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Facing the Music is both practical and wildly, exuberantly, unabashedly idealistic. This book is about teaching and 'getting untaught'-a process of defamiliarization and learning that ethnomusicologists will recognize as the transformation at the heart of the ethnographic exchange. Schippers challenges us to rethink the core values of music transmission and offers a framework for sustainable musical futures. The appendix titled "Emergency guidelines in case of world music" is worth the price of admission alone!"--Deborah Wong, University of California, Riverside and President, Society for Ethnomusicology
"By innovatively exploring the dynamic nature of cultural diversity into music education, Huib Schippers makes a careful weave of theory, practice and reflections which connect issues of central significance for music education in the 21st century."--Dr. Pamela Burnard, University of Cambridge
"This book provides a world view that transcends existing texts. Schippers knows the literature, and builds on it, but unlike most works in the field he always tests theory against practical, real-life examples. This gives his argument a real 'authenticity' - if I can use one of his much-discussed terms! I know of no other book which deals so thoroughly and clearly with the topic."-John Drummond, Blair Professor of Music, University of Otago
"Schippers writes beautifully...More rewarding is the scope of his work and his thoughtfulness in finding a pathway to some unity in the complex views of world music and of current music education methodologies." --
MCA Music Forum"A rich, innovative work that thoroughly examines the many issues and challenges inherent in developing and carrying out a musical education that values, respects, and reflects the deepening diversity and globalization of Western society...A thorough, engaging, and articulate examination of the issues that is theoretical yet practical and easily accessible. This book is a very impressive work that proffers what a 21st-century music education--global in content and perspective--could be. I highly recommend it for music educators who are seeking to expand their perspectives on how we think about, do, and teach music in our culturally diverse societies." --Kathy M. Robinson,
Music Educators Journal"A highly engaging and accessible account that blends theory with practice, concepts from music education and ethnomusicology with actual experience...The book represents a much-needed milestone that will be of relevance to music educators, ethnomusicologists and students of ethnomusicology alike." --
Ethnomusicology Forum"I believe that
Facing the Music is a remarkable achievement, systematically and realistically bringing to bear a wide variety of world experience upon the problems of an appropriate music education in the face of immeasurable modern complexities of cultural/musical identity. Schippers leaves no cliché unexamined and unmolested, "afflicting the comfortable," and in the process tours an admirable variety of the available literature.
Facing the Music should be required reading for all music educators." --
World of Music"Through this book, Schippers offers two major contributions to the field of music education. First, he provides an excellent example for examining and addressing ambiguity, confusion, contradiction, and discomfort that may be present in diverse cultural environments...The second contribution of Schippers's book is the Twelve-Continuum Transmission Framework, as it provides a tool for music educators to critically reflect on their own and others' teaching and learning experiences in light of current cultural, social, and political realities so that they can develop meaningful learning experiences for their students." --
Journal of Historical Research in Music Education