Maori Education in Music.

University Degree Education and Teaching

TFL: TE TIRITI O WAITANGI ASSIGNMENT

Maori Education in Music

An issue with direct relevance to the education of and for Maori is that of how musical education is approached.

Despite being intricately linked to the rituals and language of Maori culture, music has not been an area of particularly high achievement or participation for Maori students in the school system. This essay looks at the reasons behind this trend and how educators are beginning to address what is perceived as a failure of the system in valuing Maori strengths and learning styles with regards to music.

In the past and to a large extent currently, the focus of music education in schools has rested heavily on the comprehension, analysis, performance and sociology of Western European art music. Hence the received wisdom is that all great things musical sprung out of Europe from about the 10th century onwards.

In practice this has put in place a hierarchical system whereby ‘other’ musics are classified and valued in accordance with how they fit a western template of sophistication (as opposed to being understood and valued on their own terms). Hence, it has been taken for-granted that a musical education must begin with a grounding in the ‘the rules’ as laid down centuries ago by proponents such as J.S Bach and W.A Mozart.

It has followed that great importance is accorded to the written form or in this case, the score. From this score (notes on staves) the harmonic, melodic and rhythmic order can be observed, analysed and imitated. Additionally and most importantly, the score allows the music to be (re)produced, much in the same way as a script allows the performance of a play. The point here is not to bemoan the reverence accorded to European art music but to challenge the effective hegemony of it’s value systems and recognize the consequences of this on the Maori learner in the Music room.

Maori songs have been composed, performed and passed down through generations using aural retrieval processes. If the score or notation become the focus of music education in the school where does that leave the musical forms and styles of Maori for whom, traditionally, the score has no place? Furthermore how are the frequent depth of musical experience (outside of school) and aural strengths of Maori students to be recognised and honoured in schools where the hallmarks of musical achievement are located in notational efficacy? These questions raise significant challenges for music teachers as they struggle to keep Maori students engaged and achieving in school music programmes.

With the emergence of ethnomusicology and it’s commercial bedfellow the (multi-million dollar )world music business, the popular notion of western art music as the pinnacle of a monolithic cultural advancement is gradually being offset. Indeed, as social/cultural and historical contexts of music making have become more widely regarded as central concerns, the study of music has itself become broader and thus increasingly accessible.

This is a preview of the whole essay

By recognizing the significance of the Treaty of Waitangi in the delivery of education, the NZ Curriculum Framework has begun to address some of the previously eurocentic imbalance. Furthermore, in the case of music a recent update of the Arts curriculum has included an “Understanding Music in Context” strand which will provide teachers further means by which explore music through Maori cultural practice.

Closing the Gaps.

Although strictly speaking this represents a single source it contains the work of three separate authors. Each of the articles outline the personal response of a Music educator to government funding initiatives around the ‘Closing the Gaps’ strategy. This strategy is focused on addressing the significant differences between Maori and Pakeha achievement within the N.Z education system.

Robyn Trinick talks of the importance of applying curriculum strands horizontally as opposed to vertically, so as to cater for a wider variety of learning styles. She clearly faults the system for failing Maori students in this regard and advocates a thoroughly child-centred approach as a means by which teachers may offset their ethnocentric biases. Trinick also mentions the importance of effective delivery style as much as content when considering inclusivity in the music classroom.

Clare Henderson begins her essay by raising the issue of “gap blindness” or the lack of acknowledgement ( by teachers especially), of the gulf in achievement levels between Maori and Pakeha students. She points out the discrepancies between Maori students’ often rich musical life outside of school and their contrastingly low achievement and participation levels in the school music world.

Henderson pinpoints the gap between aural retrieval processes central to Maori musical forms (and culture) and the heavy emphasis on notation evident in many schools. Addressing the hegemony of western European traditions and learning styles to better recognize and utilize Maori strengths and values is central to Henderson’s vision of “gap bridging”. Henderson stresses the importance of both aural and notation based processes in musical education and as such suggests developing and strengthening an interface between these traditions. She places the responsibility on teachers to step outside comfort zones in order to develop the skills, knowledge and teaching approaches necessary to facilitate this interface.

Six sound solutions towards increased inclusiveness are thus proposed.

Sound philosophy: i.e. embedding new learning in sound first through use of the central learning tools of singing, playing and composing. Acknowledging and utilizing aural traditions of students.
Sensitivity; i.e. to cultural needs and learning styles
Student centred learning; i.e. use of meaningful learning contexts and leading out from current student knowledge/skills.
Stimulate; ie. learn music by making music(not just talking about it) and goal setting
Sight singing; i.e. developing sound-symbol reading and writing through sight singing which links aural skills and ‘ear’ development with notational systems.
Systematic structure; i.e. facilitate consistent, on-going skills development to suit varied individual needs.

The last essay in this set is by James Robb who conducted a survey of Music HOD’s in the Auckland region regarding their responses to the Governments “Closing the Gaps” initiatives. With a particular focus on how Maori, Pacific Island and Asian Music were being addressed in the curriculum he found that Maori music was receiving little educational attention due to a number of factors.

These factors were as follows:

The dominance of American popular culture in the media went largely unchallenged by students and meant many found Maori music to be irrelevant or uninteresting.

Lack of accessible resources regarding Maori music meant that teachers often felt unsure of how to teach Maori music. Additionally, since their own music education often lacked a Maori music component their knowledge base was relatively poor.
Again emphasis was made on the musical involvement of Maori students outside school being highly aural in nature. Notation driven assessment especially at senior level tended to marginalise this experience.
Finally Robb highlights the need for music departments to collaborate with Maori departments, pooling resources and sharing responsibility since the “ study of Maori music itself overlaps considerably with the study of Maori language and culture”.(Robb pp.26)

Points raised by the above writers are backed up by the article “A Culturally Relevant Education” sourced from the website . This article highlights some key issues around teaching the Maori child in all areas. The focus being on recognising and valuing the Maori students unique world view, experiences and resultant learning styles. The article goes on to stress the importance of culturally relevant learning examples and styles in students development of positive self-concept.

Implications for Classroom practice.

In conclusion my suggestions include.

Recognize and utilize aural skills base in students by focusing on music making (singing/playing, composing, performing)prior to analysis etc.
Provide regular means by which aural processes may be linked to notational skills and vice versa.
Provide basic skills based lessons or sessions (i.e. keyboard, and technology) in recognition of potential equity issues around access to private lessons.
Facilitate access to musical resources outside of class time when possible.

Utilize Maori context for Assessment of student performances, compositions etc possibly in consultation with Whanau.

Use of group learning and assessment techniques where and when appropriate without making needless generalisations about Maori learners.

Incorporation of traditional Maori instruments and song forms into curriculum strands where appropriate.

Developing interdepartmental relationships to enrich learning context and further collaborations (i.e. music not an isolated product),
Consult Whanau and Kaumatua regarding appropriate use and presentation of traditional song forms and instrumentation.

Encourage participation in Kapa Haka festival

Need to recognize Maori culture and specifically music as evolving and not of a singular nature. i.e. many people with many views, styles etc. Also contemporary evolution in forms such as Hip-hop and Dub reggae.

References/Sources

Thwaites, Trinick, Henderson and Robb (2001). Focus: Closing

the Gaps. Article cited from Graduate Diploma of Teaching Secondary Programme 2003, Music Curriculum Study Book of Resources.

Walters, Phillips, Olliver, Gilliand (date unknown).A Culturally

Relevant Education.

Background Information.

Marshall (1991). The Treaty of Waitangi, Educational reforms

and the Education of Maori. University of Auckland.

The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculm (2000) Wellington:

Ministry of Education.