research/Reflections
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What does music education look like in the schools in Colombia? How important is arts education as part of well-rounded curriculum in Colombian schools? If music is taught in the schools, are teachers highly qualified teachers, or practicing musicians?
RESEARCH FINDINGS AND REFLECTIONS
It was difficult to travel anywhere in Colombia without seeing evidence of artistic expression. From the blind musician singing into a portable microphone on the street with a hat sitting on the ground in front of him for spare change, to the children proudly performing a traditional folk dance for my cohort at one of the many schools we visited, to the throbbing sound of salsa music spilling out of taxi cabs weaving in and out of traffic, music surrounded me everywhere. There are more festivals in Colombia than there are days in the year, and with that is music, and dancing - cumbia, Vallenata, merengue, Bambuco, salsa - everyone dances in Colombia. Children sang for us at most schools, and sang with great gusto and enthusiasm. At my host school, some of the teaching training students were in a rock band, and performed for us on our last day there. At one of the schools I taught at, the children sing in both English and Spanish - every day! I was delighted and inspired by the high degrees of enthusiastic participation that I saw. It is interesting to note that when the children sang for me, the boys sang with much greater vigor than the girls, who were very timed and held back. It is the reverse in the United States - boys are quite shy about singing, while the girls sing unabashedly. It was an interesting snapshot on gender roles in both countries.
However, I rather quickly determined that most musical knowledge in Colombia is taught via informal or aural instructional practices, and that formal music instruction in the public schools, especially at the lower levels, is not very common. With the exception of two schools I visited - one an arts immersion school and one a private gimnasia - there was no formal music instruction or classes at all either at the primary or secondary level.
My travel partner, Lisa, and I were fortunate to visit an arts immersion school, Fundanza. According to the director of the school, Marlon Cruz Casallas, Fundanza is the only school of its kind in all of Colombia that provides the arts education for youth to the extent that it does. Children are identified by teachers at public schools as showing potential, then are invited to audition and take a test. If accepted into Fundanza, they attend the school from approximately 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. The students have a full traditional academic curriculum, and additionally take classes in dance, choir, Orff ensemble and band. Some students attend local schools then travel to Fundanza to study the arts after their regular classes end. . Graduates of Fundanza receive an “artistic baccalaureate,” a degree that similar to that of a graduate of a vocational program, but in music or dance. Fundanza’s folkloric dancers are highly renowned throughout the country and have performed in many other parts of the world. We were stunned at the high level of discipline and musicianship that was in place at Fundanza. Fundanza is a non-profit foundation, and the school, from our understanding is operated as a public/private foundation partnership.
The music program observed at the private gimnisio was taught by a highly-regarded local musician. All elementary students took music class there two to three days per week. When we were there, the students were studying folkloric music played with traditional drums and percussion instruments, recorders and singing. Their teacher was teaching sixth-grade students about the staff and note reading in a traditional lecture/note taking method.
At all other schools we visited, the rest of which were public, both city and rural, all other music performed for us was taught by non-music teachers. This was to me, as a trained music teacher, quite obvious. Although the children sang with gusto, many did not sing in tune or with a developmentally appropriate singing voice.
Although the Colombian Ministry of Education advocates for formal music education in the schools, and feels that it is a crucial link in helping to build bridges for peace and understanding, and a belief in its inherent aesthetic value, it is not at this time a curricular requirement. There also does not appear to be a great deal of attention paid to the cognitive benefits of music education, an aspect that American music educators have tended to focus on in recent years to justify the inclusion and retention of music programs in schools with ever-narrowing curricula. In addition, there are not many music teacher training programs at the university level in Colombia. Between 2001 and 2013, there were only approximately 2,500 university music education graduates. Most music teachers have, at most, the artistic baccalaureate degree, and music teachers are not regarded with the same level of respect as teachers of other subjects.
On multiple occasions during my visit to Colombia, I received puzzled looks when I was introduced alongside my fellow American teachers as a music teacher. I learned quickly to explain that in the United States, music teachers have the same level of education as teachers in other disciplines such as math, history and science. (Actually, we have more!)
It must be pointed out that Colombia does have a unique and highly influential national music movement patterned after the now world-renowned Venezuelan El Sistema program that is doing its part to fill the musical gap that the lack of music education in public schools leaves. Entitled “Batuta,” this program, with twin missions of socialization and music development, is highly structured and designed to reach out to poor and underserved, mostly urban children with early music education and youth orchestra programs, all free, and usually takes place after school hours. Since public school children usually only go to school for five hours a day, they have several hours after school to take part in activities such as this, and the program, especially at the higher levels, is very intensive. Batuta has a highly visible presence throughout the country. Its youth orchestra now tours internationally - and this group is comprised of all “at risk” youth! This, in my opinion, is a significant and inspiring achievement. I would like to learn more about Batuta, and its inspiration, El Sistema, and research how I can incorporate some of its principals into my music program.
In summary, as a highly qualified and certified degreed music educator, I felt very proud to explain to colleagues and others about my level of education in the United States, and that, for the most part, music teachers hold the same level of status as teachers in other subjects do. I am grateful that I teach in a school where I have my own classroom, with a plethora of high quality musical resources. On the other hand, I was deeply appreciative of the hard work the Colombian general education teachers engage in to add music and dance to their school days, and to see how vigorous and joyful the children were about making music. I kept thinking to myself, “What I could do with all of this artistic energy!”