Engaging the Community

In response to Yvonne’s Day 4 post: The two challenges you raised definitely deserve our collective reflection and hopefully, ideas for concrete action. I agree that Polyphonic is a great resource for “getting the word out” (as is the ASOL edlist), but I think we could all use these resources better to share information. The four points that Aaron Flagg listed are examples of some of the categories within which we could all contribute our ideas and research findings – perhaps through Polyphonic. There is so much valuable information out there that we each hold – but the findings are scattered and we definitely need a central resource where it can be accessed easily and quickly. To add to Aaron’s list, I would be particularly interested in “topic stations” that address program evaluation with measurable outcomes as well as cultural economic impact studies, advocacy initiatives and calls for immediate action to save programs, testimonials about music’s cultural relevance from celebrities / public figures, etc.

Your second point on how to ensure our community relevance causes me to pause and reflect on several issues. The idea of the “why” of music education and more specifically, classical orchestral music, is one that we tend to talk around and not address directly. I think it would be beneficial to all of us to have a forum where we address just this question. The answer I believe resides with our audiences and that, in my opinion, is where community engagement is so essential.

What type of language do our communities best relate to as we try to address the “why” of music education? We tend to look primarily at education models, but what about business, economic, health and sports models for communicating music’s impact in our society? What studies exist that address these questions?

To give an example, there was a brilliant government campaign in Canada called “participACTION” that rewarded physical exercise through the use of certificates in the school system as well as through a savvy media campaign. Values such as team building, self-discipline, excellence, achievement, were effective in mobilizing the public towards physical activity. The economic gains were considerable. See http://www.usask.ca/archives/participaction/english/home.html for more information.

If we look at music as a verb – “musicking” – to use Christopher Small’s word – we remember that music is dynamic – changing constantly depending on the participants and context within which it is created. That said, to maintain our cultural relevance within our communities, we need to adapt and be visibly present to our communities – getting out of our buildings.

Advocacy for music education within our communities is also key. How do we get the word out when a music program is in jeopardy (whether in a community orchestra, school system, community centre, etc.) so that we can mobilize all our colleagues to lobby in favor of that program? How do we use our collective voice, power, resources, to ensure that we both celebrate and maintain existing music education programs in our communities that are successful? Do we celebrate our local teachers and musicians enough?

Yvonne…you’re sure to spark many more ideas from your readers. I can’t wait.