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Power relations in the music teaching studio

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2023

Kim Burwell Open the ORCID record for Kim Burwell [Opens in a new window]
Kim Burwell*
Affiliation:
University of New South Wales, Anzac Parade, Kensington, NSW, Australia
*
Email: k.burwell@unsw.edu.au
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Abstract

Power relations operate in any educational setting, and there may be particular vulnerabilities in a tradition conducted in the relative isolation of the music teaching studio. These vulnerabilities have been highlighted dramatically in recent years through high-profile cases of power abuse, but power is implicated in a wide range of contexts related to the studio, including cultural, gendered, pedagogical, artistic, institutional and interpersonal issues. It may be impossible to divest power of its negative connotations, but there is a good deal of theory focused on power, even if its terms are broadly political or philosophical, and subject to debate. This theoretical paper explores power relations with regard to the music studio, investigating popular conceptions and everyday usage before turning to scholarship focused on interpersonal and broader social perspectives. Some reflections are offered on the uses and abuses of power in the studio. A better understanding of its dimensions and usage can support the ongoing development of studio practices and contribute to the conversation that we need to have about power.

Keywords

Music studio teachinghigher music educationdirect instruction in musicauthoritative discourse in music
Type
Article
Information
British Journal of Music Education , Volume 40 , Issue 3 , November 2023 , pp. 350 - 360
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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