Music and sustainability

Andrew Marine 8/09

MUSIC AND SUSTAINABILITY

Music (singing in particular) is a cost-free source of enjoyment that creates no waste, promotes well-being, cultural exchange and community, and is immediately available to all regardless of ability or status. Furthermore, singing with children can be done in any classroom and does not require specialized training on the part of the teacher. Many songs exist that focus on issues of sustainability and social responsibility, whose themes include praise of social diversity, environmental stewardship and human rights (see list below for some examples). Sharing these songs with students is an enjoyable and memorable way to promote the aforementioned themes, as well as to aid in the process of learning science, math and other traditional school subjects.

When we consider the increasing commoditization of music in Western culture, we see that typically, popular music does not confront issues of sustainability, and that music is perceived to be a consumable product instead of an innate, organic and participatory activity. The act of transmitting music from one culture to the next through participation is diminishing, and many forms of folk music are consequently facing extinction. It seems that our musical culture is not sustainable since the creation of music is more and more being placed in the hands of distant professionals in a highly competitive business. Our population is divided between musicians and consumers and between the musical and unmusical. As a culture, we are losing track of the fact that making music is a universal human act as natural as speaking. Singing with children helps children realize that can make music themselves and do not have to merely be passive consumers of a musical commodity.

Songs About Diversity and Embracing our Differences


All Over This World– Two of a Kind 
 Come on Board!– Paulette Meier
 Different!– Andrew C. Germain's's Life-Skills 
 Everyone is Differently Abled– Lorraine Bayes and Danny Deardorff
 Family– Rick Scott and Harry Wong 
 Family Feeling– Jan Nigro 
 German Cradle Song– Traditional German Lullaby 
 I Am Building My House– Joe Crone 
 (Older People Have) So Much to Share– Jan Nigro 
 Our Multicultural School – Songs for Positive Schools 
 Pieces of a Quilt– Lauren Mayer 
 Respect– David Woodward 
 Some Rights in this World– Jan Nigro
 Tear Down the Walls– Jan Nigro 
 We're All Different – Caroline and Danny 
 We're Just Like Crayons– Stephen Fite 
 What Does Peace Mean?– Paulette Meier

Multicultural Songs from Around the World

Traditional Songs from Africa 
 Funga A La Feeya 
 Here Come Our Mothers
 Kye Kye Kule

Traditional Song in Italian 
 Funiculì, Funiculà– Traditional Folk Song

Traditional Native American Song 
 We Circle Around– Traditional Arapaho Folk Song

Traditional Songs in Spanish 
 Cielito Lindo
 El Colás
 De colores
 Elena la ballena
 Las Mañanitas 
 Los Laureles
 La Raspa

Traditional Songs in French
 Alouette, gentille alouette
 Frère Jacques 
 Savez-vous planter les choux?
 Tête, épaules, genoux et pieds

See also: Friendship Songs, American Folk Songs and Character Education Songs
and songs for teaching Chinese, French, German and Spanish

List from:

http://www.songsforteaching.com/diversitymulticulturalism.htm

Our ideal school music curriculum should include the following components:

1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.

4. Composing and arranging music within speci#ed guidelines.

5. Reading and notating music.

6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

7. Evaluating music and music performances.

8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Many

From: http://www.musiceducationmadness.com/centers.shtml

OTHER SOURCES:

http://sustainablemusic.blogspot.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability