we can all make music

notional graduate certificate in community music facilitation

Developed by Community Music Victoria

Course Description

The Graduate Certificate in Community Music Facilitation will equip graduates with the techniques and knowledge required to effectively facilitate community music making.

The course is designed to equip musicians with the facilitation skills necessary to work effectively in communities and non-musicians (eg, educators, 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 that reflects and illuminates the culture of the participants;
music making in the moment (that is, not in preparation for some future public event);
music making that is built on and unleashes the creative capacities of the 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/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 completing the course, 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 community development.
Work in this context with and within government and community structures.
Competently express and apply the concepts concerning the social impact of the arts and arts in education.
Recognise their own strengths and weaknesses in relation to group facilitation and music making.

Campus

Course Length

1 year part-time 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, distance education settings, field placements (observation and participation).

Teaching / Learning Strategies

These will include campus-based lecture presentations and interactive workshops (sometimes involving visiting experts); between-session fieldwork (observation and practical participation through placements with appropriate projects); reading and reflection.

Assessment

Students will be assessed on their theoretical competencies (in both spoken and written form) and their practical competencies with a particular focus on their workshop leadership capacities.

Code

GCCMF

Cost

Admission Requirements

Applicants should have a degree in education or music or a degree in an area other than these together with a graduate diploma in education or music, or approved equivalent. An interest in community music making and a strong interest in building community spirit through music making are essential prerequisites. Some basic knowledge and skills in community music making would be preferred.

Credit and Recognition of Prior Learning

Opportunities exist for obtaining credit and recognition of prior learning. Applicants with experience in music or education or qualifications and/or experience in other fields may be admitted if the prior learning is considered relevant.

Course Structure and Completion Requirements

Successful completion of the course will involve the accumulation of 40 credit points that can be obtained through 4 core units (10 credit points per 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 that 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 that encourages participants' confidence, security and sense of working together.

GCCMF 102: Community Building Facilitation (Preliminary)

This unit will equip graduates with the knowledge and techniques required for the successful and ongoing leadership of community-based workshops.

Students will learn how to co-ordinate and lead small action-based community groups; how to involve all participants in expressing and negotiating the group's objectives; and how to maximise the engagement of all participants.

GCCMF 103: Music Making Facilitation (Advanced)

This unit will equip graduates to negotiate 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; of finding repertoires and teaching methods to suit cross-cultural formations; of dealing with diverse participant behaviour patterns.

GCCMF 104: Community Building Facilitation (Advanced)

This unit will equip graduates to initiate, design and manage community-based projects.

Students will learn both the practicalities of project management and something of the political context in which such projects occur; in particular, the practical and theoretical links between creative practice and community building.

Unit Topics

GCCMF 101: MUSIC MAKING FACILITATION (PRELIMINARY)

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

Working in an environment in which most participants are unfamiliar with graphic notational languages; ie, a facility with and commitment to making music in an aural context: methods of encouraging retention, harmonisation, rhythm, improvisation, arranging and composition.

Developing non-threatening performance contexts

Genre specialisations: percussion (particularly body), singing, instrumental ensembles, instrument building, working in conjunction with other art forms (eg, dance, theatre, poetry)

GCCMF 102: COMMUNITY BUILDING FACILITATION (PRELIMINARY)

Workshop leadership

Facilitating the contribution of shy participants

Establishing shared goals in a new group

Ongoing leadership and co-ordination

GCCMF 103: MUSIC MAKING FACILITATION (ADVANCED)

Ensuring that a group of people with widely disparate skills develops activities that fulfil and challenge ALL the participants

Cultural sensitivity: ie, techniques for working with people with special or particular needs that are radically different from one's own; eg, with groups that are disabled, incarcerated, homeless, institutionalised, non-english speaking, Indigenous, in public housing, in the workplace, in rural settings, at risk, in schools and so on.

Working with groups of people with widely disparate cultural backgrounds within the group; ie, finding musical paths that transcend cultural specificity and/or finding culturally specific directions that may be transferable across cultures

Motivational techniques for dealing with unwilling participants

Methods of transforming unproductive behaviours in a group context (eg, building confidence in the shy, channelling the behaviour of the aggressive)

GCCMF 104: COMMUNITY BUILDING FACILITATION (ADVANCED)

Initiation, design and management of community-based projects

Documentation techniques

Evaluation techniques

Understanding of, and facility with working with and within government and community structures

Understanding of, and facility with the language of social impact of the arts and the arts in education

Recommended texts

Key books and periodicals

Cahill, A. (1998) The Community Music Handbook. A Practical Guide to Developing Music Projects and Organisations Sydney, Currency Press in association with the Music Council of Australia
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. Oxford University Press
Paton, R. (2002) Living Music West Sussex County Council
Peggie, A. (1997) Musicians go to School: partnership in the classroom London. London Arts Board / Yamaha-Kemble Music (UK) Ltd
Williams, D. (1996) From Idea to Application: a project guide to arts project development Adelaide, Community Arts Network of South Australia
Shout! - bi-monthly newsletter produced by Community Music Victoria.
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, California.
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) New York, Oxford University Press
Elliott, D. (1997) Music Matters: A New Philosophy of Music Education Oxford New York, University Press
Everitt, A. (1997) Joining In: An investigation into participatory music London, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Farberman, H. (1997) The Art of Conducting Technique: A New perspective Miami, Warner Brothers
Goolsby, T. and Colwell, R. and Thomas, W. (2001) The Teaching of Instrumental Music New Jersey, Prentice Hall
Green, L. (1997) Music, Gender, Education. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press
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 London, Routledge
Kushner, S. (1988) A Musical Education: Innovation in the Conservatoire Norwich, Centre for Applied Research in Education, University of East Anglia
Kohut, D.L. (1996) Instrumental Music Pedagogy: Teaching techniques for school band and orchestra directors Champaign, Illinois, Stipes Publishing
Labuta, J. A. (1999) Basic Conducting Techniques (4th ed) New Jersey, Prentice Hall
Lisk, E. & Edward S. L. (2000) Creative Director Intangibles of Musical Performance. Galesville, Maryland, Meredith Music
Matarasso, F. (1997) Use or Ornament: the Social Impact of Participation in the Arts Stroud, Comedia
Reck, D. (1977) Music of the Whole Earth New York Scribner
Reimer, B. (2002) A Philosophy of Music Education: Advancing the Vision. (3rd ed) New Jersey, Prentice Hall
Small, C. (1977) Music, Society, Education London, Calder
Small, Christopher Musiking
Swanwick, K. (1999) Teaching Music Musically. London, Routledge

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