Skolvägen eller garagevägen : studier av musikalisk socialisation

In this dissertation project, three studies of socialisation in music are presented. In study one, two groups of musicians, one from a University College of Music and the other, a rock group from the non- university music scene, were asked to arrange and record a finished version of a ‘rock song’, especially created for this project. The second study treated how music students in teacher training programs, and students without formal music education experienced and interpreted the diverse versions of the songs created. The third, a interview study, focused more exclusively on the informants early musical socialisation and how their different learning strategies and experiences of music correlated with their wish to start and maintain studies in music education programmes. The theoretical background for the project as a whole reached across several research fields, for example Music pedagogy, Psychology and Social psychology. In study one, information concerning thinking and acting before and during the studio recordings was collected. Results showed that the final versions of the songs created, belonged to stylistically different genres of composition. The College Group made a jazzy pop song and the Rock Group’s version was within the style of hardcore music. The two versions not only sounded completely different, they were also within a musical province, which the other group felt strong antipathy for. The observation data and information from the interviews showed very separate attitudes to music making and to learning strategies when playing in an ensemble. Listeners’ comments in study two, clearly showed that the populations differed in experience of tempos, intensity, variation and focus on the lyrical material. The students with formal training in music preferred other styles of music than other undergraduates, and showed more diffuse knowledge of music styles within the rock genre. Study three indicated that students at music colleges are socialised with a specific set of values, which exclusively prevail within colleges of music. The final stage in a long process of development is their time at the music college. The study also shed light on the relationship between formal and non-formal learning amongst pop- and rock musicians. Results would suggest that in the way one is performing music and which genre that is to be favoured, is motivated by the way one has played and learned music. Early musical influences, formal musical training and musical preferences – the musical socialisation – is influencing people’s interpretation of both institutional and non- institutional learning environments. The students are educated within a school context with its associated set of values and norms regarding musical, tastes in music, musical form and performance, as well as gaining musical competence. Future music teachers must be prepared for meeting an audience with a broad range of different music experiences and expectations. It is reasonable to expect that what is to be demanded of music teachers, is to be open minded and have understanding which is to be emphasized in multicultural societies. Music teachers, and the music teacher education in music colleges, must thus learn to understand and cope with many different learning situations. The question is whether music colleges have the “right stuff” for providing this competence during the student’s years at school?Godkänd; 2002; 20061113 (haneit