We Can All Make Music.
Notional
Graduate Certificate in Community Music Facilitation
Developed by Community
Music Victoria Inc.
Course
Description
The
Graduate Certificate in Community Music Facilitation will equip students with the
techniques and knowledge required to effectively facilitate community music
making.
Course
topics and subject material covered will provide both musicians and
non-musicians (eg. educators and community activists) with the capacity to
develop music making in community settings.
Informing
Philosophy
Community
music making, for the purposes of this course, is seen as having the following
characteristics; it involves:
music making in groups (with a significant degree of
collaborative decision-making).
music making which reflects and illuminates the culture of its
participants.
music making “in the moment” (that is, not in
preparation for some future public event or performance).
music making that is built-on and un-leashes the creative
capacities of its participants in the immediate situation in which it is
occurring.
In
light of these characteristics, the role of the skilled individual has a
specific focus when involved in facilitating community music making:
Skilled musicians have a primarily facilitative /
inspirational role. Their main function
is to liberate the creativity of the groups they work with rather than to use
the situation as a basis for making their own music.
The primary function of teachers, trainers and educators
is to develop group music-making capacities rather than to teach music theory.
It is
essential that graduates emerge from the course with a trust in the creative
capacities of all participants and a commitment to liberating that creativity
in a group context.
Learning
Outcomes
Upon
course completion, graduates will be able to:
Effectively facilitate groups, comprising people with
diverse backgrounds, capacities and needs, in music making.
Understand and communicate the values of collaborative
creative practices.
Understand, introduce and enhance the application of
these practices in community contexts.
Teach basic ensemble improvisation and composition using
aural techniques.
Effectively assist group members to work together and
establish shared goals.
Initiate, design, manage, document and evaluate
community-based projects.
Understand and promote the function of music making in
the context of community development.
Work in this context with and within government and
community structures.
Competently express and apply concepts concerning the
social impact of the arts, and the role of the arts in education.
Recognise their own strengths and weaknesses in relation
to group facilitation and music making.
Campus
-
Course
Duration
One
year part-time study (or equivalent), comprising four units.
Mode
The
course will be offered in various modes including: evening classes, weekend and
vacation sessions, summer and / or winter schools, via distance education
programs, and field placements (both observational and participatory).
Teaching /
Learning Strategies
Teaching
and learning strategies will include:
campus-based lecture presentations and interactive workshops
(sometimes involving visiting experts).
between-session fieldwork (observation and practical participation via
placement with appropriate community music projects).
extra-curricular reading.
personal reflection.
Assessment
Students
will be assessed on their theoretical competencies (in both oral and literary forms)
and their practical competencies, with particular focus on their workshop
leadership capacities.
Code
GCCMF
Cost
-
Pre-requisites
Applicants
should have:
a degree in
education or music or
a degree in
another discipline and a graduate
diploma in education or music, or
approved qualifications matching either of the two previous
options.
An
interest in community music making and a strong interest in building community
spirit through music-making are essential prerequisites. An existing basic knowledge of, and skills
in, community music making is preferred.
Credit and
Recognition of Prior Learning
Opportunities
exist for obtaining credit for, and recognition of, prior learning. Applicants with experience in music or
education who possess qualifications and / or experience in other fields may be
admitted if this prior learning is considered relevant.
Course
Structure and Completion Requirements
Successful
completion of the course entails the accumulation of 40 credit points which are
obtained via the completion of 4 core units (10 credit points are allocated per
completed unit).
Unit
Descriptions
GCCMF 101: Music Making
Facilitation (Preliminary)
This
unit will equip graduates with the basic skills required to teach groups of non-musicians
to make music.
Students
will learn teaching techniques which encourage participants to have confidence
in their capacity to make sounds (vocal and percussive) in an ensemble
context. Of particular importance will
be the enhancement of graduates' expertise in creating an environment which
encourages participant confidence, security and collaboration.
GCCMF 102:
This
unit will equip graduates with the knowledge and techniques required for the
successful and on-going leadership of community-based workshops.
Students
will learn how to:
co-ordinate and lead small action-based community groups.
involve all participants in expressing and negotiating the
group's objectives.
maximise the engagement of all
participants.
GCCMF 103: Music Making
Facilitation (Advanced)
This
unit will equip graduates with the skill to navigate and build on the diversity
inherent in community music making.
Students
will be introduced to the challenges of:
working with people with special or particular needs.
finding repertoires and teaching methods to suit cross-cultural
formations.
dealing with diverse participant behaviour patterns.
GCCMF 104:
This
unit will equip graduates with the skills associated with initiating, designing
and managing community-based projects.
Students
will learn both the practicalities of project management and gain an
understanding of the political context in which such community music projects
occur. In particular, students will
learn of the practical and theoretical links between creative music practice
and community building.
Unit Topics
GCCMF 101: MUSIC MAKING
FACILITATION (PRELIMINARY)
Subject-matter
includes:
Group teaching
techniques.
Music and music
teaching skills (with a focus on aural transmission - see below), including
basic ensemble, improvisation and composition techniques.
Repertoire and
techniques appropriate to the developing stages of community music making.
Making music without
the use of graphical or notational teaching aids. That is, an understanding of, and commitment
to, making music in an aural context, and the use of aural methods toward the
encouragement of retention, harmonisation, rhythmic development, improvisation,
musical arrangement and composition.
Developing
non-threatening performance contexts.
Genre
specialisations, including percussion (particularly body), singing,
instrumental ensembles, instrument building and working with other performing
art forms, including dance, theatre, and poetry.
GCCMF 102: COMMUNITY
BUILDING FACILITATION (PRELIMINARY)
Subject-matter
includes:
Workshop
leadership.
Facilitating the
contribution of shy participants.
Establishing
shared goals in a new group.
Understanding
and managing on-going leadership and co-ordination issues.
GCCMF 103: MUSIC MAKING
FACILITATION (ADVANCED)
Subject-matter
includes:
Ensuring that a
group of people with widely disparate skills develops activities which fulfil
and challenge all group members.
Understanding
cultural sensitivity. That is, learning
techniques useful for working with people with special or particular needs
which are radically different from one's own.
For example, understanding and addressing the needs of group
participants who may be disabled, incarcerated, homeless, institutionalised, of
a non-english speaking background, indigenous, are in public housing, are in
the workplace, are in rural settings, considered “at risk”, are in
schools, etc.
Understanding
and managing cultural diversity - working with group members of widely
disparate cultural backgrounds.
Specifically, learning techniques for finding musical paths which
transcend cultural specificity and / or finding culturally specific directions
which may be cross-culturally transferrable.
Motivation
techniques for dealing with un-willing participants.
Methods of
converting un-productive behaviours to productive behaviours within a group
context. For example, building
confidence in the shy or channelling the behaviour of the aggressive.
GCCMF 104: COMMUNITY
BUILDING FACILITATION (ADVANCED)
Subject-matter
includes:
The initiation,
design and management of community music projects
Documentation
techniques
Community music
project and group evaluation techniques
Understanding
and managing issues encountered when working with and within government and
community structures
Understanding
the social impact of the arts and the role of the arts in education.
Reference
texts
Recommended reference books and periodicals
Cahill, A. (1998) The Community Music
Handbook. A Practical Guide to Developing Music Projects and
Organisations.
Leak, G. (2003) Performance
Making: a manual for music workshops. Sydney, Currency Press.
McElheran, B. and Foss, L. (1989) Conducting
Technique for Beginners and Professionals.
Paton, R. (2002) Living Music.
Peggie, A. (1997) Musicians go to School:
partnership in the classroom.
Williams, D. (1996) From Idea to
Application: a project guide to arts project development.
Shout! - bi-monthly
newsletter produced by Community Music
Sounding Board - quarterly magazine
produced by Sound Sense.
Wider reading
Binns, V. (ed) (1991) Community and the Arts: History, Theory,
Practice. Leichhardt, Pluto Press.
Burz H, L. Marshall, K. (1999) Performance-Based
Curriculum for Music and the Visual Arts: From Knowing to Showing. Corwin
Press,
Colwell, R. and Richardson, C. (eds) (2002) The New Handbook of Music Teaching and
Learning: A Project of the Music Educators National Conference. (2nd ed)
Elliott, D. (1997) Music Matters: A New
Philosophy of Music Education.
Everitt, A. (1997) Joining In: An investigation into participatory
music.
Farberman, H. (1997) The Art of
Conducting Technique: A New perspective.
Goolsby, T. and Colwell, R. and Thomas, W. (2001) The Teaching of Instrumental Music. New
Green, L. (1997) Music, Gender, Education.
Hawkes, J. (2001) The Fourth Pillar of
Sustainability: culture's essential role in public planning. Melbourne,
Common Ground Publishing in association with the Cultural Development Network
(Vic).
Kershaw, B. (1992) The Politics of Performance.
Kushner, S. (1988) A Musical Education: Innovation in the
Conservatoire.
Kohut, D.L. (1996) Instrumental Music
Pedagogy: Teaching techniques for school band and orchestra directors.
Labuta, J. A. (1999) Basic Conducting
Techniques (4th ed).
Lisk, E. & Edward S. L. (2000) Creative Director Intangibles of Musical Performance.
Matarasso, F. (1997) Use or Ornament: the
Social Impact of Participation in the Arts. Stroud, Comedia.
Reck, D. (1977) Music of the Whole Earth.
Reimer, B. (2002) A Philosophy of Music Education: Advancing
the Vision. (3rd ed)
Small, C. (1977) Music,
Society, Education.
Small, Christopher Musiking.
Swanwick, K. (1999) Teaching Music
Musically.
Internet sites
Community Music Victoria
Sound Sense (the British
development agency for community music)
Music Council of Australia
Australian Society for Music Education
Arts Victoria
Australian Council for the Arts
Deakin
University - History of Music Education in Australia: Bibliographic Resources
Artsinfo
CMV - making a
sound world together.
©
Community Music Victoria Inc.