Chapter 4 focuses on the recreation movement (also known as the playground movement or play movem... more Chapter 4 focuses on the recreation movement (also known as the playground movement or play movement), a social movement that arose in tandem with the settlement house movement. In addition to demonstrating the early associations between recreation movement leaders and early public school music leaders, the chapter illustrates the growing cleavage between the moral paternalism of social reformers such as Joseph Lee, and the “scientific” paternalism of professionals that emerged in the wake of G. Stanley Hall and the child-study movement. Both the reformers and the professionals advocated for the importance of play leaders and play in education, but for different reasons—ones with gendered implications. For the professionals, play was instrumental, serving primarily to support physical development, particularly that of boys. Music was largely absent from their concept of play. By contrast, the reformers considered music and the arts part of play, but mostly for girls. The chapter demonstrates how the initial focus on the play of children that led to the formation of the Playground Association of America would eventually expand to include the recreational activities of adults and the renaming of the organization as the National Recreation Association.
The goal of Chapter 9 is to argue for a reimagined music education based on a qualified version o... more The goal of Chapter 9 is to argue for a reimagined music education based on a qualified version of leisure education. Central to the chapter is the “paradox of paternalism,” where conceptions of the art of living are viewed as dependent on a form of education understood as exposure and development requiring a more knowledgeable other. The goal of this education, however, is freely chosen ethical seeking rather than conduct modification. Key here are discussions of socialization, where parenting involvement and parenting logics are considered alongside formal education practices. In this light, school music is viewed, positively, as “quasi-curricular,” where the goals of amateurism, serious leisure, and leisure satisfaction justify music as a truly public good.
Chapter 6 is the first chapter of Part III (philosophical perspectives). As the chapter title sug... more Chapter 6 is the first chapter of Part III (philosophical perspectives). As the chapter title suggests, the focus here is on happiness (eudaimonia) and pleasure (hedonism). The exploration uses moral philosophy to consider musical leisure in light of W. D. Ross’s “the right” and “the good.” Illustrated with musical examples, well-being (the good life) is advanced as an ethical endeavor. Positive psychology is introduced as a foil to explore how flourishing might be considered in light of upbringing (paideia). The chapter concludes with speculations on how musical leisure and the good life might be reconsidered as a form of ethical seeking.
Chapter 6 is the first chapter of Part III (philosophical perspectives). As the chapter title sug... more Chapter 6 is the first chapter of Part III (philosophical perspectives). As the chapter title suggests, the focus here is on happiness (eudaimonia) and pleasure (hedonism). The exploration uses moral philosophy to consider musical leisure in light of W. D. Ross’s “the right” and “the good.” Illustrated with musical examples, well-being (the good life) is advanced as an ethical endeavor. Positive psychology is introduced as a foil to explore how flourishing might be considered in light of upbringing (paideia). The chapter concludes with speculations on how musical leisure and the good life might be reconsidered as a form of ethical seeking.
As the book’s title suggests, Music, Leisure, Education explores historical and philosophical con... more As the book’s title suggests, Music, Leisure, Education explores historical and philosophical connections between music, leisure, and education. Specifically, it considers how music learning, teaching, and participation can be reconceptualized in terms of leisure (scholē), that is, music education as leisure education. Taking as its starting point “the art of living” and the ethical question, How should one live?, the book engages a wide range of scholarship to problematize the place of non-professional music making in historical and contemporary (Western) conceptions of the good life and the common good. Part I provides a general background on music education, school music, the work ethic, leisure studies, recreation, play, and conduct. Part II focuses on two significant currents of thought and activity during the Progressive Era in the United States, the settlement movement and the recreation movement. The examination demonstrates how societal concerns over conduct (the “threat of leisure”) and differing views on the purpose of music learning and teaching led to a fracturing between those espousing generalist and specialist positions. The four chapters of Part III take readers through considerations of happiness (eudaimonia) and the good life, issues of work-life balance and the play spirit, leisure satisfaction in relation to consumerism, individualism, and the common good, and finally, parenting logics in relation to extracurriculars, music learning, and serious leisure.
We argue in this article for greater role for improvisation in the music classroom. Based on an e... more We argue in this article for greater role for improvisation in the music classroom. Based on an extensive examination of scholarship about improvisational practices, we propose three conceptualizations—ability, culture, experience—that can serve to guide the teaching of improvisation. When considered as an ability, improvisation is a creative aspect of overall musicianship; considered as culture, improvisation is a distinctive way to understand specific musical practices; finally, considered as experience, improvisation is a distinctive way of being in and through music that reflects the fact that the act of living is largely improvisatory. Although we see merit in all three conceptualizations and provide pedagogical examples to support each in turn, we conclude that the last of these holds the greatest potential to positively affect school music classrooms.
Janice Waldron (1957–2022), professor at the University of Windsor (Canada), was an accomplished ... more Janice Waldron (1957–2022), professor at the University of Windsor (Canada), was an accomplished musician, teacher and researcher. Her scholarly passions revolved around informal music learning practices, online and offline music communities, social media and music learning, and Irish and Scottish traditional musics. In this dedication to Waldron, five friends and colleagues – Kari Veblen, Jonathan Bayley, Kirsten Allstaff, Danielle Sirek and Roger Mantie – offer reflections on her life and work and the legacy she has left for scholars and practitioners of community music.
The purpose of this study was to assess the ways health and well-being-related terms and concepts... more The purpose of this study was to assess the ways health and well-being-related terms and concepts (health, well-being, quality of life, wellness) appear in International Journal of Community Music (IJCM) articles. The research questions were: (1) how are health and well-being concepts defined or expressed in IJCM articles? (2) What are the central themes or trends in the use of health and well-being terms in IJCM articles? And (3) what are the implications of the use of health and well-being terms for the practice and research of community music? Utilizing an integrative review methodology and supported by database software Airtable, this study examined the application, discussion, operationalization, and contextualization of music, health and wellness terms and concepts as they appear in IJCM to determine the degree of conceptual coherence on health and well-being related terms. Despite the historical and growing interest in connections between music, health and wellness among comm...
Although only a few months old at press time, ChatGPT has already established itself as one of th... more Although only a few months old at press time, ChatGPT has already established itself as one of the biggest disruptors of historical conceptions of authorship, reality and trust. The research community will no doubt face increasing challenges as it attempts to deal with peer review, conflicts-of-interest and publishing ethics. Readers may know that the International Journal of Community Music is a Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) member. COPE establishes ethical guidelines for the academic publishing. No doubt these will evolve in the face of emerging artificial intelligence technology. The existing guidelines are helpful but still leave many issues unaddressed, such as what researchers should do when it comes to publishing in a journal they edit. In addition to Kathleen Turner’s autoethnographic reflective essay about the challenges arising from the COVID-19 crisis on a university-based community music training programme and Anna McMichael’s study of composer/musicians involve...
Chapter 2 serves primarily to provide background and context for readers less familiar with the c... more Chapter 2 serves primarily to provide background and context for readers less familiar with the concepts, histories, and etymologies of leisure (scholē), recreation (recreare), and play. The chapter also lays out the three classic understandings of leisure: time use, activity, and state of mind. Significantly, the chapter outlines one of the main rhetorical devices used in the book to problematize conduct, the art of living, and the ethics of leisure: that is, the interaction between the interrogative, How should one live? and the imperative, How one should live. The elaborated discussion of time and activity at the end of the chapter serves to underscore the work-and-play dualism that percolates throughout the book.
Chapter 4 focuses on the recreation movement (also known as the playground movement or play movem... more Chapter 4 focuses on the recreation movement (also known as the playground movement or play movement), a social movement that arose in tandem with the settlement house movement. In addition to demonstrating the early associations between recreation movement leaders and early public school music leaders, the chapter illustrates the growing cleavage between the moral paternalism of social reformers such as Joseph Lee, and the “scientific” paternalism of professionals that emerged in the wake of G. Stanley Hall and the child-study movement. Both the reformers and the professionals advocated for the importance of play leaders and play in education, but for different reasons—ones with gendered implications. For the professionals, play was instrumental, serving primarily to support physical development, particularly that of boys. Music was largely absent from their concept of play. By contrast, the reformers considered music and the arts part of play, but mostly for girls. The chapter demonstrates how the initial focus on the play of children that led to the formation of the Playground Association of America would eventually expand to include the recreational activities of adults and the renaming of the organization as the National Recreation Association.
The goal of Chapter 9 is to argue for a reimagined music education based on a qualified version o... more The goal of Chapter 9 is to argue for a reimagined music education based on a qualified version of leisure education. Central to the chapter is the “paradox of paternalism,” where conceptions of the art of living are viewed as dependent on a form of education understood as exposure and development requiring a more knowledgeable other. The goal of this education, however, is freely chosen ethical seeking rather than conduct modification. Key here are discussions of socialization, where parenting involvement and parenting logics are considered alongside formal education practices. In this light, school music is viewed, positively, as “quasi-curricular,” where the goals of amateurism, serious leisure, and leisure satisfaction justify music as a truly public good.
Chapter 6 is the first chapter of Part III (philosophical perspectives). As the chapter title sug... more Chapter 6 is the first chapter of Part III (philosophical perspectives). As the chapter title suggests, the focus here is on happiness (eudaimonia) and pleasure (hedonism). The exploration uses moral philosophy to consider musical leisure in light of W. D. Ross’s “the right” and “the good.” Illustrated with musical examples, well-being (the good life) is advanced as an ethical endeavor. Positive psychology is introduced as a foil to explore how flourishing might be considered in light of upbringing (paideia). The chapter concludes with speculations on how musical leisure and the good life might be reconsidered as a form of ethical seeking.
Chapter 6 is the first chapter of Part III (philosophical perspectives). As the chapter title sug... more Chapter 6 is the first chapter of Part III (philosophical perspectives). As the chapter title suggests, the focus here is on happiness (eudaimonia) and pleasure (hedonism). The exploration uses moral philosophy to consider musical leisure in light of W. D. Ross’s “the right” and “the good.” Illustrated with musical examples, well-being (the good life) is advanced as an ethical endeavor. Positive psychology is introduced as a foil to explore how flourishing might be considered in light of upbringing (paideia). The chapter concludes with speculations on how musical leisure and the good life might be reconsidered as a form of ethical seeking.
As the book’s title suggests, Music, Leisure, Education explores historical and philosophical con... more As the book’s title suggests, Music, Leisure, Education explores historical and philosophical connections between music, leisure, and education. Specifically, it considers how music learning, teaching, and participation can be reconceptualized in terms of leisure (scholē), that is, music education as leisure education. Taking as its starting point “the art of living” and the ethical question, How should one live?, the book engages a wide range of scholarship to problematize the place of non-professional music making in historical and contemporary (Western) conceptions of the good life and the common good. Part I provides a general background on music education, school music, the work ethic, leisure studies, recreation, play, and conduct. Part II focuses on two significant currents of thought and activity during the Progressive Era in the United States, the settlement movement and the recreation movement. The examination demonstrates how societal concerns over conduct (the “threat of leisure”) and differing views on the purpose of music learning and teaching led to a fracturing between those espousing generalist and specialist positions. The four chapters of Part III take readers through considerations of happiness (eudaimonia) and the good life, issues of work-life balance and the play spirit, leisure satisfaction in relation to consumerism, individualism, and the common good, and finally, parenting logics in relation to extracurriculars, music learning, and serious leisure.
We argue in this article for greater role for improvisation in the music classroom. Based on an e... more We argue in this article for greater role for improvisation in the music classroom. Based on an extensive examination of scholarship about improvisational practices, we propose three conceptualizations—ability, culture, experience—that can serve to guide the teaching of improvisation. When considered as an ability, improvisation is a creative aspect of overall musicianship; considered as culture, improvisation is a distinctive way to understand specific musical practices; finally, considered as experience, improvisation is a distinctive way of being in and through music that reflects the fact that the act of living is largely improvisatory. Although we see merit in all three conceptualizations and provide pedagogical examples to support each in turn, we conclude that the last of these holds the greatest potential to positively affect school music classrooms.
Janice Waldron (1957–2022), professor at the University of Windsor (Canada), was an accomplished ... more Janice Waldron (1957–2022), professor at the University of Windsor (Canada), was an accomplished musician, teacher and researcher. Her scholarly passions revolved around informal music learning practices, online and offline music communities, social media and music learning, and Irish and Scottish traditional musics. In this dedication to Waldron, five friends and colleagues – Kari Veblen, Jonathan Bayley, Kirsten Allstaff, Danielle Sirek and Roger Mantie – offer reflections on her life and work and the legacy she has left for scholars and practitioners of community music.
The purpose of this study was to assess the ways health and well-being-related terms and concepts... more The purpose of this study was to assess the ways health and well-being-related terms and concepts (health, well-being, quality of life, wellness) appear in International Journal of Community Music (IJCM) articles. The research questions were: (1) how are health and well-being concepts defined or expressed in IJCM articles? (2) What are the central themes or trends in the use of health and well-being terms in IJCM articles? And (3) what are the implications of the use of health and well-being terms for the practice and research of community music? Utilizing an integrative review methodology and supported by database software Airtable, this study examined the application, discussion, operationalization, and contextualization of music, health and wellness terms and concepts as they appear in IJCM to determine the degree of conceptual coherence on health and well-being related terms. Despite the historical and growing interest in connections between music, health and wellness among comm...
Although only a few months old at press time, ChatGPT has already established itself as one of th... more Although only a few months old at press time, ChatGPT has already established itself as one of the biggest disruptors of historical conceptions of authorship, reality and trust. The research community will no doubt face increasing challenges as it attempts to deal with peer review, conflicts-of-interest and publishing ethics. Readers may know that the International Journal of Community Music is a Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) member. COPE establishes ethical guidelines for the academic publishing. No doubt these will evolve in the face of emerging artificial intelligence technology. The existing guidelines are helpful but still leave many issues unaddressed, such as what researchers should do when it comes to publishing in a journal they edit. In addition to Kathleen Turner’s autoethnographic reflective essay about the challenges arising from the COVID-19 crisis on a university-based community music training programme and Anna McMichael’s study of composer/musicians involve...
Chapter 2 serves primarily to provide background and context for readers less familiar with the c... more Chapter 2 serves primarily to provide background and context for readers less familiar with the concepts, histories, and etymologies of leisure (scholē), recreation (recreare), and play. The chapter also lays out the three classic understandings of leisure: time use, activity, and state of mind. Significantly, the chapter outlines one of the main rhetorical devices used in the book to problematize conduct, the art of living, and the ethics of leisure: that is, the interaction between the interrogative, How should one live? and the imperative, How one should live. The elaborated discussion of time and activity at the end of the chapter serves to underscore the work-and-play dualism that percolates throughout the book.
Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education, 2023
Based on a review of the recent publication, The Routledge Handbook to Sociology of Music Educati... more Based on a review of the recent publication, The Routledge Handbook to Sociology of Music Education, this article seeks to problematize what might be meant by "sociology of music education." Taking a "socio-historical" approach, the article examines the historical trajectory and legacy of sociologically oriented interests in music education. Drawing on intersections between philosophy and sociology, the author emphasizes the difference between the empirical and the normative to argue for greater sociological sensitivity to music education's relationship to the political role of schooling as a state institution.
Aligning Music to Stem: Theory and Practice for Middle School General Music, 2020
Music educators regularly face the problem of tradition and change. We know we live in a rapidly ... more Music educators regularly face the problem of tradition and change. We know we live in a rapidly evolving world, and that music education should reflect the world in which we live, and yet, due to the nature of our backgrounds, we often default to defending the value of things that people outside of music education would likely describe as quite traditional (such as reading staff notation or learning to play the clarinet or trombone). This is understandable, of course. The curriculum of the Bachelor of Music degree is modeled on the conservatory. Our existence is predicated on defending the canon. We are the protectors of the flame (with apologies to fans of the television show, The 100). Or so we would like to think. In fact, we are rather quick to abandon our principles for the sake of job preservation. We never admit to this, of course. That would be crass. We always justify our actions with appeals to "the music." A quick review of music education history, for example, reveals that, in the first half of the twentieth century, American music educators
The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical and Qualitative Assessment in Music Education, 2019
This chapter provides a view of music assessment predicated on a belief that the what of assessme... more This chapter provides a view of music assessment predicated on a belief that the what of assessment in P–12 music education should include understandings and attitudes about music and culture not typically ascertainable through traditional music assessment prac tices that focus on performing ability and knowledge of musical elements. Six vignettes show the various ways that children’s drawings, as a projective technique of visual repre sentation, might be used to expose and discern (i.e., assess) children’s thinking, under standings, and attitudes about music and culture. It is argued that the multimodality of drawing and talking in response to musical prompts opens up rich potential to inform in struction that better accounts for the lifeworlds of children.
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Papers by Roger Mantie