Composition and Practical Music-Making for the Development of Socially Inclusive Practices and Intercultural Competence in an F-12 School

This case (Crawford, 2020a) responds to the fact that Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world. As a result, schools are become increasingly culturally diverse and cross-cultural exchange challenges traditional pedagogies and learning environments. The primary aim of this research was to investigate the impact of music and the arts on the learning, social, and personal development of students with refugee backgrounds in an Australian Foundation-Year 12 (F- 1 2) school (Crawford, 2020a).

Socially inclusive practices and the development of intercultural competence were a focus, given the emphasis of these general capabilities in the Australian curriculum, which acknowledges the country’s culturally rich and diverse student cohorts. A number of school-based musical experiences through collaborative composition and ensemble performance provided the development of important intrinsic and extrinsic attributes, but also, opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and negotiation. Music education was used as a vehicle to engage young refugee background students, which was indicative of three primary themes: personal well-being, social inclusion (a sense of belonging), and an enhanced engagement with learning.

Key findings from this case study research indicated that a music classroom that fostered socially inclusive practices resulted in a positive transcultural learning space (Crawford, 2020a). This research raises critical awareness of the important role of music education and the arts in contemporary and culturally diverse school contexts at a time when Australian government and education authorities are making drastic decisions about what should be considered essential and non-essential learning (Tehan, 2020). Decisions to exclude the arts will deny students holistic learning opportunities and a quality education that consider the whole person (Crawford, 2020c). Given that this case study highlighted the benefits of interdisciplinary learning through musical activity (confirmed to be more effective than the actual discipline itself, e.g., English), then removing music and the arts from the curriculum and school programs will have additional consequences on the learning development of the refugee and migrant student population.

The music program in this case is driven by a constructivist framework that uses experiential learning. Students have clear, mutually agreed-upon learning goals and performances to aim for throughout each of the four terms of the school year. The music teacher explained that music provides an opportunity for all students to experience success with their learning and develop positive attitudes toward schooling. There were many instances of students who were not progressing in literacy and numeracy who were able to develop important associated skills and knowledge through musical activities such as composition. Using critical listening and analytical thinking processes, students would lead in the deconstruction of lyrics and music of songs from Australia and around the world, developing skills and knowledge of how the elements of music intersected and worked in combination.

They developed interpretations and understanding of different perspectives and purposes for music. This scaffold provided fundamental skills and knowledge for students to engage with creative endeavors and compose their own collaborative compositions. Working in groups of four, students used various compositional devices and negotiated choices about musical style, genre, and lyrics as well as the tools to compose and instruments to perform the piece. The activity was completed with classes in Years 5-10 and was varied in complexity across the curriculum continuum, providing more creative freedom and less guided instruction for students in the higher year levels.

Compositions were performed in classes, which was established as a safe and supportive space for creative expression, experimentation, and risk-taking. Opportunities were provided for positive and constructive peer feedback to validate the effort students had committed to this work, while building resilience through the feedback and suggestions received that could be applied to improve compositions and performances. Students would keep a composition journal throughout the project, which would help develop collaborative and individual learning goals, metacognition and critically reflective practices. After students applied the peer feedback to their compositions and performances, they would have an opportunity to perform these to the school at a term concert. Although the compositional journey was as important as the end-product, it was crucial to provide an opportunity for students to showcase their work to the school and wider community. For the students in this case, this project and music education validated their learning achievements and played a critical role in consolidating friendships and providing a sense of belonging in the school community.

The analysis of student interview data from this case revealed that engagement in music education was experienced as a form of enjoyment. Learning tasks related to the compositional and performance projects were perceived by students as meaningful and valued knowledge and skills (Crawford, 2020a). The findings suggest that engagement with learning was fostered because students enjoyed the classes that occurred in a supportive space in which they could express themselves, take risks, and experiment, without the stress or pressure to achieve that they often associated to subjects such as English or mathematics. Acquiring new music skills that students could then share with others was important to them.

Students also referred to self-expression as not only a creative or artistic endeavor, but one directly related to language acquisition and communication development. Although music was connected to skills and knowledge in the literal sense, the experiential and practical teaching and learning approach through composition and performance opportunities were regarded as something very different to what other subjects offered. Students did not feel the same pressure as in other subjects, yet they demonstrated improvement in personal, social, and learning outcomes in curriculum areas related to music, general capabilities, and interdisciplinary aspects. The students themselves indicated knowledge of the opportunities that learning English and communication could provide and had expectations of this, but students expressed that this was easier for them to achieve in music. Further research would be required to identify where such expectations and pressures related to academic achievement and the emphasis of English skills and knowledge development may be derived.

Through cooperative teamwork within composition groups and musical ensembles, students also generated an appreciation of creativity, a sense of personal achievement, learning to work together, mutual respect, compromise and valuing the skills, knowledge, and perspectives of peers. Socially inclusive practices are engendered within the process of music-making, and students expressed the reliance of peers within the context of ensembles, which is inherently social, requiring collaboration and turn taking, [resulting] in opportunities for a group performance. The formation of respectful behaviors, roles, and identities have manifested through the social interactions which are central to ensemble work and embedded within this community of musical practice (Kenny, 2014 and 2016; Parker, 2010; Pitts, 2005). (Crawford, 2020a, p. 263)

The socially inclusive pedagogic practices democratize music learning as a social practice and foreground high-status creative projects and performances in the school and community, as a central outcome that students are proud to share (Burnard, 2008; Crawford, 2020a). In addition to the socially inclusive practices used in this case, the composition pedagogy encompassed a constructivist approach that used flexible and experiential learning that:

- developed rapport with students through a genuine interest in their learning and well-being;

- allowed time to carefully listen to students in class, which included establishing and understanding of the visual cues and body language;

- the learning experiences designed were meaningful and engaging, generating intrinsic motivation through musical teamwork and agency;

- fostered cultural exchange-negotiation-transculturation through the valuing of music from diverse cultures and traditions;

- established clear and consistent classroom expectations and management, which over time resulted in students facilitating their own self-regulation of behaviour. (Crawford, 2020a, pp. 263-264)

Socially inclusive behaviors and intercultural competencies were developed through the process of cultural exchange and sharing; “Students’ existing competencies and knowledge were validated, and they had the opportunity to articulate those competencies and knowledge into the new context” (Crawford, 2020a, p. 265). It is timely to consider the impact of music and in particular composition and the creative arts on students’ personal well-being, social development, and engagement with learning, given the current narrative about what should be considered essential learning. It is imperative to question how education is approached and the pedagogies used if music and arts educators are to continue reaffirming its important place in the curriculum and school programs. This case highlights the significant role that music and the creative arts might play in addressing the complexities of globalization and suggest its criticality in highly multicultural countries, such as Australia.