When working in classroom settings, often we may understand the learning of music as a formal process as it is embedded in institutions. But we know that many popular musicians develop their skills and knowledge outside of those institutions. How then, could we bridge the common practices of popular musicians within the more “formal” settings of school music education?
If we understand pedagogy as a process that focuses on learning beyond the teacher-student relationships, we may become open to letting go of the institutional role of “teacher” and become just another member of the music group. This attitude may help popular music educators engage in more horizontal relationships in a modern band setting, creating more authentic processes in popular music.
To help in this process we have put together a series of five videos where Informal Music Pedagogy is discussed, hoping it can help you apply it in your context.
Video 1: Introduction
In the first video, the idea is to bring ourselves into the discussion of informal learning.
It can be difficult to understand what exactly constitutes formal or informal learning. It may be helpful to understand the relationship between formal and informal among a continuum. In that case, an illustration of formal may involve a certification within institutions, while the informal may be based on self-driven exploratory learning. Thus, the degree of formality can be a complex interrelation of the context and people involved.
Informal Music Pedagogy is derived from the research of Lucy Green who has devoted her energy towards the understanding of how popular musicians learn, and how those practices could be emulated in the music classroom. Enacting this pedagogy can bring authenticity to the music education process. It can also help create cultural bridges between the music that is relevant to students and the formality of the music classroom, bringing new perspectives on what counts as musical knowledge. This pedagogy can lead learners towards personal investment in their work; it can help develop aural skills, and can help learners enjoy the music-making process with friends.
Video 2: Core Principles
In the second video we engage with the five core principles of Informal Music Pedagogy.
The one learning the music chooses the music.
Playing by ear is at the core of learning music.
Social learning happens primarily among peers, not necessarily with teachers.
Informal learning does not necessarily occur with a clear structure.
Music skills are integrated: Listening, performing, improvising, and composing.
By observing these principles, the role of the teacher changes substantially from a more traditional role. In the beginning, the teacher has to observe without intervening, which can be difficult to do, especially when we see students making mistakes. But the urge to correct them has to be tamed so that students can set their goals independently. Through observations and conversations, we can help the students define their needs, and then offer suggestions. We can also model demonstrations that can reinforce students’ drive to pursue their goals.
The Seven Stages
These stages were the original framework used in Lucy Green’s research, however, in practice, things may look much more fluid. The videos are divided into Stages 1-3 and Stages 4-7.
Stage 1: Dropping Learners into the Deep End
Popular musicians often learn informally. In this stage, the music learner selects music that is meaningful for them. They can share their music by listening to it with their friends. This stage can look messy, and the popular music educator ought to embrace that chaos. Our role as facilitators is to step back, observe, diagnose, and offer help when the learners request it.
Stage 2: Modelling Aural Learning with Popular Music
During this stage, the popular music educator should demonstrate how to learn music by ear. Additionally, at this stage we can prepare materials to support the students’ learning process, this may include supplemental exercises among other resources.
Stage 3: Revisiting the Deep
The process of exploring (stage 1) and providing guidance and modeling (stage 2) are revisited during stage 3. This can be seen as an iterative process of new pedagogical cycles to which we need to be responsive as facilitators.
Stage 4: Informal Composing
After developing some skills through approximating the repertoire so it is recognizable, we can start applying newly acquired musical resources to create music.
Stage 5: Modelling Composing
Here we model composing through lived experiences. This can happen by bringing more experienced peers or community groups to visit the group of learners.
Stage 6 and 7: Informal Learning of Classical Music
At these stages, we can apply the principles of informal learning to classical music. The logic is to follow the same principles but in a different context. For instance, we may find familiar classical pieces that have clear elements to replicate by ear instead of relying on notation. We can also give learners a selection of performances to listen to and pick their favorites, to then enact informal learning. By applying Informal Music Pedagogy we legitimize students’ natural inclinations. It can happen that in the context of a modern band, some students may be interested in classical music; thus, being open to alternatives can be valuable.
Examples of Practice
In the last video we offer ten cases where Informal Music Pedagogy is applied. The examples show a variety of practices and applications of the previously described stages in diverse music education contexts.
Víctor Manuel Rubio Carrillo
Ecuadorian contemporary musician, educator, and researcher, Víctor Manuel Rubio Carrillo is undergoing Ph.D. studies at the University of Miami. He serves as conductor of the Musical Learning Community, part of the Action Research Network of the Americas, and is an active musician in Yacija and Identidad Cultural. He holds an M.M. in Music Education and a B.A. in Contemporary Music.
David Echeverría-Valencia
Composer, drummer, and educator based in Quito, Ecuador. David Echeverría is the head of the drums and percussion department at Universidad Hemisferios, where he also teaches subjects related to music composition, music education and ensemble playing. An active musician, he has worked in various projects such as Radio Invasor, Trialismo and Reversión Trío. He holds degrees on Music Production and Contemporary music and postgraduate degrees on Music Composition and Music Education. Currently he serves as the Academic Coordinator of Musical Learning Community.