©Copyright 2012 Amanda Christina Soto
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©Copyright 2012 Amanda Christina Soto Bimusical Identity of Children in a Mexican American School Amanda Christina Soto A dissertation Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2012 Reading Committee: Dr. Patricia S. Campbell, Chair Dr. Shannon Dudley Dr. Steven J. Morrison Program Authorized to Offer Degree: School of Music University of Washington Abstract Bimusical Identity of Children in a Mexican American School Amanda Christina Soto Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Patricia Shehan Campbell School of Music The purpose of this ethnographic study is to examine the bimusical identity of Mexican American children in a Mexican American bilingual-bicultural school as they navigate between the different musical and cultural spheres that are present within their daily lives. The research lens is directed towards the bimusical interests and sensibilities of Mexican American children, and to the extent that they are present in the articulation and manifestation of their musical identities. The school and home influences, and various “agents of influence” (including teachers, parents and extended family members, and the media) are explored as children forge their bicultural, bilingual, and bimusical identity in one school and community rich with American mainstream and Mexican-based cultural practices. Documentation was amassed over a period of 37 weeks, including observations of school music classes, performances, recess periods, mariachi rehearsals, and community events, along with interviews of 67 children and school personnel. The children enrolled in an elementary school in a small community in the Yakima Valley, Washington state, shared a spectrum of interests and enthusiasms for music, and offered perspective, on their knowledge of two different languages and their family cultural traditions. Children articulated their musical identities through their knowledge of Mexican-based repertoire—including Spanish- language children’s songs, church songs, mediated popular songs, and mariachi music and English-language children’s songs, American mainstream popular music, and songs of the standard school repertoire. Their attunement to Mexican-based music and awareness of American mainstream music (especially school and mediated popular music) was evident in their musical engagement and in what music, musicians, and musical activities they could verbally describe. This ethnographic study revealed children who were rooted to the musical sensibilities honed at home and continued in the dual-language curriculum of a bilingual school, where Mexican-based and American mainstream musical experiences are present. Implications were discussed for teaching music to children whose language, culture, and musical roots were decidedly of a culture other than the school-dictated dominant English- language culture, and recommendations were offered for honoring home and school culture in a music curriculum that pays tribute to a strengthening of the bimusical identity of children. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures …………………………………………………………………………….....iv List of Tables…………………………………………………………………………………vi Prologue ……………………………………………………………………………………..ix Chapter One: Introduction …………………………………………………………………..1 Musical Identity ………………………………………………………………1 Technology, the Media, and Musical Identity ………………………………..6 Musicianship in One or More Cultures …….…………………………………8 Bimusicality …………………………………………………………………..9 Bimusical Identity ……………………………………………………...…...11 Issues for Consideration ……………………………………………………..12 Definition of Terms …………………………………………………………15 Dimensions of Multicultural and Multilingual Education ………………….17 Educating Mexican Americans ……………………………………………..20 Bimusicality in the Practice of Music Education …………………………...22 Mexican Music in the School Curriculum ………………………………….25 Approaches to the Musical Education of Mexican American Students ……27 Purpose of the Study ………………………………………………………..29 Guiding Questions ………………………………………………………….30 Overview of Chapters ………………………………………………………31 Chapter Two: Method and Context ………………………………………………………...34 The Research Method ………………………………………………………34 Schedule of Observations and Interviews …………………………..40 Material Culture ………………………………………………………….....40 Positionality of the Fieldworker …………………………………………….41 “Being” Mexican American ………………………………………...44 Context ……………………………………………………………………...46 The Historic Yakima Valley ...…………………………. …………..46 The Changing Yakima Valley ……………………………………...47 Toppenish, City of Murals and Museums …………………………..48 Riverview Elementary School ……………………………………...50 The Dual Language Program ……………………………………….52 Summary ……………………………………………………………………55 Chapter Three: Local Music and Culture: Influences, Events, and Agents………………….57 The Music of the “Valley”, Toppenish, and Riverview Elementary School...58 Community Music Events …………………………………………………..63 Music in the Family Band …………………………………………..63 Cinco de Mayo …………………………………………………...…65 Virgen de Guadalupe ……………………………………………….68 Las Posadas …………………………………………………………69 Television …………………………………………………………...70 Radio Programs ……………………………………………………..73 Other Community Events …………………………………………..77 i TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT’D) Musical and Cultural Agents at School ……………………….……………79 Mr. Smith, Music Teacher ………………………………………….79 Mr. Flores, Principal ………………………………………………..81 Mrs. Garcia, Librarian ………………………………………………84 Mrs. Stern, PE Coach ……………………………………………….85 Mrs. Sanchez, Bilingual Reading Coach ..…………………………..86 Mrs. Martinez, First Grade Teacher ………………………………...88 Mr. Castillo, Second Grade Teacher ………………………………..91 Summary ……………………………………………………………………95 Chapter Four: Learning Music in a Bilingual School ……………………………………...97 Code-Switching Between Two Cultures ……………………………………97 Language ……………………………………………………………98 Traveling Between Countries ……………………………………..101 Food …………………………………………………………….....102 Appearance and Behavior ………………………………...……….102 The Bilingual Program at Riverview Elementary School …………………104 The English-Language Music Class for Second Grade Children …………107 The Spanish-Language Music Class ………………………………………114 Las Mañanitas …………………………………….……………….114 Snapshots of a Fifth Grade Music Class ………….……………….117 Vamos a Cantar! Familiarity with Mariachi ………………117 Strumming Patterns in Music Class and Mariachi Rehearsal120 Mariachi Endings ………………………………………….124 El “Grito” in the Classroom ……………………………….126 Si Señor ……………………………………………………128 Mariachi Rehearsal ………………………………………………………..129 School Music Interests …………………………………………………….133 School Music Performances ………………………………………………136 Winter Concert …………………………………………………….136 Talent Show ……………………………………………………….143 Cinco de Mayo at Riverview Elementary School …………………145 Artwork for Cinco de Mayo ……………………………………….149 The University-School Partnership ………………………………………..153 Summary …………………………………………………………………..156 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT’D) Chapter Five: Music Close to Home and Family ………………………………………...158 Influential Musical Artists ………………………………………………...158 Selena Quintanilla …………………………………………………158 Miley Ray Cyrus (Hannah Montana) ……………………………...162 Notable English- and Spanish-language Genres and Artists ……………...163 Other Musical Interests and Influences ……………………………………173 A Music Survey …………………………………………………...173 Christian Songs in Spanish ………………………………………..175 Music During Recess ……………………………………………...180 “I know how to dance!”: Dance as Music ………………………...185 Summary …………………………………………………………………..190 Chapter Six: Conclusion ………………………………………………………………...192 Principal Findings Relevant to the Guiding Questions ……..……………..195 Bimusical Identity Model …………………………………………………205 Construction of a Child’s Musical Identity ……………………………….210 Recommendations for Future Research …………………………………...212 Implications for Music Education Practices ………………………………216 Epilogue …………………………………………………………………………………...220 References ………………………………………………………………………………....223 Appendix A: Observation/Interview Schedule …………………………………………..239 Appendix B: Research Schedule (37 Weeks) ……………………………………………240 Appendix C: Interview Protocols ………………………………………………………..241 Appendix D: Musical/Cultural Agents …………………………………………………..244 Appendix E: Parents’ Night – Informal Music Survey ………………………………….245 Appendix F: Completed Parents’ Night – Informal Music Survey ………………...…...246 Appendix G: Recruitment Flyer for Teachers …………………………………………....248 Appendix H: Teacher Consent Form ……………………………………………………..249 Appendix I: Passive Opt-Out of Video Recording Form for Parents (English) ………...252 Appendix J: Passive Opt-Out of Video Recording Form for Parents (Spanish) ……...…253 Appendix K: Cover Letter for Parent Consent Form (English) …………………………..254 Appendix L: Cover Letter for Parent Consent Form (Spanish) ….....................................255 Appendix M: Parent Consent Form (English) …………………………………………….256 Appendix N: Parent Consent Form (Spanish) ……………………………………………259 Appendix O: Assent Form for Children (K – 2nd Grade) ………………………………...262 Appendix P: Assent Form for Children (3rd – 5th Grade) …………………………….….263 Appendix Q: Video, Audio, & Photographic Recording Publication Consent Form (Parent) in English ………………………………………………………....265 Appendix R: Video, Audio, & Photographic Recording Publication Consent Form (Parent) in Spanish ………………………………………………………....266 Appendix S: Video, Audio, & Photographic Recording Publication Consent Form (Teacher) in English ………………………………………………………..267 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Number Page 1. Riverview Elementary School Diagram……………………………………………..51 2. Besitos de Chocolate Transcription and Lyrics in the English-