Disruption in Music Education
We teach as we were taught unless we deliberately interrupt cycles that began in pre-collegiate music study and are perpetuated through professional practice. This research agenda builds upon the concept of apprenticeship of observation first described by Lortie (1977), which means that pre-service teachers bring their own experiences from their pre-collegiate educations into what they see as best practices in education (and in this case, music education).
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In order to make reforms to music education that equitably meet the needs of all musicians and are inclusive of all types of music making, pre-service teachers need disruptive moments that raise awareness of other options apart from their own backgrounds, sustained experiences that develop familiarity, and intentional pedagogy to allow these new practices to become part of their teaching practices.
Scholarship on Disruption
Weidner, B. N. (2024). Disruptive practices in the individual music classroom. In M Haning, J. Pendergast, & B.N. Weidner (Eds), Disruption in music education. Routledge.
This chapter introduces my model of disruption to self-replicating cycles of music education based around initial disruption, sustained experience, and intentional pedagogy.
Hicken, L., & Weidner, B. N. (2022). Exploratory and creative practices in undergraduate brass techniques coursework. Journal of Music Teacher Education 32(1), 68-81.
This article discusses the experiences of integrating sound-before-sight practices into beginning brass techniques courses at the undergraduate level, focusing on the use of exploration and creativity in beginning methods.
Weidner, B. N. (2019). Shrinking the director: Reconceptualizing ensembles in undergraduate music education. New Directions, 4.
This article analyzes a disruptive experience in an undergraduate concert band that introduced conductorless ensembles, tracking student experiences across the course of the experience.