Participation Type
Roundtable
Session Title
Session 10.08 Education
Presentation #1 Title
Teaching marginalized regional styles in applied musical instruction
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This roundtable seeks to outline and discuss problems and possibilities that emerge in applied musical instruction in regional or vernacular styles that are marginal within the higher-education environment. Participants will provide examples from their experiences teaching courses in Appalachian Studies and Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies at East Tennessee State University - audience members will contribute their own experiences. Short prepared remarks will include the following: Jane MacMorran teaches Celtic styles in a program dominated by old time and bluegrass sounds, balancing this work with her teaching of western art music styles in a department of music. Sally Berry’s vocal lessons deal with other tensions, including those between a student's vocal abilities and physiological structure and the sort of musical material that they wish to perform. Dr. Nate Olson’s background in contest fiddling provides challenging territories to lead his students through as they develop more technically sophisticated ways to play the fiddle. In all these cases, instructors have to find ways to translate performing experience and stylistic nuances into the teaching relationship in an understandable way. We hope that this roundtable will address how the marginal status of regional and vernacular styles in higher education is both a challenge and an asset in the teaching process.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Sally Berry graduated from East Tennessee State University with a bachelors degree in sociology and minor is bluegrass old-time and country music. She currently teaches individual vocal instruction at East Tennessee State University.
Teaching marginalized regional styles in applied musical instruction
This roundtable seeks to outline and discuss problems and possibilities that emerge in applied musical instruction in regional or vernacular styles that are marginal within the higher-education environment. Participants will provide examples from their experiences teaching courses in Appalachian Studies and Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies at East Tennessee State University - audience members will contribute their own experiences. Short prepared remarks will include the following: Jane MacMorran teaches Celtic styles in a program dominated by old time and bluegrass sounds, balancing this work with her teaching of western art music styles in a department of music. Sally Berry’s vocal lessons deal with other tensions, including those between a student's vocal abilities and physiological structure and the sort of musical material that they wish to perform. Dr. Nate Olson’s background in contest fiddling provides challenging territories to lead his students through as they develop more technically sophisticated ways to play the fiddle. In all these cases, instructors have to find ways to translate performing experience and stylistic nuances into the teaching relationship in an understandable way. We hope that this roundtable will address how the marginal status of regional and vernacular styles in higher education is both a challenge and an asset in the teaching process.
