"Perhaps you could sing it for us": Learning to listen, teach, and collaborate across musical idioms from two culturally responsive music programs in Chicago

Doig Skaff, Olivia

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/114378 Copy

Description

Title

"Perhaps you could sing it for us": Learning to listen, teach, and collaborate across musical idioms from two culturally responsive music programs in Chicago

Author(s)

Doig Skaff, Olivia

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Sherwood Magee, Gayle

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Gonzales Redman, Yvonne

Department of Study

School of Music

Discipline

Music

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts

Keyword(s)

music education;culturally responsive teaching;Chicago Children's Choir;Chicago Jazz Philharmonic;music genre classification

Language

en

Abstract

This thesis examines the ways two education programs in Chicago have developed methods to teach diverse genres and repertoires of music, and the ways their practices correspond with culturally responsive teaching philosophies. These programs are The Chicago Children’s Choir’s neighborhood choir programs and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic’s Jazz Academy and Jazz Alive programs. Through an exploration of the history of these ensembles, interviews with educators and alumni of these programs, and review of rehearsal and performance materials of both ensembles, I analyze the teaching methods and priorities which have been developed in their work. This thesis also introduces the work of an education program I co-developed and co-teach for the nonprofit Lynx Project called Composition of a City. Following the two case studies, I compare the culturally responsive teaching methods of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic and the Chicago Children’s Choir with the curriculum and teaching methods developed for Composition of a City. I share insights gained through this research on how Composition of a City can further align our methods with culturally responsive teaching. The education methods developed by these programs may also aid and inform the practices of other music educators and music education programs which strive toward more culturally responsive teaching practices. As exemplified by the development of these programs, other music programs and teachers can approach diverse repertoire through learning methods and priorities that align with genres outside of classical music as a way of implementing elements of culturally responsive teaching in music classes.

Graduation Semester

2022-07-21T15:17:59-05:00

Type of Resource

• text
• still image

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/114378

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2022 Olivia Doig Skaff

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