Terminology in music education is as important as it is complex. Finding agreement on definitions and interpretations of terminology is always challenging in music education given the diverse cultural, political, and social landscapes that shape understandings of what it is to be musical. The idea of a ‘general music education’ is no different. What does this mean? How is it different from other forms of music education? What are our aims? Indeed, to whom does the ‘our’ refer here? And how is this different from instrumental teaching? These questions are all pertinent to understanding the relationship between instrumental teaching and a general music education and draw attention to key debates in the field. In this chapter, we examine these issues using the English context as a case study. However, it is important to observe that the locational specificity of this setting should not detract from the implications for teaching and learning wherever these are taking place. Conceptualisations of instrumental learning within general music education need to be considered and operationalised in a reflective fashion, wherever in the world they are occurring.
Original language | English |
Title of host publication | Instrumental Music Teaching: Perspectives and Challenges |
Publisher | Trinity College Press |
ISBN (Print) | 9781804906286 |
Publication status | Published (VoR) - 17 Jun 2024 |