Sidnee McLeod

Dr. Veblen
Music 1800A
November 22nd, 2015
Reading: Myers
Myers, D. (2007). Freeing music education from schooling: Towards a lifespan perspective on music
teaching and learning. International Journal of Community Music 1(1): 49-61.
This article shifts the focus for the inclusion of Music Education inside schools to the inclusion of
Music Education everywhere in the Community, including schools. Myers wants to free music education
from schooling, and by that, wants to allow everyone, especially adults, access to the musical
opportunities that students have in their education every day. The article also provides statistics of how
experience with music young and older adults have after they graduate from high school. The result is
not much, and this is because of the lack of opportunities provided to the adults because many think
that it is unimportant to incorporate music into ones life after education unless they are going into a
music related career, and this discourages many adults. On a positive note, however, the article also
shows examples of how we can connect music education in schools to the Community, therefore
allowing the adults to experience music and for students to see that there are ways to participate in
community music after graduation.
I was interested in one of the ways they incorporated seniors into the world of Music. I really
liked the fact that they combined a high school choir with many seniors. I think that it provides an
opportunity for the two groups to learn from each other. There are a lot of positive experiences that
come from this group. I was in a choir that was a mixture of young adults, and just adults and seniors

that attended church and that also wanted to make music. They did not necessarily come from the most
musical background, but they did enjoy the choir and learned how to sight sing and make harmonies. I
actually learned a lot from my fellow voice counterparts, the second sopranos. They made me feel
welcome and they taught me many things that I did not previously know from my high school music
experience, such as the most difficult intervals or ways to combat the confusion of the overwhelming
first sopranos. I felt like I had made a friendship with my choir and that they made feel part of a family,
even though I was the youngest one there. I would definitely go back there once I am older or finished
university, to continue and further my passion for music. I feel very strongly for connecting Community
music to high school students.
One of the most surprising things was the idea of how many people used to have daily
experiences with music in high school, but the moment they graduate, music is cut completely out of
their lives and it ceases to be a part of their identity. This is because of the lack of musical opportunities
for non-music students. Many of my teachers at high school used to be involved with music, and I had
no idea until they told me, because it was so disconnected from them. For example, my Chemistry
teacher. I thought that she was completely focused on the Sciences and did not have as much of an
interest in music. I found out, however, that this was not the case. She actually played the clarinet
through all four years and was quite talented; she actually made it into the citys honour band and
travelled with them. My question was, why did she stop playing? The answer that is most likely to be
correct is right in the article. Once a student graduates from high school, the musical opportunities
decrease and almost cease to exist.
One of the most frustrating things is how secluded and discriminatory the music world can be.
The fact that there are limited opportunities for those who have not had music training since they were
young is so awful, because some people are not privileged enough to have had the money to afford
music lessons. That idea that if you dont participate in music before you are 9, you will not develop

musically, makes me upset. I sometimes look at myself to be a person that started music later and it
feels awful. It feels like I am cut off from the world, like I am missing something important because I
have not learned to read music before I was able to walk. This feeling may be what discourages a lot of
adults from pursuing a hobby in music for their daily lives. I think that it is important that we start
establishing multiple entry points into the music world so that everyone, including adults, can feel like
they can become musicians whenever they want. No age is too late. That is what my violin teacher told
me.
The only thing I have to say to the author is two questions. How do we establish multiple entry
points and make the world of music more open to others at a faster rate? Also, another reason that
most people lose interest in music is at the beginning, because there is a failure to energize the
fundamental drives for musical expression and musical understanding. How do we reverse this? It is a
difficult concept to develop, and I would like to be able to see some examples. The concept still confuses
me.