DECOLONISING THE MUSIC CURRICULUM
It was a pleasure to re visit Bradford with one of our #RocketKidsClub Shows in the morning and an #ARTCONNECTSshow Special in the afternoon to look at the heritage of music education here and abroad.
Our old friend, music teacher Jimmy Rotheram of Feversham Primary Academy in Bradford, and one of three UK educators shortlisted for the "world's best teacher" award (triple kudos), hosted this #ArtConnectsShow and Co-Conference.
Click the image above to see a short summary film of our day in Bradford
We kicked off with the author of I Wish I Didn't Quit Music Lessons Nate Holder, who delivered a brain pumping deconstruction of the psychology of decolonisation.
Author Pran Patel offered a poignant commentary on the insidious nature of colonization, and the importance of representation.
Joining us ‘live’ in Bradford from Nevada, USA Native American music educator Michelle McCauley had this say:
“We do not need the school system to continue our traditions of song and dance.” - Michelle McCauley, Art Advocate
Find out why by listening to her talk below.
But not before you hear the wonderful Singing Science Teacher and Jazz Diva Winnie Greer sing the song that says so much and reminds us why we do this.
FILMS OF THE TALKS
How Relevant Are Music Curriculums in the World We Live Today?
Nate Holder gives a broad-brush overview of colonialism, slavery, and the overarching psychology behind it, and the planetary impact it is has on music worldwide …
Decolonising the Mind
Author Pran Patel of the website "Decolonising the Curriculum", and one of the UK's leading voices on this subject of why people like to control other people, shared insight on the ways we see, perceive, and accept the world.
A Songstress in the House
In a much-appreciated interlude, science teacher and songstress Vinnie Greer gave us a beautiful rendition of Whitney Houston’s Greatest Love of All. Catch it!
Cultural Appropriation Is a Limited Experience
Michelle McCauley gave a passionate account of how ethnic minorities can be marginalised by careless curriculum choices, and discussed the astounding fact that many cultures have staggering musical repertoires in their heads without need for written sheet music …
Music and Community
An advocate for music in a broad and balanced curriculum, Jimmy Rotheram shared how he has adapted the traditional approaches of Kodály and Dalcroze to be inclusive of pupils from a Pakistani/Bangladeshi Muslim background in a school where 98% of children speak English as an additional language.
Question and Answer Session