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Solo, multitrack, mute? Producing and performing (gender) in a popular music classroom

Tobias, E. S. (2014). Solo, multitrack, mute? Producing and performing (gender) in a popular music classroom. Visions of Research in Music Education, 25, 1-29.

My article Solo, multitrack, mute? Producing and performing (gender) in a popular music classroom is now published in Visions of Research in Music Education (VRME). For those unfamiliar with VRME, it is an open-access journal, which means that all articles are available for free on the journal’s website. An earlier version of this article was presented as a paper at the 2011 Feminist Theory and Music Conference. The abstract is as follows:

This study applies secondary analysis to amplify the voices, perspectives, and experiences of young women in a high school songwriting and technology course along with related research to address the production and performance of music and gendered identities and implications for popular music pedagogy. While each participant had idiosyncratic experiences and perspectives, several common themes emerged in relation to gender. Each young woman participant negotiated and had varied perspectives on collaborating, compromising, and accommodating for others on the final project. Participants identified and discussed issues of control in relation to technology and intersections between gender in the music course and society, however, had differing perspectives on these issues with implications for curriculum and pedagogy. Informed by findings, analysis, and related scholarship I propose four foci with potential for future research and praxis: broadening beyond gendered norms, goals of popular music programs, uncomfortable conversations, and popular music programs as springboards and hubs.
The article may be of interest to people who would like to address popular music, gender issues, and related aspects of curriculum and pedagogy in music programs (as might my article Flipping the misogynist script: Gender, agency, Hip Hop, and music education). Even if you don’t read the article, consider taking a look at some of the following resources (most of which are mentioned in the article) that you or young people in your programs might find interesting or helpful  in expanding on what is sometimes a male-dominated or male-focused topic in mainstream media or educational materials.
If you have a general interest in issues of gender and sexuality relating to music education, consider looking at:

Unfortunately, since the time the article was submitted for publication, the organization Musicians for Equal Opportunities for Women has disbanded due to a career change of its organizer. The website is no longer active and I discovered the following message posted to its Facebook page:

MEOW-facebook

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully in the near future society will no longer need such advocacy groups. In the meantime music educators ought to play an active role in working towards equity and education!

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