Margaret S. Barrett – Heidi M. Westerlund, Music Education, Ecopolitical Professionalism, and Public Pedagogy. Toward Systems Transformation

Abstract

In Music Education, Ecopolitical Professionalism, and Public Pedagogy. Toward Systems Transformation (Springer, 2023), Margaret S. Barrett and Heidi M. Westerlund advocate rethinking music pedagogy and the professionalism of music teachers and musicians as a means of improving social ecology in terms of justice, ethics and creativity. The ultimate goal is to generate transformative social impact and promote democratisation and inclusivity in access to quality music education. Among the topics discussed by the authors is a critique of «imperialist professionalism» and the traditional teaching approach based on technical preservation and the hierarchical categorisation of musical repertoires. Three case studies are presented — the community experience of Tuulikki Laes, the cooperative projects of Riju Tuladhar, and the global activism of Ricky Kej — to demonstrate how major contemporary challenges, from climate change to economic and social inequalities, can be addressed through public music education projects. Although it is difficult to contextualise and adapt the authors’ proposal to the Italian educational system, it nevertheless prompts interesting and relevant reflections on the social and political role of music teaching.