Marching to the Worlds Beat: Globalization in the

Context of Canadian Music Education

Beynon,C.A.,Veblen,K.K.&Elliott,D.J.(2012).Marchingtotheworldbeat:Globalizationinthe
contextofCanadianmusiceducation. InC.A.Beynon&K.K.Veblen(Eds.).Critical
perspectivesinCanadianmusiceducation.Waterloo,ON:WilfridLaurierUniversityPress.

Globalization
Globalization is a new phenomenon that was been occurring for a long
time in society but has expanded exponentially over centuries. Technological
advancements have made Globalization a concrete pillar for global society.
Globalization has had a strong impact on music education all around the
world; Canadian and North American music education has been affected by
globalization for far longer and with a greater impact than in other countries.
For example: a school in Canada provides a steel drum program and it
expands into a foundational point of music education. Globalization has
given students that wouldnt have otherwise been exposed to such diverse
musical factors such as steel drums, the opportunity to work with and learn
about them.
Friedmans View of Globalization
Friedmans thesis is based off how the world is no longer round and he
speaks of the flatteners in our world. Some examples of these flatterens he
gives are: the collapse of the Berlin wall, the Cold War, the development of
the internet and social media. He says that advancements in technology,
especially the internet, have taken over peoples lives in both helpful and
unhealthy, addictive ways in search for immediate answers (Beynon, 2012,
p. 184). Friedman believes that rather than bringing communities together,
technology has disrupted them. Although most of the world is perceived as
flat, there are still some pockets that are still round and are greatly suffering
for this. Third world countries such as Africa are not able to access global
markets and the larger industrialized countries are not willing to share.
Therefore, these countries are left behind in the globalization process.
Globalization has also had a negative impact in creating global crime. Vast,
distant parts of the world are much more accessible making crime much
easier and attainable. To examine music education involving these factors, it
is important to start broadly by thinking culturalluy.
Rochons Sociocultural View of Globalization
Rochon looks at culture as an umbrella term that includes the arts. He
says new forms of culture have emerged that are a blend of cultures.
Rochons three theories of cultural change:
1.) Value conversion values play a role in replacing current but
acceptable practices

2.) Value creation new cultural artifacts are created to adapt to new local
or world situations
3.) Value connection the linking of phenomenon that havent been
previously connected or are connected in another way
Music Education
Friedman and Rochon would have us realize that it is nave to think
there really is a distinct entity as Canadian music education. Music
education is a very broad term that can be seen in many different forms but
with the introduction of globalization, music education is becoming less
country specific. Technological advancements have allowed classrooms to
have access to new material that links them to the real world. What use to
be known as exotic is now part of the norm for education. Music education
can no longer been seen as having ties with one nation, everything is
blended together by globalization. Although globalization has changed the
content or repertoire that students are exposed to, it is interesting that the
modes teachers are using to relay this new information is the same. From the
1960s to 2010, the same band, choirs, orchestras and guitar programs are
used as teaching methods.
Globalization is affecting the way people live, learn, love, interact, work
create self identity, and respect. Marcelo Suarez-Orozco says, an education
for globalization should aim for nothing more and nothing less than to
educate the whole child for the whole world. (Beynon 2012 p. 190) The
future for music education in Canada requires a leveled playing field for
learning where the teacher and student are both learning together. The
benefits of globalization will come only if music educational opportunities are
accessible for everyone.
Point I agree with
I agree with Friedmans point on the pockets of the world that are
suffering from out flat-world. I think that society is desensitized to these
places because we dont have as much reliable access to them as be do to
the globally advances societies. It is important that we keep this in mind as
globalization advances further and to see how we can get the third world
countries into the cycle.
Point I disagree with
Friedman looks at technological advancements as flatteners in out
global society. He says that these advancements are blending what use to be
exotic into a known lived experience. Although advancements in technology
allow for use to reach this exotic information I disagree that our societies
are being blending. I think that it is great that technology is allowing us to
access information about other cultures music but I disagree that it is
becomes part of out normality. Even though students may be playing an

African piece in concert band it is still an African piece to them and will never
be perceived as part of their own culture at this point in the advancements.