“ONE LEG IN ONE, AND ONE LEG IN THE OTHER”: REFLECTIONS OF VERNACULAR MUSICIANS AS MUSIC EDUCATORS By Mark C. Adams A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Music Education—Doctor of Philosophy 2017 ABSTRACT “ONE LEG IN ONE, AND ONE LEG IN THE OTHER”: REFLECTIONS OF VERNACULAR MUSICIANS AS MUSIC EDUCATORS By Mark C. Adams With a purpose of improving the experiences of vernacular musicians who want to become music educators so that more vernacular music-making can occur in K-12 music settings, this study explored the lived musical experiences of two vernacular musicians who successfully became music educators. The two grand tour problems of this study were: 1. To describe how two vernacular musicians navigated their undergraduate music education programs. 2. To describe if/how their vernacular musicianship contributed to their practice as music teachers. Ethnographic techniques were used within the framework of a multiple narrative case study to present the viewpoints of two participants, Carrie and Harrison (pseudonyms). Both were vernacular musicians prior to pursuing degrees in music education. The two participants’ stories revealed that they felt like they were living in two musical worlds. In their undergraduate experiences, participants felt their Western classical abilities were more highly valued than their vernacular musicianship skills, and they did not feel fully supported by faculty musically. In their teaching lives, their vernacular music-making backgrounds manifested through aural learning and rote teaching, creating, and their classroom environment. Participants experienced feelings of being an impostor during their undergraduate experiences, which, particularly for one participant, created fear and anxiety. These feelings of being an impostor continued into their teaching lives, typically brought about by preconceived program expectations (e.g., performance schedules, high-level student musical performance abilities) from community members and colleagues. These outside influences, at times, determined what vernacular music-making experiences they implemented into their classrooms and when it was “safe” to do so. Based on these data, I suggest institutions of higher education more equally value musics found outside Western classical cultures. This includes an evaluation of their audition processes, the support provided to “non-traditional” students, as well as a re-envisioning of required coursework, field experiences, and performance ensembles. Additionally, I suggest ways that teachers of K–12 musics can create a more diverse music education experience for students by including more vernacular music making. These suggestions include opportunities for informal learning, creative music making, and considerations for the classroom environment. Copyright by MARK C. ADAMS 2017 For the impostors v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, my deepest gratitude to “Carrie” and “Harrison” who made this project possible. The sharing of your stories and having someone observe your teaching are two very personal endeavors, and I do not take that lightly. Your wisdom continues to impact my understanding of what it means (and possibly could mean) to be a music educator. Thank you to my committee members: Dr. Michael Largey, Dr. Mitchell Robinson, Dr. Sandra Snow, Dr. Juliet Hess, and Dr. Chris Scales for helping strengthen my focus, and for challenging me to think deeper. To my advisor, Dr. Cynthia Taggart who has been a trusted mentor and friend throughout my time at MSU: I am sure that writing a dissertation always includes plenty of self-doubt, but you always encouraged me to be myself, and that meant the world to me. To Dr. Brian Sullivan, for helping shape this document as a peer reviewer—thank you for your seemingly endless wisdom about all things. To Andrea: You have been a true friend and inspiration. Thank you for being you. To Stuart, Josh, Dan, and Ryan—I am forever grateful for your love, advice, wisdom, and support, which continued even after you graduated. � To my family: Allen, Cheryl, Mike, Melissa, Valerie, Brandon, Meaghan, Abigail, Brynna, Anna, Kadence, and Sophie—thank you for your love and keeping me grounded. To Evan—our phone conversations kept me sane. Thanks for keeping my spirts up and for encouraging me every step of the way. And, of course, to my wife, Shannon—you never cease to amaze me with your compassion for others. Thank you for always being there, even when the times got tough. There vi is only one relationship quite like ours, and…I don’t know why I’m writing this, you will probably never read it. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1—INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................1 Snapshot: My Narrative .......................................................................................................1 School Music and Music As It Exists In the World .............................................................3 K–12 Music Experiences .........................................................................................4 Musical content and type of engagement .....................................................5 Standardized music education ......................................................................7 Underrepresented students .........................................................................10 Summary ....................................................................................................11 Higher Education Experiences for Preservice Music Educators ...........................12 Access to music education programs in higher education .........................12 Coursework ................................................................................................15 Summary and Application .....................................................................................18 Vernacular Musicians ........................................................................................................19 Definition of Terms ................................................................................................19 Vernacular Music in Schools .................................................................................21 Need for the Study .............................................................................................................23 Purpose and Problems ........................................................................................................24 CHAPTER 2—LITERATURE REVIEW .....................................................................................25 How Vernacular Musicians Learn .....................................................................................25 Informal Learning ..................................................................................................25 Teacher Observations of Informal Learning ..........................................................29 Summary ................................................................................................................31 Informal Music in K–12 Education ...................................................................................32 Informal Music Learning in Elementary General Music Classrooms ...................32 Informal Music Learning in Secondary Music Classrooms ..................................34 Instrumental settings ..................................................................................36 Music technology settings ..........................................................................39 Summary ................................................................................................................39 Vernacular Musicians, Musical Skills, and Higher Education ..........................................41 Preservice Teachers As Creative Musicians and Teachers ....................................41 Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching Popular Music ..............................43 Preservice Teacher Participation in Vernacular Cultures ......................................47 Self-perceptions and Self-efficacy .........................................................................49 Students with Vernacular, “Non-traditional,” Backgrounds ..................................52 Summary ................................................................................................................55 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................56 CHAPTER 3—METHODOLOGY ...............................................................................................57 Purpose and Problems ........................................................................................................57 viii Researcher’s Lens ..............................................................................................................57 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................58 Role and Occupational Identity Development in Music ........................................58 Narrative Inquiry ................................................................................................................62 Narrative Inquiry in Music Education ...................................................................63