Shifting Paradigms in Global Music Education
An Interview with Jennifer Walden
Jennifer Walden has mastered the craft of engaging students in musical activities that span many cultures and generations. Her approach is truly global, teaching culturally diverse understanding, awareness, and appreciation through music. In this podcast, Jim discusses with Jennifer some of these approaches to teaching music globally and their expected impact on the future of international music education.
Podcast: Shifting Paradigms in Global Music Education
An Interview with Jennifer Walden
Shifting Paradigms in Global Music Education: An Interview with Jennifer Walden
Background music: Djembe Reggaeton - Malakay Designs
The written transcription follows below:
Background:
JY: OK, great. All right, so let's start off. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
JW: That goes back a long time. I grew up in a musical family and I knew in my teens that I wanted to be involved in music and be a music teacher. Then, as I was coming up to graduate from university, there were some choices of where we could do student teaching or practicum. The university I was going to said, well, we do have overseas programs. I jumped on that thought, OK, this would be great. So I ended up in, in Taiwan.
I think a lot of us graduate with our first degree, a bachelor's degree in something. I know in my 20s I thought I was very clever, but when I got to Taiwan, I went with friends to what's called the night market and suddenly heard these sounds that I thought, wait, what? What is that? It sounded like it was instruments, but I wasn't sure. It came around the corner, and it was a full-on Beijing opera at the night market. That was a huge wake-up call for me because I thought, I have no idea what these instruments are. I have no idea what those costumes are and what it all means. And what really brought that home for me was that the audience knew that. That was the catalyst for me. It's like I have to know more about this. Just when I thought I knew everything, I realized how narrow my schooling had been.
So, that was my jump-off spot to learn as much as I could about the music, if not to learn to play the instruments, speak the language, and just not that, but then incorporate it into the classroom. Bring it into the studies we were doing. Not necessarily as a special exotic thing, but as something, a component of music, music that is happening, and music that is as important to some people or a person or other other groups as the students' preferences. Students might have their favorite music, but people also have their favorite music. It might be very different than what your music is, but it's just as meaningful. And so I continued doing that. Each country I lived in, and I've been in nine different international schools and just built on that and building methodologies and pedagogies really of how to do this.
Recognizing Musical Contexts:
JY: Your discussion right now is aligning something which is inherent in the IB and the current (Music) DP program. That is, in which context do students look at music? Do we look at that from a local, global, or personal context? So this is fortuitous. It's right in line actually with the new curriculum and how the entry point for looking into music. So maybe you could describe to us some of the work you're currently doing in your International School.
JW: Well, I have my assignment, shall we say, is very Western sounding. It's (like) they would say, well, she's the band person. But then the people in the school who know me, they're like, OK, wait a second. She's an instrumental music person. Because it has expanded, it's opened up into a various number of groups. We have the traditional Western concert band. And then there are rock bands, popular rock, and jazz music. I work with the concert bands. Again, from a global perspective. Our warmups aren't simply let's see from a band perspective, teachers will be thinking, OK, B flat concert scale; students will learn a B flat concert scale. However, they'll also learn how to think of it in terms of numbers. So as a 123456787654321, then once they're comfortable with that, I say, OK, well, let's let's do this. We'll be taking out the fours and sevens and so they're doing a 123568 or (the) high one. And then we talk about, OK, this scale, you would hear more in traditional music from this part of the world, which would be more a Chinese-sounding pentatonic scale.
The next thing we would go to might be a Sunda scale from the Sunda area of Indonesia. So we're taking out the twos and the sixes. 1-345-787-5431 So they're warming up with different scales and the same thing happens in the choir. And so right away there's that next step, that next level of awareness (outside) our environment.
Connect the Familiar with the Unfamiliar:
JY: Actually, you're, you're piggybacking on my next question. One of the cornerstones of the current IBDP curriculum is to get students to research and apply their research connecting the unfamiliar with familiar music. And you've already highlighted some of those. So maybe you could share some of your thoughts on the way students connect familiar music with unfamiliar music.
JW: Yes, certainly. One of the bands did a piece that was based on Irish traditional music. So what we did was we took this idea that we've got these triplets, but then in some places in the music, it's happening against 8th notes, straight 8th notes, or quarter notes. And that the quarter note with a triplet is, is fairly easy............ dot. And they have played those sorts of things before. There's the familiar triplet, triplet, triplet, triplet. That is this idea of thinking triplet, triplet, or one and a two and a three.
And I would have them listen to lilting, which would perhaps be going in Doodle Dee da... So having them then try singing it, singing triplets, just using the da, da, da... Again, moving slowly into that unfamiliar, but connecting that the triplet or one and a, two and a. And so then moving into where then the next part of the music would be where they've got the 8th notes moving against the triplets. And in Western music, you know it is called hemiola, but it's not necessarily called that in other types of music. So half of the class plays perhaps a B flat concert scale familiar in 8th notes, the other half doing it in triplets.
And the next thing you know, then they are seeing feeling in a place where they're comfortable with. That's just one example. I can share a lot of other examples, but it's one that we just recently did. Always, always go with that is context, always context where, where did these musical ideas come from? Where did lilting come from? Lilting came from the fact that sometimes they didn't have instruments, so they imitated the instruments with their voices, then of course, at dance and looking at dance and triplets, looking at a jig and moving your feet. And so and being able to say, oh, OK, And especially here in the Latin American part of the world, being able to connect. So this is how we dance, this is how we move our feet in merengue, or this is how we move them in bachata. But then it's just a slightly different shift. Now we're moving in the way our feet would move in a jig.
JY: It sounds like you're making the process of making unfamiliar become personal, fun, logical, relevant, and purposeful.
JW: Precisely all those words, fantastic words, because they are, as soon as they're able to make those connections on their own, it's opened just a completely new understanding for them.
A Global Perspective:
JY: Historically, we as educators have been moved into a definition of calling music Western music or non-Western music. Do you think we should avoid associating or labeling unfamiliar music as non-Western? Do you think we should just avoid the topic of Western or non-Western altogether?
Edge to Edge Media
JW: Absolutely, Yeah. It's just called it music. One of the little pieces...I contributed to the research when I completed my PhD was a small chart on how we can shift. Just it's a small thing, but it makes a big difference in how we can shift from having this idea of Western, non-Western, or music. One of the first things that I have on this chart is that we don't say things like, well, in music, this symbol means that you get louder. In music, this means that you're playing softly or this means that you go back to the beginning and it should always be get in this music. So you use that terminology to say in this music, there's a symbol that looks like this and it means to get louder.
It means a crescendo in this type of music. If we look at other types of music, this is how a getting louder would be either notated or the musicians would know what to do. And so I frequently in my classes when we're doing something that is traditionally Western again, concert band, I hand out music sheet music and I always ask them, OK, what style of notation is this? And they know now, oh, this is Western notation. I'd say, well, how would you perhaps write that measure in cipher notation or how, what syllables could you use if we were talking about Sargam notation, again, it's that awareness. So always think about how we're talking about music so it doesn't become a this (and also) the other. The other thing I always say in that too is when you look at it, Western music comprises about 20% of the world's music. 80% of the world's music is, you know, is.
And so I always try and put it all on an even playing field. When I use examples, there are always examples from everywhere and I don't exclude Western music, but it's just right out there on the same playing field.
Preparing Teachers for What's Ahead:
JY: Throughout your career, I know you've had the opportunity to work with many young aspiring music international music teachers. Do you think young music educators are prepared to look at international music education from a global perspective? And coupled with that, what should what do you think we should expect from universities in preparing music teachers for what's about to come?
JW: Yeah, that is in all the work I've done with young teachers, with pre-service and in-service teachers, teachers who are working the universities are decades behind in general. And still, the universities that are, that are claiming to have world music integrated into it. It's not, it's you can take courses, you can take an elective course and you might have a choice, or you can take this thing called world music or world music ensembles, or you can take this course, which might be an electronic music course, or it might be looking at a specific period of Western music history. So the world music as it's entitled still reinforces (an old) idea.
The methodology classes don't teach how to integrate. Teaching from this open perspective, it's not all based on Western music. So the teachers coming into the field are not prepared. , I don't feel because I still hear them speaking from a Western perspective. You go into their classrooms, it's still what's on the walls, still reinforces a Western perspective. I try it even at the school, the school I'm at now, there are a lot of teachers in this department and some are ready to go. Oh, I need to rethink how I'm doing this. But the majority, they smile and just go right back to what they're doing.
And that has, there are many reasons for that. But I think for me, and over the years, I have realized that it's a question of how far you want to come out of your comfort zone. And I feel unfortunately there are still too many teachers who don't want to take that step. And it's not a hard step to take.
Paradigm Shifts:
JY: Do you see some sort of a paradigm shift coming or about to happen? Do you see a new way of thinking in terms of a global approach to teaching music?
JW: Absolutely, for teachers who are aware and ready and have the incentive, the initiative to do that. And also administrations who are also realizing, wait a second, this. The music department we have is an old antiquated model. And we've got a string orchestra, band, and choir. Whoa, we need to be doing something. And so what I see where I see it going is very much with having this idea. OK. The first thing is that there's so much of the world's music that is not based on notation. So it's oral learning and then taking that perspective thinking, all right, so oral learning also means popular music and from any country, looking at any country's pop music.
I was just speaking with a Thai musician yesterday who does a lot of work in Thailand and talked about this mixture of time, music, and pop music and how his students (are) after they have done these mixtures of these two kinds of music. I want to learn more about my own traditional music because I've tried one of the instruments from my country now. And so, but looking at music from this idea of oral learning, rock, and pop are all oral and then moving into this digital area. You and I have talked about that and I have that happening here and on a smaller level at the moment, but you and I saw how that can explode. And then I know that you took over some of the digital music learning at the American School of Hague too.
And so we both know that, wow, there's a huge, just a whole, a huge area of music learning in the electronic field. I celebrate the inclusion of that too, because many students are very musical, but they might not be the student who has a singing voice. And they might not be the student who has either the physical ability or just what it takes, shall we say, to be learning an instrument, learning playing an instrument, because that's not always, that's not an easy thing. We know that it takes work to learn. Yeah, but they might be super musical. They've got the chance then with digital music. So I think music programs are doing students a disservice if they're not offering programs that do not demand (diversification). Well, for example, let's go backward. If they're offering, they need to be offering programs like pop music programs (as well).
You're learning by listening to electronic music programs. You're able to produce music and just by what you're thinking of your creativity in your head and at the same time have the instrumental programs. So you've got choices, but include that as well. Music from around the world, and that's where in my research and many of the workshops and publications I do, I just say, look, learn the percussion, learn the non-pitched percussion of many of these cultures. That's another wonderful gateway in and I know that's a long answer to your question, but in a nutshell, where I see it going is it's exemplified in something that I'm involved in that we've done a few times called the Big Gig. And it includes rock, and pop music learning. It includes digital music learning. It also includes the work that I do with music from different cultures. And all of these are involving students musically, but not necessarily in the Western paradigm.
JY: You mentioned earlier about the necessity of stepping out of your comfort zone. And I'm looking back at that now. I'm thinking when I did that (the music technology class), I was scared to death because kids came in there, just whiz kids knowing what to do. I just looked at (their work) and said, what are you doing? But in hindsight, I look at it and I see that it was such an epiphany because they were doing incredible things.
They were creating music, not necessarily knowing what they were creating. So it caused us to go back and listen to what they already did and say, OK, I want to know more about why you did this and how you made that decision. So it's, again, it's sort of segues to my next question. You sort of touched on this already in your crystal ball, in your dream world, What would you like to see in the music classroom rehearsal room 10 years from now? You've mentioned digital music, unfamiliar music, the performing ensembles, and so on. Do you see the need for these to gradually bleed into one another to merge, or what? What would your vision be 10 years from now in the perfect Ideal Music International global music classroom?
JW: I think it would be student-centered and looking at that something that is reflecting what the students are interested in and not narrowing it down to, again, band, orchestra, choir. So programs that reflect what music is happening today. I remember as I was growing up, I liked to listen to and play because I was an instrumentalist and I play outside of school. (We need ot be aware) there's a plethora of choices out here.
The students can be involved in all these kinds of things, including ensembles that aren't based on a Western classical idea. So you could have samba ensembles or I've run ensembles that are percussion ensembles and they do samba. They're looking at West African cultures, they're looking at Chinese music, which, Oh yeah. What you would have seen when we had that going at the American School of the Hague, where students were involved in lots of different types of music from around the world, but in a way that they were truly engaged in it. It wasn't a one-off. When you look at the Smithsonian Folkways, which I'm also involved in teaching world music pedagogy, it's called, what we do is, is help teachers start from the very beginning. And OK, it's listening. Have your kids listen, have them listen for one thing, play unfamiliar music, and have them listen for one thing.
A lot of what I do as well at the beginning of each class doesn't matter what type of music class it is. Let's let's just listen to this. OK, is there a steady beat or what do you think the music is being played on? Or do you hear voices or instruments of both, but have them listen for that one thing? The next step in this listening is if there is a steady beat, then they clap or play along with it. So that's more of an active and engaged listening. Then is where they, you can turn the recording off and they're still clapping or playing along with it or singing along with it. The next step is creative listening. They're making up the stuff that goes along with it. The final stage is where they're looking at the context and seeing where that music fits into the culture.
And so again, looking ahead would be four programs that are thinking we just not sure how to get there. Then looking at this, this methodology from Smithsonian Folkways that says, you know, just start, start at a simple place. So that's what I see.
Moving On:
JY: I know you've got to run off class pretty soon, so I'd like to wrap this up a little bit. Are there any closing thoughts or ideas that you'd like to share with the global music public?
JW: I have taught a number of courses now online and face-to-face of world music pedagogy and also being involved in the big gig and working with teachers at conferences. And I think, you know, I have seen teachers who are saying I really want to be able to do this, and oh, OK, this is a good idea. I can do this in my classroom. And it really is saying to teachers, be ready.
Be ready to talk to your administrators or talk to them now about where music is going, where music education specifically is going. Be the one who's going to be the catalyst to say, yeah, we've got to be looking at what our students are interested in. What are they listening to? What are they playing? What do they want? What do they want to play? Because we can offer that. If you are a teacher who is thinking, you know, no, no, I, I like what I'm doing and I can live with this the way it is, then I would say maybe you're going to at some point have to move either way.
Because there are going to be people coming in who say we are reaching only a tiny percentage of our students in our program right now, or we are reaching a percentage that is OK with playing a small repertoire of what the world has to offer. I don't mean it in sort of a negative way, but I, I mean it positively that teachers as music people, we have the ability already as musicians, we can learn, we can learn how to do this. As you and I have realized too in all these places we've gone and there are resources. As we said, we'll make those resources available. Many, many resources. And it's not difficult, but it just takes a music teacher saying, I want to be part of where this is going. I want to be the innovative person who says, let's take this. Let's take this to a place where students are thriving.
For more information about the author:
Jennifer's work can be found at the following references:
THE BIG GIG https://mtiis.co/tbghome/
WORLD MUSIC PEDAGOGY https://mtiis.co/courses/world-music-pedagogy-may24/
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Learning Pathways https://folkways.si.edu/learn
Her website: www.jenniferwalden.ca
Podcast on YouTube
Here is the complete Podcast on YouTube: