Fearless Innovation—Songwriting for Our Lives: Inspiring Learners with Arts-Based Practices That Support Creativity
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Songwriting To Inspire Learners Fearless Innovation—Songwriting For Our Lives: Inspiring Learners with Arts-Based Practices That Support Creativity James S. Cantor As long as I can remember I’ve had ways and retention of teachers is a growing classrooms. By allowing children to access songs in my head. A song will repeat itself concern as life in the schools is becoming and express knowledge in different ways, over and over again until another one increasingly mundane. It is important it is hoped that they will increase their bumps it out. In fact, it took me most of my that we develop viable alternatives that comprehension and application, as well as adult life before I realized that I could be bring relevance, pleasure, and satisfaction develop higher levels of cognitive develop- a songwriter because I always had other back into the classroom. I tell my story ment. Arts-based teaching stimulates learn- people’s songs playing in my mind. Most in support of educators who struggle to ers to break down concepts into component of the songs I grew up with were about bring meaning, joy, and understanding to parts, combine parts into new and mean- relationships between man and woman, children who are currently being stifl ed ingful wholes, and make judgments about and the songs were written, performed, and by prescriptive and restrictive regulatory the worth of how ideas or materials are recorded to entertain and provide escape. mandates that demand a one-size-fi ts-all applied—what Benjamin Bloom labeled as However, as I matured as an educator and approach to curriculum and assessment. analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (1956). a scholar, I increasingly became interested Burnaford et al’s rationalization for in the role of songwriter as minstrel, the Please Understand integrating the arts expands on the no- artist who sings his or her take on contem- That We’re Not All the Same tion that we deepen instruction, while porary life and times. simultaneously engaging in collaborative I began to explore ways that I could cre- In the name of closing the gap between and social learning experiences with peers, ate entertaining musical op-ed pieces about rich and poor students, a 1,000-page piece teachers, and the community (Burnaford, my fi eld, public school education. In addi- of Federal legislation has profoundly Aprill, & Weiss, 2001). According to Gold- tion, I looked for ways that I could develop affected teaching practices nationwide berg (2001), the arts are languages and ex- a pedagogy that would result in teachers (NCLB, 2002). Teacher decision-making pressions of cultures, and provide concrete helping children to express themselves has become severely restricted as school opportunities to bring to life commonly through songwriting. This is important programs are increasingly politicized and held goals of multicultural education, such because it expands the modes from which driven by scripted curriculums aimed at as equity, empowerment, cultural plural- people can learn information as well as preparing students to respond with correct ism, empathy, and knowledge of others. opening up creative ways for learners to answers on decontextualized, standardized When well taught, the arts provide express their knowledge and beliefs. tests that narrowly focus on the mechan- young people with authentic learning ex- This article does not report on research. ics of reading, writing, and mathematics periences that engage their minds, hearts, Instead I describe the evolution of a prom- (Meier & Wood, 2004). and bodies. The learning experiences are ising practice, my story of how I developed Many educators fear that creativity real and meaningful for them. While learn- theory out of my teaching experiences. Us- and high levels of thinking are being sac- ing in other disciplines may often focus on ing songwriting as an example, I articulate rifi ced. They are looking for ways to bring development of a single skill or talent, the how teachers can inspire learners with meaning and joy back into the classroom arts regularly engage multiple skills and arts-based practices that support innova- (Kohn, 1999). One approach is to incorpo- abilities. Engagement in the arts nurtures tion and creativity—promoting teaching rate the visual and performing arts. A sig- the development of cognitive, social, and and learning, and success for all children. nifi cant outcome of an arts-based approach personal competencies. Quality education is currently being to teaching and learning is increasing Champions of Change (Champions of defi ned and regulated in narrow, restrictive the likelihood that learners develop what Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learn- Wiggins and McTighe (1998) call “deep ing, 1999) reports that learners can attain understandings.” higher levels of achievement through their James S. Cantor is an associate professor Howard Gardner’s multiple intel- engagement with the arts. Moreover, one in the Department of Teacher Education ligences (1993) provide teachers with a of their critical research fi ndings is that of the College of Education framework for incorporating the visual learning in and through the arts can help at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and performing arts as part of the differ- “level the playing fi eld” for youngsters from Carson, California. ent learning styles present in virtually all disadvantaged circumstances. WINTER 2006 57 Innovative Practices a school site principal, and since 1997, as a Art is very, very powerful. It is for from books that looked like the rest of my professor of teacher education. My student everybody in the world. Even some schoolbooks. teaching experiences began in 1973 in people who don’t know how, are very multi-age, bilingual/multicultural class- good at art in their way… —Alberto, Back In the Old Days, rooms, six miles north of the California/ age 10 (Gee, 2000) There Was Music and Role Plays, Mexico border. My master teachers encour- We Read the Words, aged me to capitalize on my music talents I knew I was not a gifted singer, but the Kids All Sang Along and support language learning with songs. I kept on signing throughout my life, and I began our school days singing the My fi rst full-time position was teaching a now it is the foundation of my teaching songs I loved—reinforcing the learning by rural, one-room classroom in the woods of practices. When I was growing up in the writing out the lyrics to “Rockin’ Robin,” Maine. As I was wondering how I would 1950s, there were tiny recording booths and “Johnny B. Goode,” as well as all the organize learning for approximately 25 in train stations and airports where one children’s songs I could gather. I found out children between the ages of 5 to 14 years could press a recording on cardboard and at the fi rst Open House that I had the sup- old, a wise mentor helped me understand play it on a record player. Because I was port of the parents. They told me that it was that I could go deeper by organizing teach- wailing, “On the Street Where You Live,” great hearing their children sing the songs ing and learning around themes supported around the house incessantly, my parents they grew up with and they were amazed by the visual and performing arts. This is indulged me, and the next time we were at that the children were learning to read by how I began to incorporate my musical an airport, we made a record that only a having lessons based on the song lyrics! experiences and skills and bring my guitar mother could love. I never was a talented Soon I teamed up with a creative into my teaching. I needed this encourage- singer, but I sang constantly, and it only parent and we wrote a musical play, “Jack ment, since my recollections of music in increased when I was seven years old and and the Beans Talk.” I used a 12-bar my own schooling were of teachers with listened over and over again to Elvis’ fi rst boogie-woogie blues progression to write autoharps or pianos, singing boring songs RCA album. I immediately greased up my the opening song, “You Gotta Know Your hair, learned guitar, and began singing and mumbling like Elvis. Instead of stifl ing me, my parents supported my choice of creative Social Justice Educator expression. Words by Jim Cantor, I never thought of writing my own Sung to the tune of Woody Guthrie’s Union Maid songs, not even when the 1960s gave us those wonderful singer/songwriters like There once was a Teacher’s Aide, who never was afraid Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and the Rolling To question the way we teach each day. Stones. How could I have an original song How come the teachers have no say? if my head was always fi lled with songs The university got her thinking critically. that other people had written? I was happy And when the Phonemic Police came ‘round, learning how to play lead guitar like the She always stood her ground. Ventures and play “Walk, Don’t Run” at Chorus: junior high school dances. By the time Oh you can’t scare us. We’re singing about justice. I started high school I formed a 5-piece We’re singing about justice. We’re singing about justice. band. We based our repertoire on the early Oh you can’t scare us. We’re singing about justice, recordings of the Rolling Stones and other Social Justice, to change the world. popular dance songs of our time. All the lo- cal bands played covers of the hit records By the time she taught Third Grade, she still was not afraid, in those days.