Beowulf Opera Scenes: Classroom music pedagogy and knowledge when composing an opera with primary-school children

Ian Axtell, Anthony David Anderson, Elizabeth MacGregor, Emma Nenadic, Martin Fautley, Nancy Evans

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Composing with children is a complex area that many generalist primary-school teachers in England report finding challenging or intimidating. This article draws on existing literature relating to composing in schools, child-centred learning, cultural capital, and classroom pedagogy to situate and discuss a longitudinal research project exploring composing with primary-aged children. The article focusses on one of eight schools involved in the project, in which children worked with a professional composer alongside their regular classroom teacher to compose operatic scenes to accompany the epic poem, Beowulf. The project utilised a collaborative action research framework, featuring researcher observations of the six composing sessions, semi-structured interviews and reflections with the teacher and composer, and a focus group with the children. The findings highlight seven themes relating to children?s understandings of the composing process, which are theorised into conceptualisations of musical knowledge. The article concludes by tracing some of the international implications for children composing in primary-school contexts.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalResearch Studies in Music Education
    Publication statusAccepted/In press (AAM) - 16 Sept 2024

    Keywords

    • classroom music
    • composing
    • culutural capital
    • knowledge
    • pedagogy

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