the book, while highlighting the connections among chapters. Each of the six chapters tells a story that Finney describes as capturing the spirit and characteristics of a particular phase in history. Social, historical, and political matters come to life through excerpts from interviews and written accounts. These stories highlight debates surrounding music education during certain time periods, the main characters surrounding those debates, and the voices of the teachers and students of the In chapter 2, Finney introduces Sybil Marshall, a music teacher ahead of her time. The date is the mid-nineteenth century, and the topic of sight-singing was of great interest in music education. Songs could be sung for enjoyment, but the main educational goal was to combine sight and sound by empowering students to read music in silence, or musicianship of the mind. Marshall, a free spirit with an independent mind, argued that those in charge of education were often unaware of its realities. She believed in rich, educational experiences in which the teacher provided students with a starting point from which to explore and create. She compared a classroom to an archaeological dig: the teacher chooses the place to dig and leads the students to it but then allows student interest to determine what is brought to light. Students work independently and collaboratively within the task, somewhat controlled within the context provided by the teacher. Marshall was a pioneer in using recordings in the classroom to share her love of listening with her students and as a starting point for creativity, performing, composing, and interdisciplinary topics. She allowed independence and freedom as she guided her students toward musical growth. She focused on the needs of current and future students. One student, Jill, is quoted extensively throughout this chapter about her experiences with Marshall. Jill appreciated her ability to learn without fear, something not experienced in her later education. She reflects on what she learned in Marshall's music class and how she shares with her grandchildren the love of singing, dancing, creating, and listening to music. In chapter 3, Finney focuses on the egalitarian ideals of the 1960s and 1970s by examining teacher-student relationships and the relationship between musical expression and self-expression. This chapter paves the way for chapter 4 and its focus on liberal education and how the concept of creative music-making and being musical changed. …