Imagining Music Education in the “We-Mode”

Abstract

In this article, I explore the “we-mode,” a concept under investigation by social cognition researchers that emerged from John Searle’s concept of collective Intentionality. Wemode thinking captures the viewpoints of individuals engaged in social interactions and expands each individual’s potential for social understanding and action. This access to the knowledge and understandings of those with whom they collaborate creates shared knowledge and understandings that may lead to collective Intentionality or we-mode. The discussion begins with a look at how living and working in groups affects identity formation, using Paul Gilroy’s notion of planetary humanity as an example of we-mode thinking. As Searle explains, collective Intentionality emanates from the Background (similar to Bourdieu’s habitus), which thus allows for the possibility of collective Intentionality or we-mode thinking and action. The article concludes by querying the potential for developing we-mode thinking in music education within an anti-racism framework, followed by an introduction to the four articles published in this issue.

Examining the accessibility of MA Music Therapy training in the United Kingdom for ethnic minority communities

“…Although music education students might enter university from diverse backgrounds and differing musical experiences, within the training programmes themselves, precedence is placed onto a particular model (Western music), and it is from this point that the Western canon of musical education develops. The music curriculum implemented by educators within music institutions then results in two groups of students ‘those who buy into the cultural norms implicit in their curriculum, and those who opt out of school music’ (Bradley, 2007: 149). Bradley writes that ‘those who disengage from school music often fail to see themselves as musical’, and goes on to state that these people may have the experience of ‘believing that musicality is a label that applies onto those with specialized training in institutionally sanctioned forms of music making’ (Bradley, 2007: 149).…”

“…The music curriculum implemented by educators within music institutions then results in two groups of students ‘those who buy into the cultural norms implicit in their curriculum, and those who opt out of school music’ (Bradley, 2007: 149). Bradley writes that ‘those who disengage from school music often fail to see themselves as musical’, and goes on to state that these people may have the experience of ‘believing that musicality is a label that applies onto those with specialized training in institutionally sanctioned forms of music making’ (Bradley, 2007: 149). Conversely, those who undertake training in music programmes (and those whom the music programmes are ‘primarily interested in and actively recruit), believe themselves to be “musically literate”’.…”

“…Links can be drawn to earlier statistics regarding demographics within Western and classical music, where it appears that within some institutions students from a Western musical background and statistically being more likely to come from a White background, may benefit from this system. This creates a hierarchy within these institutions and perpetuates ‘institutional whiteness’ (Bradley, 2007: 149).…”

Toward a Decentered Music Education Using a Rhizomatic Approach

“…appropriate for educational purposes." 6 In addition to placing non-Western musics and popular musics on the periphery of a Western classical curriculum, the Western classical center often appears in various aspects in music classes. For instance, when teachers include musics beyond Western classical music, they often present these musics through the Western classical paradigm, adopting Western elements of music, Eurocentric approaches to learning/teaching music, and a Western perspective of musical beauty.…”

Research-to-Resource: A Tripartite Model of Cultural Humility-Music (TMCH-Music) in Music Education

“…. appropriate for educational purposes” (Bradley, 2007, p. 134). Second, teachers should ask themselves questions regarding hidden curriculum: (a) Who am I privileging in the music I select?…”