Veblen, K. K. (2018). Adult music learning in formal, nonformal and informal contexts. In G. McPherson & G. Welsh (Eds.). Special Needs, Community Music, and Adult Learning: An Oxford Handbook of Music Education, Vol 4. Pp. 243-256. London: Oxford University Press.
January, 27th 2019
When starting to read this article I was first intrigued by the title, I had never considered the difference between adult music learning and young music learning. I would have assumed they would be taught in the same manner or teaching style / environment as children. Reading the article it becomes more clear how they are different.
I was surprised by how what is learned and how it is learned are interconnected, shaping identity. It mentions that it is not only the choice of content that is an important part but also how that content is approached. The idea is that it might now be the choice of content that shapes the identity but how it is approached. These ideas interconnect with the formal, informal and non-formal theme throughout the text. The example they explore here is rock music. This makes me think of the fact that I do listen to rock music but I find myself the odd one out at a rock concert. I learned to like rock music from listening to it as a kid because my parents listened to it. I listened to it during car rides with my parents, not at parties with friends, this might be why I am different and shows how the approach of content changes the learning outcome.
Another interesting thing was how community ensembles are categorized at formal learning because they are most of the time lead by conductors. It mentions that this is not always the case but it is an interesting thought that I had never considered. I would consider a western university ensemble formal but a community one not as formal. I see now that they should both be considered formal, as they are traditionally lead by conductors, but I wonder why I had thought of them as different? Now that I think about it I should assume that a community ensemble would be more formal, the people there chose to be there where as music majors at western need to be in an ensemble to gain a credit. Yes we all have an interest in music but not all enjoy the ensemble setting and are only there because it is required. This topic is quite intriguing within this article and I would enjoy to explore it more in the future.
Reading this article I find myself looking for explanation. Why separate informal and non-formal? The terms are explored through the paper and their differences are explained but it still comes to my mind what is the point of their separation? Does this serve a deeper purpose in music education? These are the questions I would ask the author to find a deeper understanding of this intriguing article.
Written by Jessalyn Shein
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