Challenge

Many studies have shown that music can be a powerful and effective tool in developing understanding of and connection with people across diverse cultures. Music students, however, often devote the bulk of their studies to their own musical instrument and genre, to the exclusion of music from other traditions, cultures and societies.

Even those students who do actively seek to learn about music and music-making across diverse cultures do not always have the opportunity to learn about such musical practices from a human-centred perspective, from the people who make them.

Students require opportunities to engage with people across cultures if they are to understand the rich diversity of ways of thinking about and enacting the practice of music around the world.

Approach

The core of this initiative took place from Weeks 2 to 5 of trimester. It involved the participation of a group of recently arrived migrant and refugee students studying English at South Bank TAFE, known as the “All Stars Band”, who regularly play, sing and perform music together from their homelands. The mission of the All Stars Band is to inform and educate the Australian public about migrant and refugee issues, to showcase and celebrate cultural diversity, and to share in the joy of music among themselves and with others.

In Week 2 of the course, the lecture content centred on concepts relating to cultural humility, with small-group activities and whole-class discussion on approaches to respectful, sensitive and successful intercultural communication and engagement. This lecture involved reflecting specifically on the intercultural context of the forthcoming engagement with the All Stars.

In Week 3, five All Stars members (from India, China, Iraq, and Venezuela) attended the class. Each made a brief presentation sharing a little about their cultural background, as well as a live performance or recording a piece of music (or dance) that was meaningful for them in some way. A facilitated class discussion with the guests enabled students to practice some of the intercultural communication skills and strategies introduced the previous week.

In Week 4, the class venue shifted to a larger open space to accommodate the whole band, plus instruments and equipment. Following an introductory mingling activity, the All Stars introduced the band, its members, and its mission, and performed a small selection of pieces from their homelands. For the last half hour of class, students and guests jammed together, the All Stars teaching the students a couple of favourite pieces from their repertoire.

The skills that students had the opportunity to develop through this initiative relate directly to the intended learning outcomes of the course, namely, to expand students’ musical knowledge and interests, develop understanding of the social and cultural aspects of music, and foster intercultural awareness and capabilities.

This initiative also closely related to students’ first (non-graded) and second (graded) assessment items for this course. The first item, submitted as a video recording, required students to informally interview a person from another culture about a piece of music meaningful to them in some way. The second item, submitted as a written report, required students to conduct further research into, and reflection on, the interview and its content. The visit of the All Stars Band allowed students an opportunity to practice their intercultural skills and develop their understanding of the relationship between people, music, culture, and society, in preparation for these assessment items.

The course convenor sought student feedback on this initiative informally after each class, and via a Google Survey distributed in Week 5. This feedback subsequently provided an opportunity for the course convenor to link the learning outcomes of this initiative with the intended learning outcomes of the course. Feedback was also solicited informally from the All Stars (in person, and via social media).

References

Outcomes

Here is Jaidyn Chong's perspective of the course.

Overall the students found this initiative to be useful, engaging, and relevant, finding value in both the musical and non-musical aspects. Students reported that they particularly appreciated the opportunity to hear the All Stars members talk about music that was important for them, especially the often personal “stories” behind their choices. Many students also thoroughly enjoyed the musical collaboration. Students found it useful to later reflect on their values, attitudes, and behaviours in such an intercultural context.

The activity was also enjoyable, challenging, and exciting for the All Stars. The director of the group reported that several group members felt a great sense of achievement at having presented in English and performed music for Australian university students, as well as a sense of pride that their musical and cultural knowledge and identities were being valued in this way. One All Stars member reported that the musical collaboration was “a dream come true”, and later wrote that she was “absolutely thrilled by the amazing experience you have offered us”

Enabling Technology

Following the visits of the All Stars, students collaboratively compiled a Padlet containing video clips of pieces of music that are meaningful to them in some way, with short elucidations.

The completed Padlet was then offered to the All Stars as a small token of thanks for their contribution to the students’ learning, with the idea that it could be of cultural interest (being reflective of Australian culture), as well as potentially useful in the learning of English as a Second Language. One All Stars member reported feeling “honoured that you and your students send us those videos and the explanation of why they are meaningful to each of you . . . I really enjoyed watching and understanding each video”.

The Padlet also became useful source material for students in subsequent weeks of the course, in relation to discussions and activities around the sociocultural roles and functions of music, and issues of cultural identity and cultural diversity.

Implement

Your Learning and Teaching Consultant can suggest ways of optimising the use of Padlet for your teaching practice. 

Next Steps

For those considering this kind of initiative it is very important that relationships with external partners are prioritised. Students benefit from being involved in that relationship-building, for example by collaboratively generating a token of thanks for the external partner (as in this initiative).

Careful facilitation and close attention by the course convenor to cultural sensitivities, differences and difficulties is important. Post-initiative facilitated reflection provides students a way to debrief on their experience, process their learning, and consider ways to continue to develop their intercultural capabilities in future.

Griffith Graduate Attributes

This initiative fosters in students the following graduate attributes

• Students become effective communicators and collaborators – through exploring and practising musical and non-musical communication and collaboration with people from other cultural backgrounds and life experiences
• It helps students become innovative, creative and entrepreneurial – as they’re challenged to respond artistically and socially to an unfamiliar situation
• It encourages student to become socially responsible and engaged in their communities – through learning about and reflecting on the backgrounds and experiences of the All Stars members and the social purpose and mission of the Band
• Students become more effective in culturally diverse and international environments – through learning about and practising, and reflecting on approaches to successful intercultural interactions

Support Resources

• Padlet

  Resource used by the students to compile their ‘gift’ to the All Stars

Contributed by

• Learning Futures
  
• Arts, Education and Law
  Queensland Conservatorium
  Dr Catherine Grant
  (07) 373 50234
  catherine.grant@griffith.edu.au
  

Preferred Citation

Grant, C., and Learning Futures (2019). Creative collaboration with migrant and refugee people to build intercultural capabilities in music students. Retrieved from https://app.secure.griffith.edu.au/exlnt/entry/6805/view