Christopher Small's concept of musicking: Toward a theory of choral singing pedagogy in prison contexts.

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to raise and examine questions relevant to building a theory of choral singing pedagogy for prison-based choirs with reference to Christopher Small's (1927- ) concept of "musicking." Historical-biographical method was employed to construct an account of Small's life and work using published sources and personal interviews with Small. Philosophical inquiry was used to examine his published writing, the roots and logic of major propositions contributing to his mature concept of musicking, and published criticisms to date of Small's philosophy. Thereafter, Small's philosophy of musicking was investigated in terms of its explanatory power in building a theory of choral singing pedagogy in prison contexts.

In that regard, Small's concept of musicking was compared to major propositions articulated by traditional aesthetic philosophies of music, and contrasted with three contemporary North American philosophies of music education (Reimer, Jorgensen Elliott) with respect to the logical capacity of each philosophical framework to respond to two primary assumptions: (a) choral singing typically entails the articulation and communication of words ("the word factor") and (b) choral singing evidences a union between musical agent and musical instrument ("the somatic factor").

Major arguments advanced were that (a) Small's concept of musicking more ably accommodates the word factor and the somatic factor than either traditional aesthetic philosophies or the three philosophies of music education examined; and (b) the contextual and relational components of Small's concept of musicking render it able to address many of the variables unique to choral pedagogy in prison contexts. Finally, a theory of interactional choral pedagogy in prison contexts, based on Small's concept of musicking, was advanced. The proposed theory was addressed in terms of defining its operational variables, specifying relationships among those variables, and stating the theory such that it could be falsified or confirmed through subsequent research and assessment. It was suggested that Small's concept of musicking may signal a paradigm shift in ways of thinking about choral singing pedagogy in prisons and other contexts.