Book Review Sociology and Music Education

This book explores some of the key concepts in sociology and music education. There have been ongoing changes in music education throughout the last twenty years as a result of globalization and the growth of the media, reality television shows and people’s everyday experiences of music. Musical behaviour and practices have thus been affected. One example is that of the celebrity status, fame and television shows such as American Idol, X-Factor, and Britain’s Got Talent, whereby people can access considerable economic and cultural capital just by taking part. Although schooling is still important to people in providing the keys to access most economic capital, schooling in the arts and in a music curriculum centred on western classical music, no longer holds equal importance for young students. The cultural capital that many music students want to acquire is that of popular music. However, many music teachers as a result of their own educational experiences in music (mainly within the classical music field) are unconfident and poorly equipped to teach. Sociology and Music Education provides practical and easily relatable examples of sociological theory from an internationally acclaimed body of researchers and practitioners, reflecting current trends in music education