Cultivating cosmopolitan musicians: A rationale towards a new framework for teaching the double bass

Soares Caceres, Renata

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/115814 Copy

Description

Title

Cultivating cosmopolitan musicians: A rationale towards a new framework for teaching the double bass

Author(s)

Soares Caceres, Renata

Issue Date

2022-04-20

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

Fairbanks, Stephen

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Gray, Lawence

Committee Member(s)

• Bashford, Christina
• Gallo, Donna

Department of Study

Music

Discipline

Music

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

A.Mus.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

double bass, cosmopolitanism, music education, jazz, popular music, method book, pedagogy, teaching

Abstract

This paper proposes a new framework for teaching music and musical instruments that aims to cultivate cosmopolitan musicians, that is, musicians capable of navigating different styles and genres of music through the mastery of their instrument. I identify a gap in the double bass pedagogical materials by looking into the state of the double bass pedagogy in the United States. To fill this gap, I propose a framework of cosmopolitanism, illustrated in the form of a prototype for a new method for teaching double bass beginner students, that intersects the methodologies applied in public schools’ heterogeneous string classes, and the American String Teachers Association curriculum and expectations, with a more up-to-date pedagogy that teaches the Western classical music tradition alongside jazz and popular music. By adopting the philosophical concept of cosmopolitanism, I offer a wider understanding of musicianship and musicality that embraces various musical styles. The teaching framework I propose changes according to the traditions and culture of where it is applied. By presenting a step-by-step guide for the development of a cosmopolitan curriculum for American double bass students, I suggest ways to adapt this framework for other instruments, localities, and teaching settings.

Graduation Semester

2022-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2022 Renata Soares Caceres

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