Dr. Rebecca Luce-Kapler, Associate Dean Graduate Studies and Research, is pleased to invite you 
to attend a presentation by Dr. Ben Bolden: 

Of Funky Mamas, Podcasts, Culture Bearers, and
Composing: Broadening the Boundaries of Music Education

Thursday, February 21, 2013 
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Vernon Ready Room (A115)
Duncan McArthur Hall

Everyone Welcome! Please RSVP to Erin Wicklam

Dr. Ben Bolden is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education.

Abstract:   With this presentation I describe a series of recent and ongoing research initiatives that share the overarching goal of moving music education beyond traditional school music experiences.

The research includes an examination of how the Funky Mamas – a collective of professional mother-musicians and recording artists who make music at festivals, fairs, theatres, and community events across Canada – learn to create and perform music for young children within a community of practice. Another study investigates the experiences of future music educators as they employ new digital media audio technology to construct and share significant stories of, with, and through music. A third project illuminates the impact on community choir members of working with a culture-bearer on repertoire from a particular musical tradition, different than their own. The final study examines the teaching and learning of composing across a range of musical genres, from music theatre to symphony to parm pop, exploring professional composers’ experiences and perceptions of learning how to compose, and of the teaching – formal and informal – that supported them.

Together these studies offer a host of possibilities for teachers seeking to cultivate and nurture diverse and engaging learning experiences that can broaden the boundaries of music education.