International Mindedness in Music - Colin Van de Reep

Instrumental Music 11: Context (Historical and Cultural) unit.

PLO: Analyse instrumental music from a range of historical and cultural contexts.

On the surface, this PLO seems to be internationally minded however in the context of a grade 11 band class, this is often realized by simply listening to music from different cultures or by playing shallow western interpretations of music from different traditions. In order to teach this PLO in a truly internationally minded way, the teacher would need to avoid the mindset that the western tradition of music is the "alpha" tradition. By fully immersing the students in the cultural context and teaching that each culture has a musical tradition that is distinct, highly advanced and steeped in tradition, students will learn that the western way is not the only way of realizing sound as music. Because instrumental music classes are taught in the western tradition exclusively, attempts at so-called "cultural music" are often non-authentic, floofy, and in some cases even racist. If the students are completely immersed in the other traditions respectfully and holistically, It could be a much more internationally minded experience.

-Colin Van de Reep