In this article the work of power through discourse in music education in primary schools in the Netherlands is examined. After introducing the central concepts of culture, practice, discourse, and power, the current dominant musical discourse in the Netherlands is presented as expressed in three nested perspectives: the perspective of music as a specialist domain, the perspective of music as (essentially instrumental) performance, and the perspective of music as Art. Then, a central document in current music educational developments in Dutch primary schools is analyzed. It is demonstrated that specifically the perspectives of music as a specialist domain and (partly) music as (instrumental) performance have a strong presence in the document. The article finishes with calling for more attention to the workings of dominant musical discourse in music pedagogical debates.
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Abstract The emergence of new technologies such as mp3 and music streaming, and the accompanying digital transformation of the music industry, have led to the shift and change of the entire music industry’s value chain. While music is increasingly being consumed through digital channels, the number of empirical studies, particularly in the field of music copyright in the digital music industry, is limited. Every year, rightsholders of musical works, valued 2.5 billion dollars, remain unknown. The objectives of this study are twofold: First to understand and describe the structure and process of the Dutch music copyright system including the most relevant actors within the system and their relations. Second to apply evolutionary economics approach and Values Sensitive Design method within the context of music copyright through positive-empirical perspective. For studies of technological change in existing markets, the evolutionary economics literature provides a coherent and evidence-based foundation. The actors are generally perceived as being different, for example with regard to their access to information, their ability to handle information, their capital and knowledge base (asymmetric information). Also their norms, values and roles can differ. Based on an analysis of documents and held expert interviews, we find that the collection and distribution of the music copyright money is still based on obsolete laws, neoclassical paradigm and legacy IT-system. Finally, we conclude that the rightsholders are heterogenous and have asymmetrical information and negotiating power. The outcomes of this study contribute to create a better understanding of impact of digitization of music copyright industry and empower the stakeholders to proceed from a more informed perspective on redesigning and applying the future music copyright system and pre-digital norms and values amongst actors.
As a consequence of restructuring instrumental music education in the Netherlands, Art Centres increasingly cease to facilitate instrumental music lessons. As a consequence, instrumental teachers are no longer employed in these Centres and have started working as independent entrepreneurs now. The question is how (future) teachers can share their knowledge, renew their profession and shape their professional development without being organised within institutions. In research conducted by the research group Lifelong Learning in Music into instrumental lessons for elderly learners we worked with a ‘Community of Practice’ (CoP; Lave & Wenger 1991). A group of recently graduated teachers provided instrumental lessons for elderly people. This group of teachers formed a CoP together with teachers with experience in teaching elderly students and the researchers in this study. Members worked within the CoP in varying formations in peer learning sessions and seminars. Meetings of the CoP centred on the exchange and development of knowledge. In this study I look into the transfer and development of knowledge within this CoP. The data used in writing this paper are the reflective dairies and logbooks written by the participants following the lessons with elderly students and the meetings of the CoP. The central question of this study is: “What learning took place in the Community of Practice? Results The CoP is a rich learning environment. Learning takes place in a multitude of ways. Learning is stimulated by the multiformity of the group make-up and by using a variety of work forms. Equality is achieved when all the participants have the same opportunity to contribute to the CoP. Learning in the CoP is influenced by the way in which participants observe, formulate their observations and put these into words. When setting up a CoP as a learning environment attention should be paid to the ways in which reflection as a result of the observations and exchange can be stimulated further. The collaborative learning which takes place in the CoP is useful for the transfer and development of knowledge. Working with a CoP at the intersection of the professional practice and the professional training is of great value to all those involved.
Codarts, as a University of the Arts, develops practice-oriented research to enhance artistic development, the arts practice and arts education. Performing arts, specifically dance, music and circus, enable us to communicate beyond geographical, cultural, linguistic and religious boundaries and helps us connect our common values and dreams. The performing arts are universal in their capacity to unite and inspire, providing an excellent opportunity for us to expand our research to an international level. However, the current research strategy at Codarts does not sufficiently match our European research ambitions, even though our education is inherently international and there are multiple strong connections to relevant themes in the European Research Area. Accordingly, with this project, we aim to bridge the gap between our current national research activities and our European ambitions by aligning our research focus with the European Research Area. The aim is to develop a strategy that enriches the arts practice, arts education and our research, creating a stronger connection to the European Research Area and to relevant European networks. Expanding the scope of our practice-oriented research towards European projects is essential to increase research opportunities, improve the applicability and societal impact of our research outcomes and provide more opportunities for students, teachers and researchers to learn and exchange knowledge and insights. Additionally, it is necessary to create a sustainable future for our institution. Strategic brainstorm sessions, benchmark studies, detailed action plans and viability assessments need to make sure that we become aware of our current position in the European research field, as well as identify potential partners and networks to collaborate with. This project will eventually work towards participation in a relevant European project proposal as the first step towards strengthening our position as a leading University of the Arts in Europe.
