Summary
As the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum, Final Report, printed out at my desk I was intrigued by the 104 photographs which illustrate it. They give an encouraging message about the proposed future of primary education. Almost every photograph shows some kind of activity, most show smiling or engaged faces and the body language of involvement. But less expected, is that well over half show children out of their desks, a third learning outside a traditional classroom and more than ten percent show children occupied in some kind of musical performance. At face value this message is good news for music teachers and children. We also know that photos of school music make good window dressing.
Rose Review Wordle (click image to enlarge)
On subjecting the written text to analysis by the fascinating Wordle website, a different picture emerges. In Rose’s Curriculum Design and Content chapter (Chapter 2, pp. 36-53) the word ‘music’ features about as much as any other subject but in the all-important section on Essential for Learning and Life (Chapter 3 pp 54 – 81) ‘numeracy’, ‘literacy’ and ‘ICT’ overshadow any other words apart from ‘learning’ itself. The pictorial emphasis on learning in the world outside the classroom, through relationships, through friendship, through doing, creating, thinking, reflecting and experiencing seems not matched by a similar emphasis in words.
Wordlessness
Words have great power in today’s world, but in comparison to wordless sound, music, gesture, expression and image, words alone often communicate less. Wittgenstein argued a hundred years ago that the fundamental problems and questions of life are only answered in wordless form and that most difficulties in communication arise when we try to put the spiritual, emotional and deeply personal purely into words. This for me is music’s heartland. Musicians will often argue that music is a central meaning-maker, a huge pleasure and a worthwhile activity in which to engage children. Most would also see music and the positive relationships, sense of community, self-understanding, empathy and reflection which are often argued to emanate from participation in it, are
essentials for learning and life. These words seem to have no place in the chapter – perhaps because being wordless they are immeasurable.
The basic medium of music is wordless sound and the power of wordless human sound is the subject of an exciting new book by archaeologist Steven Mithin, which suggests that humans developed song and music well before language. A key implication of Mithin’s thesis is that the essential affective aspects of life, our feelings and emotions which according to neuro-scientists are the basis of personality and learning, developed when music was the main medium of person to person communication. Since language was ‘invented’ (a mere 60,000 years ago according to Mithin) music has been seen as an inferior means of communication. But when language and music are linked in song, chant, verse or choral music many attest to its double communicative power. Mithin’s theory offers an explanation of the powerful effect music has upon our emotions and why its impact is so difficult to express.
Words and Rose
I believe we must recognise both the importance and the limitations of words as an ‘essential skill’ for learning and life. Music-making, sharing, understanding and making are essential skills because of their universality and their incomparable tendency to build and sustain communities, express and understand emotion. Music is argued to be a basic part of being human. Yet the essential skills of Music, singing, and composing are missing from the Wordle image because they (along with those of other foundation subjects and lifetime essentials like family, friends, values, relationships, collaboration and emotion) are mentioned only
once each in its 7500 words. There is a message here, strongly at variance with the uplifting images chosen for Rose - the wordless, practical, sensory, relational and affective side of life is minor against its measureable and worded aspects. Yet it is in the wordless that most of us find most meaning.
Cross-curricular?
The cross-curricular, practical and emotional theme of Rose’s pictures is not entirely window-dressing however. The idea of art, design, dance, drama and music working together is exhilarating and has been seen excellently in many of our schools for years. We know cross-arts projects work and that these fusions leave a lasting impression on the minds and lives of our children. There are however a number of problems inherent in not specifically naming the constituent parts of the arts. Needing to have music named as one of the arts is not a pedantic detail; it makes the point that the skills, understandings, knowledge and vocabulary of music are distinct. Naming music ensures that it is not passed over by the unconfident or unconvinced as a subject that is optional. Naming music in curricula and teaching also makes it more likely that when children reach key stage three and four they will link the engaging, emotionally satisfying and meaning–making experiences discovered and shared in primary school music with the music on offer in secondary. Finally naming music means that there will be no excuse for leaving music off the curriculum of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses across the country. Geography and History mounted a successful campaign to have their names re-entered in Rose’s curriculum model.
Little guidance is given on how music may help children understand experience involving other subjects. For example linked with mathematics music is only seen as a way of helping children understand patterns, (p.196). Music in such a context is simply the handmaid of mathematics and not placed on an equal footing. A combination of mathematical and musical understandings of the experience of investigating a tree, building or object would more powerfully demonstrate cross-curricular thinking.
The cross-curricular ideal is indeed motivating and mirrors the ways children learn naturally, but if we want to ensure meaningful learning experiences together with progression then the subject skills are crucial.
Little guidance is given on how music may help children understand experience involving other subjects. For example linked with mathematics music is only seen as a way of helping children understand patterns, (p.196). Music in such a context is simply the handmaid of mathematics and not placed on an equal footing. A combination of mathematical and musical understandings of the experience of investigating a tree, building or object would more powerfully demonstrate cross-curricular thinking.
The cross-curricular ideal is indeed motivating and mirrors the ways children learn naturally, but if we want to ensure meaningful learning experiences together with progression then the subject skills are crucial.
Subjects
Rose suggests that the subject disciplines, including music, are ‘clearly visible’ (p.10) assuming that all teachers will know clearly what music consists of, what are its elements, essential skills and core knowledge. Cross-Curricular learning in music or any other subject, cannot be successful unless the subject is well understood by the teacher first. Subjects are as Rose says:
Powerful organisers of worthwhile curriculum content in the areas of learning. Subject ‘labels’ are clearly visible within the areas of learning in the middle and later phases of the curriculum.’ (p. 14)
Subject teaching in this context is not in opposition to cross-curricular learning but entirely necessary for its success. The model should be that new skills and or knowledge in/the subject, in our case music, are learned in an exciting and interesting and purely musical way and then children are given the opportunity to apply their newly learned skills in a cross curricular context. Such application of skills and knowledge would more accurately demonstrate understanding.
Understanding?
The word ‘understanding’ raises another key word issue. Rose’s Areas of Learning place music within the area, ‘Understanding the Arts’. Early in the report (p.9) Rose quotes McKinsey’s observation that, ‘
the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.‘ I agree. The difficulty is that many teachers have had few opportunities to develop an understanding of the arts for themselves. Currently for example, few of our ITE institutions offer music as a ‘specialist’ or ‘advanced subject study’ option. Some primary courses offer only a few hours of music at all. As our ITE students report on school experience, well over a third report they have never observed classroom composition, instruments used, or lessons in which careful listening is the key feature. Even among those who have chosen music as an advanced subject, some 25% do not get the opportunity to properly teach it because of ‘timetable or room difficulties’. In this situation it is difficult to imagine musical understanding rising as newly qualified teachers enter a primary system with fewer and fewer confident music teachers as mentors. This situation can only be remedied by recommendations outside Rose’s remit, that ITE includes a compulsory and significant music element in all their curricula. Additionally perhaps our staff development programmes will need more seriously to develop staff’s understanding of the arts by frequent musical experience and practical learning opportunities for staff such as those offered by
Sing Up,
Music for Change or
The Drake Music Project for musicians working with disabled and non-disabled children.
Performing?
Music comes under Rose’s category of a ‘performing art’. But music we know that music is much more than performing. Such a heading could be argued to place music on the slippery slope back to the exclusive role it played when entry into primary choirs and orchestras was achieved only by the talented few. Today we try to adopt a more inclusive approach to music so that all can have the opportunity to participate. Music involves expression, improvisation, experimentation, playing with sound, composition, sharing, reflection, careful and knowledgeable listening in addition to simple performing. To see music as merely a performing art is to diminish it.
To return to Rose’s photographs, most musical ones, show classical instruments, a cello, trombones and clarinets in some kind of performance setting again suggesting that this is where real musical achievement lies. The text has an admiring reference to a school in which ‘...some pupils have even performed with the Welsh national Opera,’ (p.46) again suggesting that classical western music is the only ideal.
Too critical?
I am encouraged by Rose’s espousal of cross-curricular learning, by his concentration upon children’s curricular experience and by his emphasis on well-being and values. My worry as a musician is that music is not prominent enough and that the profound (and often silent) experiences too deep for words which music so beautifully represents, are not adequately foregrounded. I have made a number of personal criticisms of Rose but would suggest that the musician’s response should start with a plea that the word ‘music’ appears as one of arts to be understood.
Challenges for ITE
How do we recognise, value and allow for the wordless in our music courses?
Is there alignment between the images we present to the world and actual practice in our courses?
How do we balance striving for musical excellence with the need for inclusivity in primary music?
How can we support generalists in developing musical skills and knowledge so as to plan effective progression in primary schools?
How can we work towards understanding of music as an art?
