Informal Music Learning Research Articles

From singular to over-crowded region: Curriculum change in senior secondary school music in New Zealand

This paper discusses recent developments in the senior music curriculum in New Zealand. I suggest that school music is in transition from its clearly defined origins to its ‘regionalisation’ by new content and knowledge. The concepts of knowledge differentiation and verticality are considered in relation to the subject's now diverse range of curriculum segments, and I argue that the varied progression requirements of these segments combined with an ‘emptying out’ of significant aspects of knowledge within an outcomes-based curriculum presents significant challenges for curriculum construction and pedagogy. Also vying for space within the curriculum are elements of informal music learning. These challenges need to be carefully considered in light of recent social realist critiques which highlight the significance of the relationship between knowledge structures, curriculum, pedagogy and student access to powerful knowledge.

Conceptual frameworks, theoretical models and the role of YouTube: Investigating informal music learning and teaching in online music community

In this article, I discuss framework models, approaches and theories advanced by new media and social science researchers for conceptualizing and investigating online communities, including the role of YouTube – and the implications this has for music learning and teaching in online and offline contexts. I will draw on my research of one online community – the Online Academy of Irish Music – (www. oaim.ie) to illustrate how these ideas, frameworks and artefacts such as YouTube videos are relevant for and applicable to music education research and practice.

Intercultural perspectives on formal and informal Music learning

This paper reviews some of the changes and developments that have occurred in music education over the last decade, following Hargreaves and North’s (2001) international review. I describe some recent developments in England, in which change has been very rapid, and in which education has had a high political profile, and then consider the three main issues which emerged from our international review, namely curriculum issues; the aims and objectives of music education; and the relationship between music in and out of school. I go on to describe two theoretical models which were developed as a result of my work with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in England: these are models of the different opportunities in music education, and of its intended outcomes. The first of these reveals the importance of the differences between formal and informal music learning, both of which can take place inside as well as outside schools. I conclude by reflecting on the power and ubiquity of music in young people’s everyday lives, which mean that music education policy should reflect and capitalize upon this power.

Informal music learning, improvisation and teacher education

This paper1 explores firstly the sense in which improvisation might be conceived of as an informal music education process and, secondly, the effects of a course in free improvisation on student teachers' perceptions in relation to themselves as musicians, music as a school subject and children as musicians. The results of a study conducted in two Greek universities are presented. Using a narrative methodology, examples of data from the reflective diaries or learning journals which 91 trainee teachers kept as part of their participation in an improvisation module are presented and discussed. The argument is made that improvisation, as a particular type of informal music learning process, has an important role to play in fostering the qualities required of teachers to work with informal pedagogies in music education. Furthermore, we would suggest that such musical experiences might gradually lead to the development of a critical perspective on both music education theories and practices. Improvisation might emerge as a moment and a practice of rupture with linearity of progress, working against reification of knowledge and glorification of received information. The findings suggest that improvisation might offer a route for creating an intimate, powerful, evolving dialogue between students' identities as learners, their attitudes towards children and their creative potential, and the interrelationships of the notions of expressive technique and culture, thus becoming ‘an act of transcendence’ (Allsup, 1997, p. 81). We propose that the issue of connecting informal learning and improvisation might be resolved by regarding improvisation as an exemplary case of creating a communicative context where most representations/conceptualisations/struggles to solve problems are left implicit. Such experiences for pupils and teachers alike might further extend the social and personal effectiveness of informal learning as music pedagogy.

Bridging the gap: Informal learning practices as a pedagogy of integration

This work derives from a doctoral research study which looked at the differences in students' attitudes towards learning music in a Brazilian music higher education institution, while taking into account their different music learning backgrounds. The students' backgrounds (which consist of their set of musical experiences and music-learning processes that had been acquired and developed in their lives before entering the university course) are divided into three types: (i) those who have acquired their skills and knowledge mostly through informal learning experiences, particularly in the world of popular music; (ii) those who have only experienced classical training either within institutions such as music schools, or privately; and (iii) those whose backgrounds consist of both informal learning and classical training. These different backgrounds are termed here formal, informal and mixed. The research also discusses the gap between the way music is conceived and taught within the university and the reality students will have to face outside university. It further suggests that the traditional teaching approaches for music in higher education are possibly inadequate for educating university students from varied music learning backgrounds, especially those with informal music learning backgrounds. After examining some findings of the research, the paper proposes pedagogical strategies in which informal music learning practices might help the integration of students from different backgrounds, encouraging students' diversity and their inclusion in the university music school environment. The suggested strategies exemplify approaches that enable the students to bridge the gap between their own musical practices and those they are expected to learn in their institution. In this case, the students have more autonomy and the teacher becomes a facilitator of the process.

Exploring a virtual music community of practice: Informal music learning on the Internet

Over the past ten years, online communities of practice have evolved in cyberspace formed around different folk music genres, including Bluegrass, Irish Traditional, and Old Time (OT) music. Using Wenger's (1998) social learning theory as a framework, and informed by Hine's research in cyber ethnography (2000), the purpose of this article is to explore the informal music teaching and learning practices that characterize the OT music online community as a community of practice (CoP). What defines the OT online community as a CoP? What technologies including software programs do learners use and how do learners modify these to fit their needs? What practices characterize learning in this online community? Information gleaned from this article will serve a twofold purpose. First, the exploration of music learning in this online CoP will have implications for lifelong music learning and formal school music education. Second, this study will demonstrate the appropriateness of employing cyber ethnography as a method for conducting online narrative research in music education.

Learning in a Celtic Community: An Exploration of Informal Music Learning and Adult Amateur Musicians

Abstract This on-going ethnographic study focuses on adult music learning by examining motivations and successful learning strategies favored by 6 players in one weekly Celtic pub session. There were 2 women and 4 men, the average age of participants was 45, and each had been learning Celtic Traditional Music (CTM) between six and 16years. Three had learned to play an instrument at school but had discontinued playing their school instruments after graduation. Participants were attracted to CTM and traditional instruments for various reasons, and learned through the medium ofitunesj rather than scales and exercises. Because CTM is an aural/oral culture, participants valued learning "by ear," but did regard written notation as a useful aid, particularly as a mnemonic strategy. We conducted session documentation through photo, video, cyberspace information and audio recording balanced against in-depth interviews. Research questions included: What were the various attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of session participants regarding learning traditional Irish/Celtic music? What are the characteristics of learning that occurred in this informal setting? What are the implications for lifelong music learning and formal music education? Information about this kind of informal learning practice has implications for formal school instrumental learning.

Sound Links: Exploring the social, cultural and educational dynamics of musical communities in Australia

Sound Links examines the dynamics of community music in Australia, and the models it represents for informal music learning and teaching. This involves researching a selection of vibrant musical communities across the country, exploring their potential for complementarity and synergy with music in schools. This article focuses on the most significant themes that have emerged from the author's recent Sound Links fieldwork in four musical communities across Australia. Drawing on insights from well over 300 community music practitioners, participants, educators, and administrators, it will touch on the critical success factors, key challenges, learning dynamics and models for community-school collaborations found in these diverse community settings. These themes will be interwoven with ideas and concepts from community studies in the humanities and community music literature to provide a range of insights into the social, cultural and educational dynamics of musical communities in Australia.

Group cooperation, inclusion and disaffected pupils: some responses to informal learning in the music classroom. Presented at the RIME Conference 2007, Exeter, UK

This paper examines some personal and interpersonal issues concerning group work and informal learning in the music classroom. It analyses data from a recent research project, which adopted and adapted the informal music learning practices of popular musicians, for use in the classroom. The discussion focuses on three aspects of the project. Firstly, it considers the issue of group cooperation, or the ways in which pupils interacted to organise their learning in small groups. This includes various approaches, identified as ‘group learning’, ‘peer-directed learning’ and ‘leadership’. Secondly, the paper addresses the topic of inclusion in relation to how individuals with differing needs and experiences were able to respond to the project, and the extent to which the learning practices allowed differentiation. Thirdly, weaving through the first two strands, the paper examines the inclusion of pupils who had been identified by their teachers as disaffected. This involves considering the roles of imaginative play and personal identity in the music classroom, with relation to both music's cultural delineations and its sonic properties.

Once the beat gets going it really grooves: Informal music learning as experienced by two Irish traditional musicians

The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to discover the manner in which two Irish musicians, Loretto Reid and Brian Taheny, taught/and or transmitted traditional music at the Celtic College Summer School in Goderich, Ontario. Two central questions, each followed by several sub-questions, served to focus the study: How did you learn Irish traditional music? and How do you teach Irish traditional music to adults? Several themes emerged from the analysis of the central and sub-questions, including a supportive family environment, listening and observing as key elements to musical learning, teaching holistically and music notation used as a memory aid and not as the primary learning tool. Information gleaned from this study is potentially valuable to public school music programmes.

Once the beat gets going it really grooves: Informal music learning as experienced by two Irish traditional musicians

Once the beat gets going it really grooves: Informal music learning as experienced by two Irish traditional musicians

Formal and informal learning situations or practices vs formal and informal ways of learning

During the last decade there has been an awakening interest in considering not only formalised learning situations within institutional settings, but also all the various forms of informal musical learning practices outside schools. Informal musical learning outside institutional settings has been shown to contribute to important knowledge and aspects of music education. In this article, I will examine research studies which in different ways focus on formal and informal learning situations and practices or formal and informal ways of learning. I will consider the relationship between music education as praxis (music pedagogy) and as research, and the relationship between these two facets of music education and the surrounding society. I will identify four different ways of using and defining formal and informal learning, respectively, either explicitly or implicitly, each one focusing on different aspects of learning: (i) the situation, (ii) learning style, (iii) ownership, and (iv) intentionality. Formal – informal should not be regarded as a dichotomy, but rather as the two poles of a continuum; in most learning situations, both these aspects of learning are in various degrees present and interacting. Music education researchers, in order to contribute to the attainment of a multiplicity of learning styles and a cultural diversity in music education, need to focus not only on the formal and informal musical learning in Western societies and cultures, but also to include the full global range of musical learning in popular, world and indigenous music in their studies.

Music and informal learning in everyday life

In this paper, we focus on informal learning as it is situated in and derived from everyday life experience (Lave, 1988; Lave and Wenger, 1991). Our concern is with informal musical learning and it...

Here, there and everywhere: music education research in a globalised world

Most research in music education has so far dealt with music training in institutional settings, such as schools, and is accordingly based, either implicitly or explicitly, on the assumption that musical learning results from a sequenced, methodical exposure to music teaching within a formal setting. However, in order to realise and understand the multidimensional character of music teaching, musical learning should be considered in a much broader and wider context. During the last decade there has been an awakening interest in considering not only the formalised learning situations within institutional settings, but also all various forms of learning that goes on in informal musical learning practices outside schools. The study of informal musical learning outside institutional settings has actually proved to contribute to important knowledge and aspects of music education. The aim of this presentation is twofold: (i) to give a ‘view from the bridge’ about current and potential directions in music education research and practice, and (ii) to illuminate this issue by presenting some current and recent work. I will do this by focusing on two main themes: (i) different aspects of formal and informal learning situations or practices, and formal and informal ways of learning, respectively and (ii) the developing of research methods exemplified by the main results of a meta analysis of qualitative studies on music creativity and composition. By way of introduction, I will start by presenting the definition of the field of research in music education from which I operate. This also involves a view of the relationship between music education as a field of praxis (music pedagogy) and as a field of research, and the relationship between these two facets of music education and the surrounding society.

The impact of informal music learning practices in the classroom, or how I learned how to teach from a garage band

This ethnographic study is an investigation of the environment that students create when making music that is meaningful to them. The initial purpose of the study was to describe a developing ‘rock group’, and the factors that contributed to its creation. The significance of the study may be in the discovery of ways to ‘counter mechanisms of dominance inherent’ (Fornas, Lindberg, & Sernhede, 1995, p. 263) in many formal environments. The author reflects on the lessons of informal music learning practices and the implications for her own classroom environment. A broader perspective on the informal/formal dichotomy may help teachers establish more diverse learning practices.

How hip-hop musicians learn: Strategies in informal creative music making

The study of informal musical learning outside institutional settings, such as schools, has proved to contribute important knowledge to aspects of music education. Hip-hop, as an example of informal musical learning, has so far been quite an unexplored field for research. The present study investigates music creation within two hip-hop groups (communes) in Sweden. The focus is on the creative learning process and the meeting between music and lyrics (the texts). The groups were given a beat/background, composed by a 'beatmaker', on the basis of which they were asked to create a hip-hop tune. The process, which took place in a recording studio with a sound engineer, was observed and videotaped. After the recording sessions, both groups watched the videotape and made comments on their working processes (stimulated recall). Pre-interviews were carried out with both groups, and in addition, the 'beatmaker' was interviewed. The results show that in the creative process, which is collective in character, the lyrics are superior to the music. Although the groups use the same ready-made music backgrounds, the lyrics are different and very personal. The text, which includes music and lyrics, is cyclical and is made using a 'collage' method. It is full of intertextuality, i.e. references to other lyrics, movies and commercials.