{"id":1868,"date":"2017-06-20T18:10:19","date_gmt":"2017-06-20T18:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-music-and-the-child\/chapter\/chapter-11-music-and-inclusion-3\/"},"modified":"2017-09-12T14:46:59","modified_gmt":"2017-09-12T14:46:59","slug":"chapter-11-music-and-inclusion-3","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-music-and-the-child\/chapter\/chapter-11-music-and-inclusion-3\/","title":{"raw":"Chapter 11: Music and Inclusion","rendered":"Chapter 11: Music and Inclusion"},"content":{"raw":"
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Chapter Summary<\/h3>\r\n

Allowing all children equal access to an art form is more difficult than it sounds. Social pressures, stereotypes, and changing attitudes and perspectives can inhibit inclusion and lead to exclusionary practice. This chapter addresses the issue of several types of musical inclusion, including music and gender, and music for children with autism, ADD\/ADHD, learning and physical disabilities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n

I. Gender in Music<\/h1>\r\nMost of us never consider whether music is gendered, but any system that is part of a culture, even a musical one, is bound to include any general perceptions and values of the society as a whole.\r\n\r\nWhat is gender? The term sex<\/span> <\/strong>refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women, while gender<\/span> <\/strong>refers to society\u2019s constructed roles, expectations, behaviors, attitudes, and activities that it deems appropriate for men and women. Many of us can remember the first time we became aware of our gender. For some, it was an article of clothing that was too \u201cboyish\u201d or \u201cgirlish\u201d to wear, while for others it was noticing certain behaviors such as preferring to play with trucks and cars rather than dolls, and realizing the societal expectations<\/em> that encourage boys to play with trucks and cars. We incorporate gender into all aspects of our daily lives from a very early age onward, and can be socially uncomfortable if we are unsure of someone\u2019s gender or have issues coming to understand our own.\r\n\r\nPerceptions of the individual based on their gender and race influence all of us in all areas. We contextualize, filter, draw conclusions, and make inferences, in part, based on someone\u2019s physical attributes. Many educators have studied the role of gender and how it affects teachers and teaching. For example, individual teachers may prefer one gender to another, but the entire educational system in general, favors girls\u2019 learning styles and behaviors over that of boys. Grades are affected in addition to access to certain opportunities and promotion to leader- ship roles. Boys and girls may express different musical interests and abilities with girls showing self-confidence in literacy and music and boys showing confidence in sports and math, but teachers also discuss boys and girls musicality differently (Green, 1993).\r\n\r\nIs music gendered? Music is highly gendered in ways that we might not even think about. Societies attribute masculinity to different genres of music, instruments, and what musicians should look like when performing. For example, genres like heavy metal and rock are gendered not only in the fact that male musicians dominate them, but also in that they are perceived as male-oriented in subject matter, with appeal to a male audience. Gender lines are not as straightforward as one might believe, however. In performance, there is a great deal of gender bending or borrowing that can occur. On stage, male musicians may co-opt female gendered attributes as part of a performance, such as Heavy or Hair Metal band members wearing long hair and make-up.\r\n\r\nMusical instruments are also \u201cgendered.\u201d Our choices as to which instrument to play, in other words, are not entirely our own. Society, friends, and teachers, play a significant role in our music selection process. As a culture, and even as children, we have very particular notions of who should play what instruments, with children as young as three associating certain instruments with gender (Marshall and Shibazaki, 2012). In a 1981 study, Griswold & Chroback found that the harp, flute, and piccolo had high feminine ratings; the trumpet, string bass, and tuba had high masculine ratings.\r\n\r\nAs Lucy Green mentions above (1993), boys and girls have different musical interests, and teachers discuss musicality differently regarding boys and girls, and are likely to offer differences in opportunity, instrument selection, etc. For example, according to a 2008 study, girls are more likely to sing, while boys are more likely to play instruments such as bass guitar, trombone, and percussion. One interesting exception to boy\u2019s dominance of percussion is that, participation in African drumming was far more egalitarian, with an equal number of boys and girls playing (Hallam, 2008, p. 11-13).\r\n
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Activity 11a: think about it<\/h3>\r\n
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You might have an early memory when deciding what instrument to play in the school band or for lessons at home. Why did you decide on which instrument to play? Were you influenced by what instrument other girls or boys or professional musicians were playing? Did your parents or teachers encourage you in one direction or another?<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n

II. Music Therapy and Healing<\/h1>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nThroughout this book, we\u2019ve learned about the many connections that music has on mental and emotional development. Music, is of course, more than entertainment, and affects the body directly through its sound vibrations. Our bodies are made up of many rhythms\u2014the heart, respiratory system, our body\u2019s energy, digestive systems etc. These vibrations result in something called entrainment<\/span><\/strong>, where our bodies try to sync up with the tempo of the music. Music can affect our heartbeat, blood pressure, and pulse rate, and reduce stress, anxiety and even depression.\r\n\r\nThe fact that the body and mind are so affected by music forms the basis for most music therapy. Music Therapy is defined as \u201cA systematic process of intervention wherein the therapist helps the client to achieve health, using musical experiences and the relationships that develop through them as dynamic forces of change\u201d (Bruscia, 1989, p. 47). \u201cMusical experiences can include singing or vocalizing, playing various percussion and melodic instruments, and listening to music\u2026Music therapists tap into the power of music to arouse emotions that can be used to motivate clients\u201d (Pelliteri, 2000).\r\n

Music for Well-being and Learning<\/h2>\r\nMusic can be used to create any number of environments for children to flourish cognitively and developmentally. Music creates a general sense of well being, while creating a positive environment in which to learn, create, and function. For example, playing soft classical music, particularly Baroque music (Bach, Vivaldi, etc.) increases attention and the ability to concentrate, allowing the listener to work more productively.\r\n\r\nMusic also has a direct impact on the heart rate. The heart responds by beating more quickly when listening to faster tempos, and slower when listening to slower tempos. It also responds to dynamics (loud and soft) and to certain pitch frequencies.\r\n

Tempo and related activities.<\/h1>\r\n<\/colgroup>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Activity<\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

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Music<\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

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High energy activities<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  • General stress release, increases alertness and energy\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • Dancing<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Working out<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Mood pick-me-up<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n
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130 beats per minute<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  • Dance music is usually 120\u2013140 beats per minute<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Classical music in a tempo marked allegro<\/em> or presto<\/em> would be appropriate; divertimento<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
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Medium energy activities<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  • Increases productivity and performance<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Increases alertness, artistic expression<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Good for individual or group project work<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Concentrating on a single activity<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Homework, project construction, etc.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n
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80\u2013100 beats per minute<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  • Baroque or classical music in a tempo marked andante<\/em>; theme and variations, fantasia, giocoso, intermezzo<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Pop or rock music ballads<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
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Lower energy activities<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  • Alters brain waves to promote relaxation<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Increases creativity, thinking, problem solving<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Calms the body and mind after a high impact activity\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • Returning from recess or active playtime<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n
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60\u201380 beats per minute<\/p>\r\n\r\n