Barriers, Bridges and New Paths – Experiences and Hegemony-critical Perspectives on the Implementation of Non-Western Art Music Instruments in German Music Education Degrees
Chair(s): Heß, Carmen (Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, Germany), Honnens, Johann (Universität der Künste Berlin, Germany), Tepper, Tina (Universität der Künste Berlin, Germany)
Considering accessibility and participation in degree programmes with artistic and pedagogical components at German music universities (such as teacher training and instrumental or vocal pedagogy), the artistic major plays a crucial role. At most institutions, the range of eligible artistic majors is limited to instruments of Western art music, jazz-related instruments and singing, while for example majors associated with electronic music or non-European music practices are rarely included (Buchborn, 2019). Recently, this has been discussed both from a hegemony-critical perspective (Kattenbeck, 2023; Buchborn & Bons, 2021) and within the backdrop of decreasing student numbers in the aforementioned degree programmes (Lehmann-Wermser & Witte, 2024), which has begun to fuel reflection on exclusionary structures and access barriers.
In the course of these considerations, some music universities have introduced new artistic majors, including the bağlama as an instrument that is both very present in post-migrant society and well established in music schools with an own curriculum (VdM, 2012), widespread cultural education programmes such as “JeKits” (JeKits, n.d.) and young talent competitions like “Jugend musiziert” (LMR Berlin, 2013, p. 4).
In the proposed symposium, we plan to provide insights into the process of implementing bağlama as an artistic major in music education study programmes at the Berlin University of the Arts and the Cologne University of Music and Dance. In three brief presentations, we will discuss theoretical perspectives of hegemony on music universities, diversity-oriented claims, structural frameworks, and curricular development as well as the point of view of bağlama students. Starting from the example of bağlama, it is our aim to deepen the conversation on the implementation of new majors at music universities in general. By gathering the participating international colleagues' experiences and perspectives on the matter, we are looking forward to jointly outlining possible future approaches and initiatives.
Presentations of the Symposium
Teacher Training Programmes as Preparation for Inclusive Music Teaching in a Diverse Society? A Hegemony-critical Introduction
Honnens, Johann
Universität der Künste Berlin, Germany
According to various declarations (e.g. VdM, 2014; HRK & KMK, 2015), contemporary music education at general schools and music schools is intended to be inclusive. It should reflect the different music-cultural interests, learning requirements and abilities of a diverse society. Music universities play a central role in realizing this vision, because they train the teachers who are to embody and implement inclusive music education for all (Sponheuer, 2022, p. 12).
This impulse lecture will provide an insight into the current state of research on inclusion and exclusion mechanisms within music-related teacher training programmes in German-speaking countries. Current studies for example by Buchborn et al. (2021) point out sobering findings. Despite an increasing opening of teacher training programmes to the field of jazz and pop, institutionalised practices such as entrance and final examinations, curricular regulations as well as major and minor artistic subject offerings continue to be primarily oriented towards the stylistics of Western art music and the hegemonies associated with it. Examples for this are logocentric understanding of music, naturalisations of a certain idea of music history and music theory or the Othering of musical practices that do not align with the established binary framework of Western art music or jazz/pop. Against this background, the following questions, among others, can be debated at the discussion tables:
▪ For which groups of people and profiles are music pedagogy degree programmes attractive considering the given structures?
▪ What would have to change (and has already been changed) for the accessibility of people with ‘new’ majors?
▪ How do these ,new’ majors challenge previous institutionalised hegemonies or normalities and in which ways does the inclusion of ,new’ instruments enrich all students?
Introducing the Bağlama as an Artistic Major in Music Education Degree Programmes – Implementation Process, Curricular Development and Structural Challenges
Heß, Carmen
Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, Germany
In the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the diversity of post-migrant society has been increasingly visible in cultural life. At institutional level, this has been recognized through intercultural initiatives at music schools (such as “MüzikNRW”, 2013-2016; “Heimat: Musik” since 2016) and certificate courses at the state music academy. In local music universities' curricula, openings towards various musical practices have so far mainly been evident in specific lectures or ensembles, aiming to provide current students with broader stylistic competence, knowledge, and sensitivity; mostly, though, without structural changes addressing a more diverse student clientele.
Following repeated prompts from the cultural scene, long-standing considerations on a Germany-wide music university leadership level (RKM, 2014) and advances by the Berlin, Freiburg, and Mannheim music universities, a working group with representatives of the Cologne University of Music and Dance and the cultural field gathered in 2021 to prepare initial steps. In 2024, the bağlama was implemented as a first new artistic major in teacher training, instrumental/vocal and elementary music pedagogy at the university's Cologne and Wuppertal departments.
The planned presentation will provide insights into processes preceding the implementation, outline curricular and communicative issues, and report on initial experiences. Potential questions for discussion may include:
▪ How can diverse players from both university and the surrounding cultural scene be involved constructively and appreciatively in processes of implementing new artistic majors?
▪ How can barriers in the entrance examination and curriculum be dealt with (regarding e.g. music theory, mandatory piano playing)?
▪ What specific courses should complement an instrument like bağlama? How can we avoid creating isolated add-on structures and instead promote diversification of existing curricular offerings?
▪ To what extent should the curricular implementation of new majors be elaborated in advance? To what extent can incoming students express their expertise and actively participate in shaping curricular development?
Perspectives of Bağlama Players on Barriers and Exclusion within the Context of Music Teacher Training
Tepper, Tina
Universität der Künste Berlin, Germany
Affiliating to inclusion and exclusion mechanisms within music teacher training programmes in German-speaking countries in general, the input will exemplify those mechanisms by presenting findings of a study created in the context of the meta-study MULEM-EX, which addressed the causes of declining student numbers in music education in Germany (Lehmann-Wermser & Witte, 2024). The study documents that the dominance of Western art music poses challenges for both prospective and current students playing the bağlama. Despite the possibility of studying music teacher training with the bağlama as a major, a positive and necessary development considering the inclusion of people being musically socialised aside from Western art music, mechanism of exclusion are still efficacious since musical practices related to the bağlama are rarely being offered. The interviewees therefore describe their access to music university as well as their participation within their structures as aggravated and even barred. The perspectives of the interviewed bağlama players reveal topics such as overextension, demotion of their own musical capacities as well as a lack of belongingness to the institution. According to the interviewed students, music universities are clearly perceived as classical institutions within the bağlama-community, which discourages bağlama players to even apply for the entrance examination. Eurocentric hegemony shows in the integration, rather than inclusion, of the bağlama in existing classical structures, leading to exclusion and discrimination.
The study’s findings and the insights gathered from the bağlama players serve as a foundation for a following discussion, which could address topics such as the dismantling of discriminatory barriers, the expanding access for students from non-Western art music backgrounds, and the implementation of flexibility within teacher training programmes and affiliated institutions.
