Chances and Choices: Laying foundations for lifelong musical engagement

Dr Stephanie PittsUniversity of Sheffield

s.e.pitts@sheffield.ac.uk

Priorities for music education

Access Inclusion Participation Quality

Ireland: musicgeneration.ie

Portugal: A Casa vai a Casa casadamusica.com

Australian Children’s Music Foundation acmf.com.au

Not looking for one ‘right answer’ but for answers that work…

Musical learning through the lifespanPast research tells us most about ‘exceptional’

musical lives, not about ‘ordinary’ onesFactors in a ‘musical’ childhood; how are adult

attitudes shaped in home and school?Importance of extra-curricular music; modelling

adult engagement in musical activities

What is the impact of music in schools upon lifelong musical interest and activity?

How do schools interact with home and the wider community in supporting musical development?

Value of music for adult participantsAs a potential source of confirmation and

confidenceAs an opportunity to demonstrate or

acquire skillsAs a way of preserving and promoting

repertoire As an opportunity to perform with others As a forum for social interaction and

friendshipsAs a way of enhancing everyday life As a way of escaping from everyday life As a source of spiritual fulfilment and

pleasure

Musical life histories: survey questions1. What kind of music was going on

in your home as a child? How influential do you think this was in your development?

2. What are your memories of school music? (People, activities, opportunities…)

3. Who has been influential on your musical behaviour at various stages of your life?

4. What have been the highlights of your musical life history so far?

5. Do you have any regrets about missed opportunities in music?

UK sample: age distributionAge range Total Source

BBC MT ISM www

19-25 6 1 1 0 4

26-35 9 0 0 0 9

36-45 8 0 3 1 4

46-55 15 7 2 1 5

56-65 21 3 6 6 6

66-75 8 5 2 1 0

75+ 5 2 1 1 1

Coding the dataContext Events Participant

codesTotal % of 71

responsesHome influences and opportunities

Parents’ musical tastes

Father listening [1] [3] [8] [10] [12] [15] [...]

30 42%

Mother listening [1] [8] [10] [14] [15] [16] [27] [...]

18 25%

Lack of listening in the home

[2] [9] [19] [51] [56] [60] [61]

7 10%

Parents’ musical activities

Father playing [1] [4] [6] [11] [26] [34] [35] [40] [...]

17 24%

Mother playing [4] [6] [11] [17] [33] [35] [36] [...]

17 24%

Father singing [27] [33] [34] [42] [43] [45] [...]

9 13%

Mother singing [26] [28] [33] [37] [42] [54] [55] [...]

9 13%

Stephanie Pitts (2009) ‘Roots and routes in musical participation’, BJME 26 (3): 241-256

Analysis: thematic codingHome/school influences (above 20%)

Home influences Education influencesFather listening = 42%Radio/gramophone = 38%Parents’ support for lessons/practice = 32%Church attendance/hymn singing = 27%Mother listening = 25%Father playing = 24%Mother playing = 24%Siblings playing = 21%Concert going as a family = 21%

Secondary school performing = 51%Belonging to secondary school choir = 39%Inspiring instrumental teachers = 34%Singing at primary school = 31%Inspiring secondary school teachers = 30%Secondary school class lessons = 23%Studying for exams in school = 23%Self-taught instrumental playing = 23%County youth orchestras = 20%

Participant voices…“My parents: father (tone deaf!), mother played piano (popular classical), had scarce resources with six children to care for, but chose wisely and sacrificially to engage two of us in music lessons ... My sister fell by the wayside but I was ‘hooked’ and was forever on the piano at home.” [UK39, aged 81]

“I went for piano lessons at the age of six, but I had a really nasty teacher, the sort we hope doesn’t exist any more. She used to rap me over the knuckles with a ruler. Looking back now, I know I made good progress. I gave up after a year though, because the teacher was so horrid.” [UK37, aged 42]

Analysis and discussionData can be analysed…• By generation – 1930s to 1990s schooling• By context – home, school, community• By influence – significant adults/mentors • By outcome – adult engagement in music• By implication – what do the life histories tell

us about supporting musical learning in school and beyond?

Analysis by influenceSignificant people:• Parents – mentors, role models, providers• Teachers – conferring musical identity• Instrumental teachers – confidants, role

models, bridge between school and home• Extended family, siblings, friends – varied

stories of unexpected influences

Participant voices: influences“There was a brilliant lady who taught at [primary] school who used to give us lots of extra input. Somehow we had four lessons a week – I’m pretty sure she used to leave her class unattended while she rehearsed with us ... The head teacher was also a keen musician so maybe that’s how she got away with it” [UK38, aged 42]

“The music master was close to retirement and a pretty strict disciplinarian, which put off people who were not interested, but he had such a profound love and enthusiasm for music that this rubbed off on those who were already inclined in that direction” [UK64, aged 55]

Analysis by outcomeAdult engagement in music:• Music educators – tend to be flexible,

engaged in other musical activities• Lifelong listeners – regular concert-goers,

often lapsed or ‘unsuccessful’ performers• Lifelong learners – resuming lessons or

starting new instrument; fulfilling ambitions• Music-makers – value of functional playing;

maintaining v. developing skills

Participant voices: outcomes“I did consider taking up the cello again a few years ago when a friend offered me one, but decided the commitment to practice and rehearsal would put too much of a strain on our family life. Playing bass guitar at church only requires one evening a week and no practice in between; this I can manage! I hope to take up the piano again for fun within the next couple of years (when we have the funds to buy one!).” [UK58, aged 52]

“I took up the Double Bass at the age of 40, having always wanted to play it but been prevented when at school because my little brother was learning it and I might have been better than him. […] I’ve now reached the stage where I can play away, with a bit of bluffing, in an amateur orchestra, and [it’s] a great feeling to be playing at the bottom of that great sound, like being the engine at the bottom of a great ship.” [UK26, aged 52]

Analysis by/of implicationsLearning from life histories:• Opportunities to experience music in school and

at home are vital to immediate engagement and long-term interest

• Impact is not directly predictable, but lack of opportunity often limits ambition

• Performance in schools: long-term effects on attitudes, skills and involvement

• Congruence of values between home and school helps to support musical learning

Participant voices: implications“When at secondary school I was in a year full of tall girls who all seemed terribly clever and self-assured. My musical ability gave me an identity at school (along with my ability to crack terrible jokes and puns), as this was one subject where I could shine—only one of the tall girls was musical—otherwise I think I would have sunk without trace as I was quite shy and introverted.” [UK42, aged 62]

“While I earn most of my income from my 9–5 job, the musical upbringing I have had has influenced most of what I do […] If you can pull together a musical, audition the soloists, accompany the rehearsals, get your team to do direction, costumes, scenery, make-up, publicity etc. and produce the show to a budget on time, that is project management and replicated in most walks of life.” [UK25, aged 49]

Implications and questions for researchers and practitioners• Long-term effects of music education might

be the way to persuade policy makers and funding bodies of the value of the arts?

• Gathering robust evidence for real benefits of music learning is essential

• Are we free or forgotten? Music seems to be on the edge of curriculum discussions yet again – how can we best respond to that?

Related publicationsPitts, S. E. (2012) Chances and Choices: Exploring the Impact of

Music Education. Oxford University Press

Pitts, S. E. (2009) Roots and routes in adult musical participation: investigating the impact of home and school on lifelong musical interest and involvement. British Journal of Music Education 26 (3): 241-256

Pitts, S. E. (2008) Extra-curricular music in UK schools: Investigating the aims, experiences, and impact of adolescent musical participation. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 9 (10) [online journal]