Reinventing Pedagogy: Criticality and Craftsmanship in Tandem

Thus far it may seem as though I am advocating for a prioritization of criticality over functionality in the classroom and, indeed I do believe that critical literacy can and should be a central focus. Criticality, however, does not preclude functionality. Music is both an art form and a craft, and the pursuance of craftsmanship requires the development of skills. Therefore, rather than consider functionality and criticality as an either/ or dichotomy, music educators might consider how both can be held in tandem in a both/and relationship.

A purpose-driven approach to composition pedagogy through a both/and relationship of criticality and craftsmanship is not linear. It is interwoven and entangled, with each building upon, challenging, and amplifying the other. It requires a dispositional shift in how composition is conceptualized in the music classroom. Criticality is not an “add-on” nor is it utilized as a “pedagogical sleight of hand” to lead back to functional skills (Benedict, 2012, p. 156). There is not a pre-determined hierarchy of knowledge one must possess before engaging with one’s musical world in a critical manner. Educators need not wait until students have mastered a skill before connecting to broader critical questions, nor should criticality be reserved for students who are deemed to be advanced in a particular subject. Rather, musical skills can be developed through a process of investigating and problematizing the sociopolitical and cultural-historic conditions of students’ local and global communities.

Critical approaches can create curricula where compositional endeavors not only support multiple ways of creatively doing music, but, more importantly, with multiple reasons for doing music. Bringing critical literacy to the forefront can create opportunities for relationality in the classroom where musical selves are called upon to navigate complex relationships and develop dispositions of artistic inquiry. These dispositions do not, and cannot, come about as a result of musical practices that follow a step-by-step linear process or prioritize easily assessable skills and accountability. There is, however, the possibility of their cultivation through the ways in which musical endeavors that act as catalysts for relational experiences, critical inquiry, and collaborative action are encouraged.

Critical literacy can emerge when composition is conceptualized as a multifaceted, ongoing process. Rather than presenting compositions as finished projects to be displayed or judged, spaces of sharing might help students critically interact with their classmates’ creative work. By prioritizing musicality and criticality over form and function, music educators help students move from conversations that attempt to determine what a composition is supposed to be about toward what a composition might make possible. This is not an easy task. Finding productive ways to help students problematize what they are hearing without being judgmental is challenging. Music educators may not feel prepared to facilitate conversations that actively engage with topics of cultural, social, historical, and/or political natures (Robinson, 2017).

Researchers have demonstrated, however, that, when continually cultivated over time, pedagogies that deliberately engage with the social and cultural lives of communities can be encouraged through care-filled practices that invite open questioning, radical listening, and relational moments (Benedict, 2021; Stauffer, 2017). In these moments, hearing and exploring multiple responses to a composition might help students see knowledge and understanding as “partial, polyphonic, and vibrant” (Giroux, 2005, p. 104). As narratives and counternarratives are juxtaposed with one another, divergent interpretations can help extend students’ abilities to re-examine their own views and critically consider the experiences that shaped them.