Sharing Experiences from France

A Collaborative Discussion Paper by Members of the French Collectif RPMTranslated by Polly Moseley, edited by Gaby Bizien

Written by Philippe Audubert, Gaby Bizien, Louis Chrétiennot, Bertrand Dupouy, Thierry Duval, Thibault Krzewina, Hervé Parent, François Ribac et Marc Touché.

LEARNING AND TEACHING POPULAR MUSIC

RPM éditions

3

Table of contents

Preface 5

Introduction 11

Part I / Towards Formalising a Pedagogical Approach 15 1. A Practical Environment for Popular Music 15

1.1 Relating to Musical Trends 15 1.2 PrincipalElementswhichDefinetheUniqueQualitiesofPopularMusic 17 1.3 Amateur Playing 23 1.4 Professional Career Paths 23 1.5 In-between Bands 24 1.6 In Conclusion 24

Popular Music Monitors by François Ribac 25

2. How Practice Determines Pedagogical Choices 282.1 The Role of Amateurs in Developing New Art-Forms 282.2 CollaborativeLearning(Fr.L’Accompagnement):

A Deliberate Choice given our Changing Relationship to Knowledge 292.3 TheQualitiesofCollaborativeLearning 292.4 The Pedagogy of Collaborative Learning 302.5 The Meaning of Collaborative Learning 302.6 Collaborative Learning as opposed to Teaching 31

3.TheCollectifRPM’sMainPedagogicalDevices 313.1. A Holistic Approach to Arts Education 313.2. Meaning as a Driver 323.3. Teaching, Training, Learning, Facilitating 333.4. CollaborativeLearningTools:Agreements,NetworksandExperimentation 353.5. Devising Modules within the Training Offer 363.6. CollaborativeLearning:VariousApproachestoManagement 363.7. Different Types of Collaborative Learning 373.8. The Importance of Pleasure 383.9. Re-introducingtheValueofMistakesintotheLearningProcess 383.10. Assessing the Pedagogical Process 393.11. The Concept of Pathways and of a Course Curriculum 41

4.TheFacilitor’sRole 424.1. Facilitators, Teachers, Coaches, Collaborators? 424.2. ThePedagogicalPositionoftheFacilitator(fr.Intervenant) 424.3. Facilitators’Responsibilities 434.4. Facilitators’Credibility 444.5. Pedagogical Challenges to Overcome 45

Let’sbecomeanalysts,ratherthangurus!byLouisChretiennot 46

Part II / Building Blocks for Collaborative Learning 49

4

1. Designing Collaborative Learning Projects 491.1.AcknowledgingAllAspectsofMusic-Making 491.2.ThePedagogicalProgrammeAdaptedtoAllWaysofWorking 491.3.TakingMusicalTastesintoAccount 49

2.PedagogicalFrameworks 502.1.TheContextforFrameworks 502.2. Learning an Instrument and Learning Musical Notation and Theory 552.3. Pedagogical Approaches designed for Children 57

Part III / Perspectives and Challenges 59

1.FromPopularMusictoCurrentWaysofMakingMusic 591.1. The Issue of Credibility 601.2. TheProcessofPurveyingSkillsandKnowledge 611.3. TheDifficultyofNavigatingManyDifferentApproachesandProgrammes 621.4. The Management and Promotion of Knowledge-Sharing 63

2.TheNeedforPolicy-MakerstoRe-Engage 632.1. Conservatoires and Popular Music 642.2. OptingforSkillsNetworks 652.3. Formalising Without Standardising 65

In Conclusion or A Final Plea 67

Appendix 69

- Description of the Four Founding Members of the Collectif RPM 69- GLOSSARY OF TERMS 73

5

Foreword

Musicteachingandthetransferofmusicalknowledgearecurrentlykeysubjectsfordebatebetweenculturalorganisationsandstakeholders.As inEngland,where recentdecisionshavetriggeredsignificantcontroversyoverboththeimportanceoftheartsandmusicwithinthenationalcurriculumand thesupportneeded forwork in thepublicdomain,a lot isatstake in France, where decisions taken over comingmonths locally and nationally, willset thecore framework for thedevelopmentofmusicasadisciplineovercomingyears.Thisdevelopmentworkinvolvesquestioningtherelationshipbetweenqualitystandardsinteaching,training,skills,collaborativelearningG and support programmes and the reality of howthegeneralpublicexperiencemusic.

Despite only being a recent feature of public policyG in France, popular musicG is central tothiscurrentdebate.It isforthisreason,andinthiscontext,thatwewanttoshareandexchangeourresearch,learningandperspectiveswithawideraudience.

Indeed,theexperientialandpracticalexchanges,inwhichtheCollectifRPMhasinvestedfor many years now, have led us to include current popular music practiceGasakeystrandof our practice-based research, which is designed to bring new ideas to the table for how to createtheoptimumconditionsforthedisseminationofknowledgeandskillsinmusic.

This paper is written for a wide range of interested parties - from musiciansG to educationalists, from teachersG and facilitatorsG to leaders of cultural and training bodies, and also for politiciansandpublicpolicy-makers- inthemodesthopethatthesereflectionswillassistthemintheirdecision-makingprocesses.Atthesametime,throughexchangeanddebatewehopetorefineandimproveourownpractice,strengthenexistingandbuildnewpartnershipsacross Europe and more widely. Initially this paper will be used as a basis for discussion at European seminars throughout 2014.

Please email Gaby Bizien g.bizien@gbfc.fr with any feedback or queries.

A Note on LanguageThis translation has exposed several instances where key terms in French do not have a single equivalent in English. Several sections of this pamphlet also concentrate on semantic challenges in expressing what we mean in emergent fields, which challenge more traditional classifications and constructs. To maintain the flow of the text we have assembled a Glossary as Appendix 2, which goes into more detail in terms of the rationale for choosing specific English terms in this translation. The first time each of the English words or terms are used they are marked with a G.Given, that this is a work in progress and we would welcome your thoughts and comments via the email address given above.

6

7

Collectif RPM (Recherche en Pédagogie Musicale)www.collectifrpm.org

The CollectifGRPMwasformedfromthecomingtogetherofanumberofflagshipsubregionalor regional publicly-funded organisations, all of which provide services for people involved in popularandamplifiedmusic.Thisnewalliancemarkedthemovefrominformalcollaborationstoaformalpartnershipbetweenthefourfoundingmembers–L’ArafromRoubaix,LeCryfrom Les Yvelines, Le Florida from Agen and Trempolino from Nantes. (Each of these organisationshavetheirownEuropeanandinternationalpartnershipsandactiveexchangeanddevelopmentprogrammes,whicharebrieflyoutlined,alongwith thecorestrandsoftheirprogrammes,inAppendix.)

From theverybeginning, this informalnetworkwanted tobea space forexchangeandreflectiononpedagogicalG issues relating to thedevelopmentofmusicalskills.From theoutset,themembersofthisalliancealsowantedtofindcoherentwaysofexperimentingwithpedagogical methods across the different partner venues, and to produce common tools for research and evaluation.

After co-producing one of the first training programmes entitled ‘musicians as agents inthepopularmusicscene’,thealliancemadealonger-termcommitmenttoworktogethertodeviseusefulpedagogicaltoolsforprofessionalsinthefield.

Today the Collectif RPM is a formally constituted organisation and network, comprisingaroundthirtymembers-organisationsandindividualswhoareactiveinthefieldofpedagogyand teaching. It is funded by the French Ministry of Culture to foster connections between musicians and project managers, researchers and academics.

8

Preface

By Marc Touché

The sound of The Shadows, Les Chaussettes Noires and The Beatles from the early 1960’shaslittle incommonwiththatofCream,Steppenwolf,LesVariationsandHendrixin 1967. The sounds of guitar, bass, vocals and electric keyboards reached saturationpoint, as they became overladen with echo and reverb. So new sounds, and new ways of producing sounds were invented, soon to become archetypal, and bringing with them whole new artistic perspectives on the music scene. Since the technological and creative melting potofthelate60’s,volumelevelsbecameadefiningfactorinthemakingandproductionofamplifiedmusic, just likethehardnessofgraniteandmarbleisadeterminingfactor insculpture.Thelevelofvolumehasequallybecomeacentralmeasureforevaluatinglevelsof comfort, or enjoyment of music at concerts, raves and when listening at home, often through headphones in various social situations when listeners control their own potentially ‘hellish’or ‘blissful’experiences.Thumpingbasslinesuniteaudience-members’bodiesatconcerts.Thishasbecomeonethetoday’sexpressionsofsocialtogetherness-aphysical,bodilyexperience,whichisnotofferedbyofficiallyrecognisedorclassicallytaughtformsofmusic.Thisisanextremeandvibrantdimensionofmusicalexperience,wherethepowerofmusic is received in a live, physical sense and is redistributed through the bodily movements of the participants.

Popularmusicandthewayitisexperiencedwassubjecttoaseriesofdramaticupheavalsover the second half of the 20th century. In this respect, the sociological phenomenon of self-taughtelectricguitaristsandself-proclaimedmusicians,fromtheearly1960’s,wasafirstmajormanifestationofyoungpeopleasindependentagentsenteringontothemusicscene.Injustafewdecades,aseriesofbehavioursdrivenbyelectro-amplifiedmusicsweptthrough, and impacted on, all areas of French society, particularly on domestic life. Over the same period, the type of musical culture legitimised by the State lost part of its audience. A fundamental shift occurred in ways of socialising and transmitting music; instead of the top-down method favoured by educational institutions for reaching lower social classes or by parents indoctrinating their children and adolescents with culture, youth and mass media becamedominant,bringingaboutabottom-upgroundswell.Theseformativeexperiencesofpeople introduced toamplifiedmusic in their youthwas toeffect them for theirwholelives. From1980 to 2000, electric keyboards, turntables, drummachines, samplers andcomputers accompanied waves of new musical genres such as rap, various new forms of rock, jazz, pop-songsandelectro, all contributing to permanent shifts acrossevermorecomplexmusicallandscapes.

Tosetallofthisinamusicologicalcontext,itishelpfulforustoconsiderthetimebeforeandafterthemomentwhenamplifiedmusiccameontothescene.Theprocessofthisshiftfrom‘acoustic’to‘amplifiedsociety’,whichhappenedathomeasinpublicvenues,wasatimeforembarkingonnewjourneys,findingnewchannelsofexpression,withpeoplecarryingsocialbehaviours and technologies across borders, transforming social and technical conditions.

It is comparable to the challenges farming faced with mechanisation, and the shift from usingsimplesportsequipmenttofullymotorisedsports.Itinvolvesahugechangeofscale.Methodsco-exist,newchallengesandanewdiscourseemerge,inthiscaserelatingtothesound environment; in education and training, new professions and the mastering of electro-

9

amplifiedinstrumentsbyamateurs;inpublichealth,hearingimpairment;inurbanplanning,the social and technical conditions for creation and dissemination of this music (spaces for rehearsing, for concerts, dance studios, spaces for arts festivals and outdoor spaces for street ormusicfestivals,whencitiescanbeimmersedinamplifiedmusic,overpoweringacousticmusic).Whocouldhaveforeseenthissituation,almost50yearsago,whenpopularmusicunderwent its first big shake-up, dispensingwith predictability, convention and tradition?Self-proclaimed young musicians armed with guitars, drums and sound systems began a longjourney,whichobserversreducedtoafad,oranepiphenomemon.Inforty-fiveyears,this music, which started out without formal recognition, has become dominant. Such music isubiquitousandhasdefineditsownrules.Thiswholeissue,recordedinthebiographiesofthosewhotestifiedtothesesocio-musicaltransformations,ismorecomplexthanisapparentinthesimplephrase‘rockandyouth’(fr. le rock et les jeunes) :amagicexpressionwhichencapsulateseverythingandthereforemeansnothing,anexpressionwhichblursthepathsmusic crosses between here and elsewhere, that hides the plethora of situations and the capacityofpeopletodefinetheirownlife-paths,havinggrownupwithemotionsgeneratedbyamplifiedmusic.Today,thesociologyofamplifiedmusicextendsacrossallofthevarioussocial domains and across all stages of life, from childhood to old age.

A quick glance in the rearview mirror, a detour via surveys of different generations ofmusiciansandamplifiedmusic-lovers,leadsustoaffirmthatfordecadesmusicianshavebeenwaiting for and asking for tools adapted to the sounds theywant to create. Theyhavebeenwaitingforandrequestinglessonsandcoursessuitedtothemusictheyenjoymakingandlisteningto.Musicisamassivebusiness,beitcommercialorbasedonartisanskills,andinstrumentsarewidelyavailable,rightacrosstheworld.Theseinstruments,thismusic, these social forms of creation which bring to the fore invention, self-discipline, self-appointment, collective learning on the job, have been handed down from generation to generation.From1950’srockandroll,topunkofthe1970’sandelectronicmusicofthe80’sandbeyond,everyconceivableamplifiedsoundjourneyhasbeenexplored,rightthroughto the most atypical and diverse acoustic set-ups, though those who made and listen to this music will maintain that it has seldom been seen as relevant. Over the course of this period, institutions generally failed to formally recognise this music, leading some protagonists to pursue long and vigorous campaign for their creative process to be accepted as an art-form, animportantmeansofmakingandlisteningtomusicwhichusesmoderntechnologyandaddresses contemporary issues.As in architectureand transport,music embarkedonaquesttoreachthedizzyingheightsofthesummitofsound:everhigher,fasterandlouder,akindofcollectivefearofthevoid,anexhilarationgeneratedbysound,asearchforpowerfulfeelingsandthrills,questioningthemeaningoflifeineverysense.

Marc TouchéSociologist at the CNRS

UMR 8533 (IDHE/laboratory G. Friedmann) - University Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne

10

11

Introduction

FromthetimewhenthefirstsetsofFrenchmusiciansandgroupsappearedonthesceneplayingamplifiedmusic (mainlyguitars) in the late1950’s,upuntil theearly1980’s, so-called ‘rock musicians’ and other types of cabaret singers or dance musicians, playingmusicinfluencedbyBritishandAmericanG styles, would all pursue their musical pathways independently of, and detached from, mainstream cultural institutions.

Musiciansrehearsed,composedandproducedtheirmusicwithoutanykindofpublicly-fundedfunding support. (In some cases, local government only started to assume responsibilities forculturalactivitiesfrom1982,whenthefirstlawofdecentralisationwaspassedinFrance).

Ways in which musicians started to become recognised as professionals - this evolving interrelationshipbetweenmusiciansand theoutsideworld - led towards thedefinitionofwhat was to become the music business. Groups rehearsed, found places or rooms in which toplay,wereeventuallypickedupbyaproducerwhowouldtrytogetthematourormayoffer some of them the opportunity to record, starting with a 45 rpm. Spaces to play and producethistypeofmusicwerehardtofindandrarelyequippedtoaccommodateit.WiththeexceptionofsomelegendaryParisvenues,suchasBusPalladiumorGolfDrouot,moreoften than not musicians played in rooms which were not generally used for or suited to the playingofandlisteningtothemusicwhichwastodefineawholegenerationbetween1960and 1980.

The repertoire of these musicians was usually inspired by the dominant British or American models and positioned in the margins of the mainstream, outside the recognised aesthetic canons.

Throughout this whole period, conservatoiresG totally ignored this genre. Neither cultural organisations nor their government funding bodies considered it to be part of the cultural landscape.

Sotofillthissignificantgapinprovision,firstly,anofferofprovisionundertheumbrellaterm‘popularmusic’(fr. les musiques actuelles) wasdevelopedbynot-for-profitorganisationsG, complementing existing programmes in conservatoires which were designed to teachmusicians the more traditional and formally validated repertoires.

Itwasonlyfrom1981,theyearwhenJackLangbecameMinisterofCultureinFrance,that‘theestablishment(i.e.publicly-fundedartsandmusicbodies)startedtoconnectwithrockmusicians. This new Minister of Culture prioritised formal recognition of artistic movements which formed part of the cultural landscape, but had up until that point been ignored by the culturalinstitutions,i.e.cartoongraphicsandanimation,rock,thenlaterstreetart,differentformsofhiphop,indierock,garage,etc.

Thismovemeantthatallofthesevariousart-formsbecamepartofpublicpolicy-making,whichmadepublicfundingaccessibletothosewithpopularmusicprojects.Popandrockmusiciansthenbecameabletobuildlinkswithinstitutions,enablingthemtograduallymoveaway from being totally dependent on the commercial music business.

12

The First Teaching Tools for Popular Music

Inthe1990’s,thoseagentswithaninterestinmusicaldevelopmentweretotakeastancein relation to teaching without really naming the methodologies which were to become relevanttoteachingorknowledgetransfer.Aboveall,thiswasaboutsupportingmusicianson their journey,accelerating theirdevelopment, responding to theneeds they identifiedandenablingthemtobenefitfromtheexperiencesofoldermusicians,whohadovercomedifficultiessimilartotheirown.Atthisstage,wewerestillquitealongwayfromtalkingaboutpedagogyorknowledgetransfer,andfurtherstillfromformaltraining.

Despitethis,thesupportandadvicegiventomusicianswerestartingtobecomeidentifiedandnamed;peoplewerebeingenabled toaccess funding, thus tomake theircase,puttogetherportfoliosandwriteapplications,specificallyforlocalauthoritieswheretherewerethebeginningsofaninterestincreativeinitiativesofthiskind.

It is thereforeduringthisperiodthatweseetheemergenceof thefirst teachingtools. Inthe majority of cases, these were focused on how organisations could best provide support packagesordefinedinterventiontoexistinggroups,respondingtoanidentifiedneedataspecificjunctureintheirdevelopment.Butothervenuesadoptedapproacheswhichfocusedmore on the individual, proposing new ways in which to master instrumental technique.SuchwasthecaseatL’ArainRoubaix,whichopenedin1988withaprogrammebasedonplayful group learning processes for musicians to learn instruments.

Over the years, the number and variety of popular music programmes and types of support availabletomusiciansexpanded.

Upuntilthemiddleofthe1990’s,theonlyinterestintrainingorassistingmusicianscamefrompopular music organisations using strategies they had invented themselves. Conservatoires andmusicschoolsstilldidnottakeupthechallengeofpopularmusic,andrelevantspecialistteaching programmes were few and far between.

Clustering of Organisations around Common Values

Some of the structures sharing a core purpose of supporting the development of popular musicpracticestartedtoexchangeinformationontheirtrainingmethodologiesortomeetup to plan partnership projects. Articulating the common values held by these teams, added strengthtotheirrespectivepedagogicaldecision-makingprocesses.

LouisChrétiennot,whoteachesrockguitarintheRockDepartmentattheENM(fr. École Nationale de Musique)inVilleurbannesince1982,conductedastudycommissionedbyfourorganisationsinanattempttodefinetheircommonvaluesandareasofconvergence.

“Thosewhotendtomakealternativelife-choices,areoftenthosewhoaredisillusionedbypolitics.Themarketisnottheprimaryregulatoryanddefiningforceof the sector, as theyseeandexperience it.However, theydobelieve in legal frameworks,andthinkthatpublicsupportisnotonlyplausible,butdesirable.”

It is by straddling these two cultures (i.e. both counter-culture and the establishement),thatthemanagersoftheseorganisationshaveacquiredcredibilityonthegroundandhave

13

become interfaces, cultural mediators, connectors between musicians, teams and the broader system.

Asfortheorganisations,theywerestructuredtofitwithahorizontallogic-consultationanddialogue, co-production of projects - rather than a vertical one based on hierarchy, merit or strategy.

“As publicly-funded organisations, their prime function is therefore to meet the needs and demands of the public. Though not managed by civil servants, their directors are committedtodeliveringapublicservicewhichissustainableinthelong-term.”

Thesestructuresknowhowtoworkwithanddrawonfundingfromallofthevariouslayersof French government and across the various relevant policy domains of culture, social action,youthandsport.Theyareplacesdistinguishedbyinnovationandexperimentation,proposing originalways of disseminating knowledge and skills, and of consolidating theachievement of increased socialisation and professionalisation.

In summary, these organisations stand alone in the ecology of French music education. They continually innovate intheirquestforanswerstoquestionsaskedbymusiciansrequiringassistance to advance their artistic project or their musical career.

Until 1998, they concentratedonestablishingpedagogical processes for supportingandtransmitting popular music, a discipline towards which institutions and conservatoires remainedrelativelyindifferentoratbestshowedasuperficialinterest.

Positioning The Collectif RPM within the National Debate on Music Teaching

Sinceitsinception,thisalliancehassetouttocreateaspacefordialogue,exchangeandreflectiononknowledgetransfer.Beingabletocapitaliseonlearningfromexperimentationandtoanalyseexistingteachingmethodologiesinpopularmusicwas,andstillis,necessaryto clarify what has been and should be delivered on the ground.

Fromtheoutset,memberswantedtofindreferencepoints,determiningwhatmadesenseinthe programmes delivered and what were the values underpinning them. They were not, it is importanttostate,concernedwithjustfillingthegapsleftbypublicly-fundedconservatoiresand more formal provision. The discourse centred on the idea that if the popular music organisationswere to ask the questions aboutmusical transmission and practice in thesamewayasconservatoires,ratherthanbeself-reliant,theywouldquicklybecomestifled.Rather than asserting the relevance of their existing support programmes and teachingmethods, it was essential to identify and describe a new approach, and demonstrate its relevance to the reality of current popular music practice.

So the shared desire to move the discourse on the teaching of popular music from being implicit to becoming explicit, and by awish to relate it to existing publicly-fundedmusicprovision,onthebasisthattheskillsandresourcesinvolvedwerecomplementarytothosealreadyonoffer,becamecentraltotheCollectifRPM’smission.Thealliancedefinedareaswheretheirworkconvergedwithandcomplementedexistingteachingprogrammeswithina locality, and put in place innovativemethodologies,meeting the skills-requirements ofpopularmusicians,byprovidingsupportacrossallofthekeyareasofteaching,rehearsing,

14

touring,marketing,productionetc..

ThealliancetookonthenameCollectifRPM(fr. Recherche en Pédagogie Musicale) when itbecameaconstitutednot-for-profitagencyin2005.

15

Part I

Towards Formalising a Pedagogical Approach

1. A Practical Environment for Popular Music

Developmentofasuccessfulandsupportivepedagogyrequiresfirst-handexperienceandunderstandingof thefield inquestion.Thedifferentpedagogicalmethodsset in trainbyCollectifRPMmembersarebasedontherealitiesofplayingmusic,onknowledgeofthepopularmusicsceneandonmusicians’relationswiththeirsocialandculturalsurroundings.

Itisessentialtobeabletodefinetheprimarylandmarkswithinthisenvironmentsothatthediscourseandthecontentoftheprogrammesfitwellwiththemusicians’day-to-daylivesasworkingartists.

1.1 Relating to Musical Trends

ThisarticlebyGabyBizien,musicianandmemberofCollectifRPM,appearedinthereview‘TheZebra’sShadow’(‘L’OmbreduZèbre’)in2004.

Defining theFrench term ‘lesmusiquesactuelles’ (generally translatedhereas ‘popularmusic’) is verydifficulttodosuccinctlyandclearly,asitcoverssomanydifferentstyles:fromjazz-sometimesthoughtofasthemostintellectualofpopularmusicgenres(somemayperhapsjustifiablyquestionwhetherjazzreallyispopulartoday)-toelectronicmusic,whichisnamedaccordingtothenatureoftheproductionequipment;includingurbanmusic,usuallytakentobehip-hop,thoughineachcasedefinedbythespecificcontextofthecityanditssuburbs;orwecomebacktoamplifiedmusic,andinthiscasethemethodofdiffusionandproduction dictates the name of the category.

Thelistofissuescontinuestogrowifweassertthatpopularmusicalsoincludes:- traditional music;- worldmusic(isn’tallmusicfromthe“world?”);- improvised music;- the‘chanson’(generallyfrench)andcabaret(aterm adoptedbysome,consideredpejorativebymany);- fusionsandmixedgenres(fromjazz-rocktoska-punk);- varioussubcategorieswhichmayseemstrangeatfirstglance(festiverock,mathcore,dronedoom)yetwhich have featured within the music scene for over a century.

So many categories, though recognised by players and amateurs who belong to them, work againstany attempt at a globalmusicological definition of popularmusic.Therefore this termmay lead to splitinterpretationsandconfusionwiththeblues-amplifiedmusicfromthe1940’s,perhapsbeforeconsideredtraditionalmusic,thispopulargenreisoftenattachedtojazz,butinthehandsofBritishgroupsofthe60’sand70’ssurelymustrefertorock’n’roll?

Butwearenotproposinganin-depthexplorationoftherationalebehindthiscarry-allterm,ourpurposehereis to identify patterns in the relationships musicians hold with these styles. In our connection to music, the musicitselfisnaturallypresent,butimportantlytherearealsomanyconnectingforcesandwaysofworking,whicharetryingtobuildmeaningfullinksbetweenmusicandtheworld.And,whenfacilitatorsarecalledupontomediatethisrelationship,itveryquicklybecomescleartothemthatamusicologicalapproachisinsufficienttodescribetheselargegroupingsofmusicalgenres,anditmayevendrainthemofsignificantmeaning.

Indeed,oneof thekey things that thesemusical styleshave incommon is that they tend tocome intoexistence in a very different way to the ‘modus operandi’ of academic practice, which employs similarlanguage for artistic and cultural purposes to that used to traditionally describe conformity in socio-political

16

spheres.Thesemusical stylesareall derived fromexperimentationwithnew formsof culturebysocialgroupsofpeople,whoareoftenmarginalisedfromsociety,likerapforexample.Suchgroupsmaytrytobreakaway,almostcompletelyorat leastpartially, froma life theyconsider tobeboring,predictableoralienating,asinthecaseofrockmusic.Themajorityofstylescurrentlybroughttogetherundertheumbrellaterm‘lesmusiquesactuelles’(popularmusic)emergefromdeepwithinethnic,sexualorpoliticalminorities,andbecomesymbolicformsofexpressionforthesesub-cultures.Thesemusicalstylesariseoutoftheso-called‘underground’or‘counter-culture’.Or,inotherwords,theyexistontheedgeof,orinoppositiontothedominant culture, just as present in academic theorising, as in mass-consumerism and bourgeois culture.

Through their rebellious nature represented by many of these styles, many of those who refuse to conform have found and continue to find spaces inwhich to differentiate their actions frommainstream culturalbehaviour.Ontheedgeordirectlyopposed?Herehistoryrepeatsitself.Inthe1970’s,whilepunksairedtheirradicalcritiqueofthesocialandculturalorder,thehomosexualcommunityinNewYorkcreatedsmallniches of freedom in nightclubs, and simultaneously in Jamaica some stoned visionaries messed around withbeatsinrecordingstudiosoutofanotherera.Thankstotheirmarginalisedsocialstatus,eachofthesegroupsintheirownwayopenedupafieldofexperimentationforotherformsofculture,somerevolutionisingrock, others touching on disco and dub to create one of themost dominantmodes of production: theremix.Twentyyearslater,clubbersandraversalsotooktwodifferentsides,someplacingthemselvesonthefringes,whileotherstookamorereactionaryposition.Inthisframework,inwhichmeaningoverridesmusicologicalanalysis,itisimpossibletolookatthesetypesofmusicatfacevaluewithoutputtingthembackintothecontextinhabitedbyothersimilarartisticdisciplinesandconsideringtheculturalbehavioursoftherelevantpeopleandgroupings.Toputitsimply,itisimpossibletoconsiderrapasseparatefromgraffiti,dance,streetslang,fashionclothing,hustlerartcalledbyKRSOne“streetentrepreneurialism”anddefinedas“theartofmakingadollarfromfifteencents”.

Thisdesireto“makemoney”,whichmayseemsomewhatparadoxicaltocounter-culturerebels,shouldnotbe subject to sweeping judgements, and should be a basis for discussion. As stated by the sociologist and DJUlfPoschardt:“popisalwaystwothingsatonce,apromiseandabetrayal”.Inventionandbusinessgo hand in hand. Since the end of the nineteenth century, the same people, who invented new ways of makinganddistributingmusic, laid down patents and created what were to become the companies we knowashouseholdnames.Theindustrywhichthendevelopedwiththeemergenceofsoundtechnologiesquicklybecameanengineformusicalcreation.Fromtheadventofradio and the record, followed by voice amplificationandamplifiedguitars, through to themost recentdigitaldevelopments, technologyand theindustry then elicited new forms of creation and new genres, completely overturning the hierarchy of music professionsasknownattheendofthenineteenthcentury.Oraltransmission,madepossiblebythelarge-scale distribution of gramophones, devalues the written word and strengthens the status of the performer whoreplacesthecomposer,evenifinmostcasestheyareoneandthesameperson.So,unlikeclassicalsoloists and conductors, who want to get as close as possible to the thought processes of the composer whomtheyinterpret,famouspopartists,havingdefinedtheiroriginalmusicalworlds,willcrossoverintoothergenresandmakecovers.Forexample,“Yesterday”bytheBeatlesand“Yesterday”byRayCharlesbelong to two different styles, one being a British pop classic, the other a soul masterpiece.

Butifanoriginaltextisbastardisedforthebenefitofaninterpretation,technologytoocanbeusedtorerouteoriginalintentionsinthisway.InMemphisinthe1950’s,youngwhitesouthernersinventedrock’n’rollbytakingblackrhythm’n’bluesoutofitsoriginalcontext,andradio,despitebeingcommercialandsurvivingfinanciallyfromadvertising,thenbecamethevehicleforthiscounter-culture.Inthesameway,inthe1980’sinChicagoandDetroit,someDJ’sandothersoundinnovatorsmadetheirownmachines,whichunintentionallythenledgroups topubliclyderide thepretentionsofavant-gardeart exhibitionsandmanifestosof that time.Amplifiers, turntables, auto-tuners, drummachinesorbass-linerscanallbemanipulatedforthegreatbenefitofmusic production and can demonstrate new potential for the development of extreme virtuosity andoriginal musical styles. Ratherthanitbeingcomposersormusicianswhosparkthesemusicalinnovations,it is often producers and music-loverswhoinvestinartists,bygivingthemthemeansandtheconfidencetohitnewheights,inordertoimprovethequalityoftheirpublicexposure.Furthermore,composers,arrangers,sound engineers, all become famous producers (Fr. réalisateurs artistiques) prizedfortheirabilitytodefineasound,astyle:fromPhilSpectorandGeorgeMartintoBrianEnoandTimbaland,historyisstrewnwiththese magicians in conjuring sound. Gaby Bizien

17

1.2 Principal Elements which Define the Unique Qualities of Popular Music

Thecomponentswhichmakeupthissectionconstituteasetoffeatures,whichshouldremainfeatures rather than being seen as essential elements or rules. Practices vary depending on what each musician or group is setting out to achieve individually or collectively, whether it in the amateur or professional sphere.

These different approaches are always at the forefront of the minds of the managers of theCollectifRPM’spartnerorganisations,astheydevelopandfundraiseforcollaborativelearning programmes, to enable every offer to be adapted to each musician’s specificrequirements.

It is clear that the features set out below can, in some cases, be found in other forms of artistic expressionand, inparticular, inothergenresormusical canons (traditional earlymusic,baroque,contemporary, ...).Ratherthanseekingtopresentanexclusivesetofelementsonly relevant to our own discipline, our intention is that these features together form a useful frameworkforskillsandartisticdevelopmentinpopularmusic-making.

1.2.1 Musicians and GroupsThe group is the fundamental constituent of this type of music. People meet, choose each other, co-opt and form a musicalcollective,whichthentriestofindacommonmusicalformofexpressionthroughplayingandcreatingmusictogether.Duringthisfirstphase,thetechnicallevel of each player is not the primary concern for the group as a whole. The shared will to createmusicshouldbe theprimeconsideration, takingprecedenceover themake-upofthe group. Groups often start out when close friends, perhaps from school or university, or colleagues, share the germ of an idea for a collective project. The basic elements which enable groups to form are their choice of instruments and musical genre. In other words the choice of musical instruments needs to enable the group to create a sound which fits within specific reference points. For classic rock or pop, the typicalcombinationisguitar,bass,drums,vocalsandkeyboards...togetherwithanydreamed-upadditionalelementwhichwillgivethegroupitsuniquequalityorsellingpoint.

Once formed, the group then starts to rehearse, to build up their own repertoire by integrating thedifferentstylesandlevelsoftechniqueofeachplayer,evenperhapsthecompletelackofexperienceofsome. It isnotatalluncommon tocomeacrossgroups inwhich thosewithahighlevelofinstrumentaltechniqueplayalongsidebeginners.Itthenbecomestheresponsibilityofeachpersontofindtheirplacewithinthebandinorderforthegroupprojectto move forward.

Structuring thegroup leadsus to consider howself-taughtmusiciansdefine themselvesasmusicians without seeking formal validation and without concerning themselves withfollowing a particular course or passing a diploma. In order to be in a band, you simply need to call yourself a musician.

Theseideasareessentialinthepedagogicalproject,whichconsequentlymovesawayfromthepreconceptionthattomakemusic,playersneedtohavetotallymastered instrumental technique, and that it would not be possible to make or interpret music before havingpracticed an instrument for years.

18

Weonlyhavetolooktosomeofthegreatnamesinthehistoryofrockmusictofindthattheurgetoplaymusiccomesbeforetheabilitytodoso.Merelylookingattheveryfirstbandswhichrosetofamewithouthavinggreatmusiciansinthem,justifiestheideatheskillofthemusicians in a band is by no means the sole factor which determines success.

Thisimpliesthatindividuallessonsininstrumentaltechniqueshouldperhapsnotbeamajorpriorityamongstthepedagogicalmethodsofferedtomusicians.Techniquecanneverthelessbeworkedonindividuallyinordertofurthertheband’scoreobjectives,andinrelationtotheindividualmembers’requirements.

1.2.2 Musicians as InstrumentalistsWe have established in the above section that in popular music there are many different approachesandwaysofplayingandbeinginabandisnottheonlywaytobreakontothemusic scene, although it may be the most common. Some musicians follow a path which is more focussed on one-to-one teaching, be it in conservatoires, via local provision or perhaps in private schools funded by companies which brand instruments, such as Yamaha, Paiste, Tama, or with musicians who give private lessons.

Thetwoapproachesarenotmutuallyexclusive,anditisoftenthecasethatbandsincludesomemusicianswhohavetakenindividuallessonsandotherswhohaven’t.

Themusicianwhohastakentheformalteachingrouteoflearninganinstrument,regardlessof the organisation which has managed his course, will not necessarily have the same approach in relation to the band. His instrumental playing and his taste in music often steers his/herdecisionsandhe/shefrequentlybelongstomultiplebands.

1.2.3 The Link with Self-InstructionFormusicians generally, the opportunity to learn by oneself has always beenextremelyimportant, and more recently the development of new technologies has significantlycontributed to this form ofmusic learning. Technological developmentsmake access toplaying simpler and more immediate.

Nowadays, self-instruction via Internet and the digital advice and support mechanisms are the dominant methods for learning popular music, together with the approaches to learning described above.

Thisimpliesthatthemusicteachershouldnolongerbetheonlypersontoworkwiththelearningmusiciansorthepupil,butthatheshouldactivelyworkwiththerelevanttrainingmodules,informationandadvicefoundonvarious(andmany)websites.

The extract below allows us to illustrate this suggestion and to better understand thisinteraction between reverting to self-teaching and the need for the physical presence of another person in the process of learning.

Thistextistakenfromanemailwrittenbyasixteen-year-oldmusician,threemonthsafterbuyinghisfirstguitar,toamanageratoneofthepartnerorganisationsintheCollectifRPM:

Hi thereThis is to let you know how I’m progressing, already after practicing for a fortnight I can play

19

“Driver High” a song by one of my favourite bands (Laruku, we’re doing Japanese rock, which is what I listen to), I’ve had a hellish time with the solo... link : http ://www.911tabs.com/link (it’s the manuscript so you can see).Anyhow, don’t stress, we’re not just playing that!! I can play “Smell like teen spirit” and loads of other songs with the band. I’d like you to look at “Driver High” because to play that one you need bar chords and as I really wanted to do it, I’ve had to learn but I’ve got it now.I’d also like to ask you something for when we meet next week : I can’t find a written version of my favourite song anywhere. So could you tell me how to play it from listening to it? that would be so great. The song is called “Winterlong” by the Beat Crusaders (one of my favourite bands). It seems like good musicians can work out a song by listening to it... I’m counting on you.Until the next time.

This is an example of the type of request which the organisations and their staff areincreasinglyfacedwith,andwhichshowshowthefacilitatororteacherisnot(orisnolonger)thesinglepointofcontactforstudents,butthattheywillsourcetherequiredinformationforstudents to be able to access and play their chosen music, rather than teachers selecting music for their students to play.

1.2.4 Technique and New TechnologiesThe pop musician is in permanent contact with technologies and the technical aspects relatedtohispractice.Manipulatingsoundviatechnologyisfundamentaltothemakingofthismusic:mostinstrumentsareamplified;ifnotinrehearsalthenatleastonstage,bandsrehearseandrecordandplaybacktheirperformances.Herewearenotonlyreferringtothesoundofaninstrumentinthesenseofmakingaviolin,aguitarorasax‘sing’,buttohowmachines both amplify and transform the sound of an instrument by changing it to match what the musician or the sound technician wants to hear.

Thiswayofworkingwithsoundinvolvesknowingaboutandunderstandinghowtousethedevices which amplify and transform the sounds produced by an instrument. Whether it is a particularamplifierrequiredtomakeasoundcolourwithaspecificreverberation,delayorflanger,anequaliserandotherperipheraleffects,amusicianisconnectedtoatechnologicaluniversewhichisfrequentlyevolvingandwhichisanintegralpartofhismusicallife.

The digital world ofmusic (CAM: computer-assistedmusic), togetherwith, aswe haveseen above, digital and communication technologies, have taken their place in the fieldofmusic-making, andmusicians and bands are usingwebsites and specific software inorder to practice their instrumentsortocreate,composeandexchangemusiconline.SocialnetworkstooarekeytotheartisticprocesswithsiteslikeYouTube,Facebook,MySpace...whichenablemusicians todistribute theirmusic, tobecomeknownbybeing recognisedinitially by a circle of friends, and form an identity as an artist through gaining a response to creationspostedoninternetnetworks.

This connection between technique and technology is central to musical practice andtherefore is a keyelement of theeducational programmeweare building to respond tomusicians’requests,and,asdiscussed laterinthisbooklet,demandsmusicalpedagoguestobeonpermanentlook-outfornewtechnologicaldevelopmentsandevolvingtechniques.

20

1.2.5 In RehearsalA band, once formed will meet to rehearse and build their own repertoire. This is the critical time period for shaping and consolidating a group’s artistic vision. Rehearsing is aboutgetting together, discussing and negotiating what you will play, how you will play it and definingaband’sdirection,dreamsandobjectives. It isa time forgettingdown towork,indeedyoucouldsaythatthisiswherethemusician’srealworkisdone,ratherthanalonewithhis/herinstrumentorduringlessonswhichtheymaytake.Itisduringrehearsalsthatthebondsanddynamicsbetweenthemembersofthegroupareformed:fromwhowillbetheleadertowhowillleadonthemusicalideasorwhowilltakeresponsibilityfortheband’sfutureidentity-eachmembermusttakeonaroleinthismicro-society.Agreatnumberofthingsareatstakeduringrehearsals,whichhaveaformativeimpactontheband’sfuture.

Rehearsalstudiosthusbecomeindependentworkplaces,which,inthemselves,arespecifictools,withintheoverallsupportstructurerequiredbymusiciansandartists.

Rehearsing is not an easy process for musicians, as they need to learn to manage the space andtobuildagroupsoundbybalancinglevelsandpositioningamplifiers.Rehearsing,likeplaying concerts, does not come naturally as a means of social interaction. It is something whichneedstobeexperienced,whichisdifficulttoprepareforandisacomplexsituationformany young musicians to handle. As already observed, rehearsals are not neutral processes, they can carry a lot of weight in terms of determining critical decisions and the direction of a band. But for most emerging artists, the reality of their group only hits home when they play togetheronliveonstage,afterseveralweeksormonthsofrehearsing.

1.2.6 On StagePerforming on stage is a major goal for the vast majority of musicians and bands. Playing whatyouhavebeenworkingoninrehearsalorinyourhomestudiotoaliveaudienceisafundamentalmilestoneandanintegralpartofamusician’sdevelopment. ‘Thestage’ isageneric term which covers all of the venues able and willing to welcome musicians, from small places which may host occasional concerts, eg cafés, the street or community centres, toconcerthallsofallsizesspecificallydesignedforliveshows.Bandsrehearse,preparethemselves, all the time projecting a complete vision of this moment when they will perform in front of other people. It is through public performance, that they learn how their music is received by and the effect it has upon an audience.

Thefactthatpublicperformanceisanessentialgoalforthosemakingandproducingpopularmusic should always remain at the forefront of the minds of those who manage programmes and devise methodologies to support practice.

1.2.7 Learning by Ear and Using Musical NotationAcommonwayofthinkingabout learning by ear and learning from musical notation is that itisclearlyan‘either/or’choice.Someproponentsofmusicalnotationsupportthemoreconventionalviewthatmusicholdsitownspecificlanguageandwrittenform.Ontheotherhand,manydefendtheancientauraltraditionofpassingknowledgeandskillsdownfromgenerationtogeneration.Thesetwopositionsarenotmutuallyexclusive.Inanycase,theybothraisetheissueofhowwecodifymusicandthetoolswerequiretodothis.

It is true that, in popular music practice, notated parts are not the most commonly-used tool forcodifyingmusic.Playersusetheirmemoriestocarrytheworkforwardfromonerehearsal

21

tothenext,andinvent(andre-invent!)scoringsystemstomeetevolvingneeds.Composedsequencesmaybenoteddown(anintro,acouplet,abridge,versethencoupletandchorus,adlib.,etc.)timesignaturesmaybenoted(fourbeatsinC,thentwoinFandfourinBflat).Some people use charts,whilstothersrecordduringrehearsalstofixwhatworked.Inbrief,eachtotheirowntofindorinventthecodingsystemsbestsuitedtotheirneedsandthoseoftheirspecificmusicalgenre.

Although classic musical notation is not predominantly used in popular music, some people do use it; it is one tool amongst many, and one which is not essential to the process of makingthistypeofmusic.Manyrecognisedprofessionalsinthefieldofpopularmusicdonotknowhowtoreadmusic,though not being able to read music is no guarantee of musical success!

Whilst developing pedagogical programmes, we should always take into account thecodificationtoolsusedbythemusiciansconcerned,ratherthanfacilitatorsseekingtoimposetheirownwritingorcodingtechniques,howevereffectivetheymaythinktheyare.

1.2.8 RecordingGroups or musicians rehearsing, composing or preparing an album consistently use recording,beitonacomplexsystem,suchasafully-equippedstudio,oronasimpledigitalplatform, such as a home computer or a portable digital recording device.

Thus,recordingplaysacriticalroleinthemakingofpopularmusicandfeaturesduringmanyofthevariousdevelopmentphases,beingused:

- in order to listen and correct oneself, to amend and modify sounds or arrangements, and to chart the creative process in real time;

- as an aide-mémoire from session to session or rehearsal to rehearsal;- tohelpwithworkonaparticularaestheticorsoundcolourwhilstcomposingasongfora

future album;- tochangetheinstruments’soundbyaddingsoundeffects,whichmayornotbeapplied

in a live performance setting.

Musiciansuserecordinginmanydifferentcontextsandwaystoachieveawiderangeofresults. Recording has become as important to musicians as their instruments, which means that they need to be aware of the many possibilities available to them, and to become familiarwiththeequipment.

1.2.9 Developing a Musical RepertoirePopular music is characterised by the fact that each band creates its own repertoire. In order tofind theirbearings,musiciansoften takeoneor twosongs fromrepertoiresofasmallnumberofknownartistswhoactforthemasimportantreferencepoints,andgoonfromtheretodeveloptheirownrepertoirewhichrapidlydefinestheirgroup’smusicalidentityandgivesthemtheabilitytoexistasartistsonstage.Ofcoursetherearebandswhichfocusonreproducing covers, but the majority of those which access the various support mechanisms from our organisations, play in local venues and create their own repertoires.

Understandably,manyoftheserepertoiresareborrowedfromestablishedorcurrentmusicalstylesandgenres,thoughsomemusicianswillexplorenewliberatingformsofmusic,whichbuckthenorm.

22

Here once again, pedagogical programmes shouldwork alongside the creative processwithout looking to impose existing sets of criteria which are irrelevant to themusiciansconcerned.

1.2.10 Musical ProjectsFrom what has been said up to this point, it follows that musical projects are the essence of andformthebasisforthedevelopmentofthiskindofmusic-making.Musiciansmeetandagree on a goal, and a set of objectives to achieve it. They locate themselves within a project frameworkwithdistinctstages,someofwhichmaybemoredefinedthanothers,andarebrought together by the will to head in a common direction, creating their own story along thewaybymeansoftheirsharedexperience.

Thesupportmechanismsmustbetailoredtosuitspecificprojects inorder toestablishasetofactionsappropriatetotheband’sobjectives.Afterall,ownershipoftheprojectmustcontinue to lie with the band, rather than the facilitator or the organisation.

1.2.11 Fame and Relating to the MediaThemediaholdsamassiveinfluenceoverthepopularmusicscene,andhasbecomeadeptat building up a recording culture, which then prescribes the way in which people approach music-making.Fromthevinylsofthe50’sand60’stotheuseoftheinternet,fromtheearlycomputers to the digital universe we now inhabit, the media drives a collective imagination which encourages people to believe that everyone has the potential to rapidly become famous.Thebeliefthatsucharisetofameshouldbequickandeasyisstrengthenedbythemanydifferentspacesfordistributionandthepossibilitytomakemusicaccessibletoeveryoneviawebsitesandsocialnetworks.

Thisrelationshipwithpotentialsuccessandfamemustbeplacedwithinarealisticcontext,but to deny that musicians hold these dreams at certain points in their careers could distort the assessmentofaband’sproposal,thusimpactingnegativelyontheprocessofconstructingtheir support programme.

1.2.12 Technical and Artistic DevelopmentsTheconstantdevelopmentsinsoundproductiontechniquesandmethodsofcreatingnewmusic have a permanent influence on working practices. Whatever stage they are at,musiciansarequicktoabsorbandadoptnewtechniques,whichtheymaystumbleacrossor have proposed to them, and to integrate them within their own creative processes and production methods. (Some musicians would go so far as to say that they feel at the mercy ofsuchtechniques.)Theuseoftechnicalinventionsalwaysresultsinnewartistictrends:the invention of themicrophone enabled ‘crooners’ to be heard; electric amplification ofguitarsgavebirthtorock;digitalisationandcomputerstoelectronicmusic.Musicianspayalotofattentiontoemergentinnovationsandarequicktoincorporatethemwherethereisafitwiththeirartisticprocess.

Itfollowsthatpedagogicalprogrammescannotbefixed,thattheymustconstantlyevolveto stay in tune with current working practices. Facilitators, together with organisations,shouldalwaysbeonthelookoutfornewwaysofworking,andreadytoadapttheirlearningprogrammes accordingly.

23

1.3 Amateur Playing

The issues raised by the amateur scene remain of central importance to our organisations. There is clearly a trend which shows that there are an increasing number of musicians who activelychoosetokeeptheirmusicasahobby,ratherthanpursuingaprofessionalpathwayorientatedtowardsmakingalivingfromtheirmusic.

Amateur musicians are perceived to belong to a young age-group, from adolescence upwards, but we are also seeing older generations, who may have played music when they weretwenty,rediscoveringtheirpassionlaterinlifeandtakingupmusicagainpurelyforthepleasureofplaying,makingmusicandperforming.

This means our organisations are regularly called upon to propose options and offer solutions tospecificrequestsfrommusicianswhoareclearabouttheirstatusasamateurs.

The pedagogical devices proposed should take full account of this decision, in order toadequatelymatchthecontentofthesupportpackagetothemusicians’expectations.Itisnotthatthesesupportpackagesarelesserorcheaperversionsbecausetheyaredesignedforamateurs;thesameneedforamateurstoattainartisticexcellenceexistsasitdoesforprofessionals. However, their objectives are not the same, so the means of achieving them will be different.

Inthefourthsectionofthiswork,wewilllookatthequestionofamateurplayingthroughthelens of public policy.

1.4 Professional Career Paths

Asignificantpercentageoftherequestsforsupportwhichwereceivecomefrompeople’sdesire tomakemusic their vocation. In this case, the creative project is about creating,producing and distributing their music directly within the music business. These musicians areclearaboutbeingonaprofessionalcareerpath:theymayhave,forexample,alreadygivenconcerts,playedinpublicinsmallvenues,recordedafirst‘demo’,oraself-producedcommercial CD.

It is just as common for individuals to choose to pursue a professional career path as it is for bands.

As for amateur practice, the support programmes proposed to musicians on a professional careerpathwillbetailoredtotheirrequests,theirplannedobjectives,theirparticularstyleofplaying, and the point at which they locate themselves on their career path.

This support takes into account that pursuing a professional career inmusic remains adifficultchoice.Sowehavearesponsibilitytobringasenseofrealitytothedialoguewithmusicians,andtobeclearthatwearenotinthebusinessofmakingprofessionalcareers,inadomaininwhichmanycareersinvolveahighdegreeofriskandareoftenephemeral.

24

1.5 In-between BandsG

It was the sociologist Gérôme Guibert1whocoinedtheterm‘in-betweenbands’.Theyformacategory,whichneithersubscribestolegaloreconomicdefinitionofprofessionalbands(iethose which have made the choice to turn professional, and for whom music is their means ofearningaliving),norfitswithintheframeofamateurpractice,asanamedhobby.

In-between bands are difficult to categorise because they don’t fit within any categoryrecognisedbyculturalpolicy-makers,localauthoritiesorcentralgovernment.

However, there are many of them and a lot of these bands come to our organisations for advice and support to enable them to develop their projects.

Theireconomicsituationtendstobeprecarious,but theiraimis ‘tobecomewell-enoughknowntobeabledevotethemselvestomusicwhilstearningaliving’.Theyaremadeupofmusiciansfromdiversewalksoflife–theymaybestudents,unemployedoremployedpeople – in some cases, rendering them less available to fully commit to training provision, even if music is their chosen priority.

Thesebandscouldalsobesaid tobe ‘studying’, in the literalsenseof theword,beforeperhaps committing to becoming professional musicians.

1.6 In Conclusion

The points we have highlighted in this last section show the need to review the pedagogical methodsappliedtomusicalapprenticeshipinthefollowingareas:

1. Providing pure instrumental teaching as the main way for people to approach and own asound language is inadequatenowadays.Equally it isnotenough toonlyguidepeopletowardsanexistingrock,jazzorsong-basedrepertoire.

2. Wehaveasharedresponsibilitytodevelopthinkingastohowtocreatethebestconditionsformusicprojectstosucceedandhowtoensurethattheyareoftheoptimumqualityartistically.Todothis,itisabsolutelynecessarytotakeintoaccountthesocialcontextorthetechnologicalrequirementsofprojects.

3. Ifwefailtoconsiderperformingasintegraltothelearningexperience,weareatriskofnegating the entrepreneurial aspirations of every pop group.

We, the co-founders of the Collectif RPM, have been debating these issues for many years – issueswhichwecontinuetoexploreindepththroughourseminarsandourregularexchangeofexperiencesandpracticaltechniques.

1 ProfessorinSociology,MasterofConferencesattheNewSorbonne(ParisIII),attheArts&MediaUFR,andresearcheratCIM-MCPN(Culture,Media&DigitalPractice)

25

Popular Music MonitorsArticle by François Ribac2

What do we mean by a MonitorG?

OnceortwiceperweekIgoswimmingforhalf-an-houratourlocalswimmingpool.Moreoftenthannot,thelarge25mpoolissplitintotwo.Ononeside,aspacededicatedtoordinaryvisitors(likeme)and,ontheotherside,threelanesreservedformembersofthelocalswimmingclub.AsI’mdoingmylengths,myattentionisalmostalwaysdrawntothispartofthepoolwhereanextrovertofaswimminginstructorthundersoutencouragementsandadmonishmentstomembersoftheclub.Ingeneral,hewalksupanddownthelengthofthepooland,allthewhiletalkingtotheswimmers,isshowingthemthemovementsthattheyaremakingin the water as well as how to correct them. What always fascinates me is how the instructor manages to simulate swimming movements whilst standing on dry ground, and the immediate impact this has on the swimmers.Infact,theinstructorisactingasamirror,amemoryaidandan(occasionallyimplacable)advisorall at the same time. He thus enables the swimming club members to become more aware of their bodies andtofindnewsensations.Strictlyspeaking,monitorshelpathletestothinkaboutwhattheyaredoing,particularlybeforeandafterthesessionortheexercise.

Wehaveallexperiencedthisrelationshipwithamonitor,particularlyinlearningsituations:whenwehavelearnedtowalk,thentalk,atdrivingschool,duringlessonsinmusic,yogadanceschool,atagymetc.Inthe two latter cases, instructors use mirrors, which give both them and learnersG the possibility to watch themselvesinrealtime,andconsequentlytolookatthemselvesfromangleswhichtheirbodywouldpreventthemseeingundernormalcircumstances.Thismakes fora fascinatingcollaboration,as instructors, themirror and learners all contribute to the learning process.

Whenwerefertomonitors,someofusmaythinkofsmallTVs.Oneoftheseisnowactuallysetupinfrontoftheraisedchair,fromwhichlifeguardsmonitorbathers.Justaswiththedancers’mirror,themonitor/tvcompletesthelifeguard’srole,allowinghimtokeepaneyeonremoteareasofthepoolandtorechargehislevelofvigilanceifhemomentarilyloseshisconcentration(it’shardtoconcentrateforhoursonendwhensittingstill). Ifanaccidenthappensinoneof thepools, thesecuritycommissionwatchrecordingsmadeby surveillance cameras, not only to determine those responsible, but also to inform any new preventative measures to optimise user safety. In this case too the monitor is useful both in real and in delayed time.

Insummary,allsortsofmonitoring(byhumans,machinesoracombinationofthetwo)helpustobetterunderstandtheworldand-touseanexpressiondeartosportspeople-tosurpassourlimits.

Gramophones as Lifeguards

From its appearance in 1877, gramophones - recording machines as well as music players - have well-documentedmusicandhaveallowedusto‘monitor’(orplayback)music.

Firstly,ithasbecomepossibletocaptureandtoplaybackmusicwhichbeforewecouldonlyexperienceasit was played. In other words, recording has allowed us to build a music heritage, which includes those who play from written parts.

Secondly, recording has given access to repertoires which were not accessible to the place or at the time wherewelive,therebyopeningupthepossibilityofdiscovering(andofbecomingtotallytakenwith)wholenewworldsofotherpeople’smusic.

Fromthis,spools, thenrecordeddiscshaveallowed listenerstoget toknownewrepertoires, to identifydetails in the interpretation and generally to compare recordings or recorded music with live performance. Tosaythisinanotherway:ithasbecomepossibletosoakupandtotakepleasureinmusicatwill,atanychosen time and without necessarily being able to play an instrument.

Fourthly,andasaconsequenceofthepointsmadeabove,thedistributionofrecordedmediahassupportedthe creation of communities of interest (i.e. fanclubs for artists and groups like Caruso, The Beatles,

2 FrançoisRibacisacomposerofmusicaltheatre,andaProfessorofXociologyattheUniversityofDijon(LaboratoireCimeos)

26

Madonna,DJ’s,rockbandsetc..)thateithermeetinchosenlocations(apartments,shops,concerts,localmeetingroomsetc.)and/orcommunicationnetworks(liveradioshowsorweb-basedforums).

Thegramophoneanditssuccessorshaseffectivelyenabledustothinkaboutmusicinadifferentwayandto develop our capacity as listeners. Those who set mechanised methods in opposition to the authenticity of theliveexperience,evokingtheimpersonal,coldnatureofdiscs,areforgettingtheintractablelinkbetweenthesetwoextremesand,moregenerally,performanceandrecording.Thatwhichistrueforlisteners,isalsotrueformusicians,andespeciallyacrossthemultiplegalaxiesofpopularmusic.Let’stakeafewexamples.

In2001,GaryGibbinspublishedabiographyofthecroonerBingCrosby(1903-1977).Onreadingthebook,wefindthat,fromaveryearlyage,Crosbystartedsingingalongtotheradio,acommonappliancein1920‘sAmerican households. He used the radio to learn songs and also to provide the accompaniment to his singing. Once his singing had reached a fairly good standard and he felt that he had found his vocation, he startedagroupwithsomefellowuniversitystudents.Alittlelateron,cametheopportunityforhisfirstpublicengagement on a show featuring a range of artists, stimulating his love of performing and setting him on trackforhisimmensestagecareer.

Let’smoveon to 1950’sEnglandwhenPaulMcCartney,KeithRichardsand thousandsof otherswerediscoveringthebrilliantrock’n’rollandrhythm’n’bluesrecordscomingoverfromtheStates.Whathappensnext?Theyaregivenaguitaranda‘Dansette’(asmallportableDeccarecordplayer),andspendentiredays in their roomscopyingChuckBerry,BuddyHolly,EddieCochran,ElvisPresley. If theycan’tmakeout what their idols are playing, they slow down the turntable in order to better distinguish the guitar part untiltheycanreplicateitperfectly.ThankstotheDansette,theyhavetheaddedbonusofbeingabletobeaccompaniedbyChuckBerryandhiswholeorchestraintheirbedroom!Inthisway,waybeyondtheguitarandsingingbasics,PaulandKeitharetoacquirethevocabularyofrock’n’roll.Ridingthiswave,theyverysoonstarttowritetheirownsongs,thoughnotinthesamewayastheiridols;forexamplePaulintegratesliverpudlian characteristics, suchas the strong Irish vocal influence,whereasKeith transforms someofChuckBerry’ssolosintoamazingriffs.Thenextstep,justasformillionswhodidn’tturnprofessional,KeithandPaulmeetotherfansofAmericanrock’n’rollrecords–MickJaggerforone,JohnLennonandGeorgeHarrison for the other – and form bands. As soon as they are able to, these bands buy a tape recorder for recordingtheirideasandtheirmusic.Oncetheysignarecordcontracttheyquicklystoprecordingotherpeople’ssongsandstarttofocusontheirowncompositionsinagreementwiththeirlabel.We’renowafewyears down the line at around 1965-6 when they arrive in the studio with some disparate ideas – perhaps a chorus, a riff, rhythm lines and the basis for an impro section – position themselves by their microphones andstarttoweave.Theyputrightmistakes,improvisecollectively,makethreedifferentversions,chatwiththeirtechnicians,runwithanunexpectedideaandslowlythesongtakesshape.Godard’s1969film‘One+One’inwhichwewitnesstheRollingStoneswrite“SympathyfortheDevil”isveryconsciousofthistypeof“rock’n’rollworkshop”situation,whichtodayisfoundinhomestudiosallovertheworld.

From the Provision of State Education to Performance

Indeed,CD’s,otherelectroniclisteningdevices,softwaresuchasCubaseandmediachannelslikeYouTubehavenowbecomepopularmusicinstructors,who–likeswimminginstructorsordancers’mirrors–guideapprentices throughtheirfirst forays intorock, techno,hip-hop,worldmusic,oranymixof thesestyles.These devices andmedia are able to provide feedback on what musicians’ produce and how best toimprove on their creations.Thanks to these exchanges, popmusicians can shape their songs step bystepandimproviseontopofrecordedtracks,justastheywouldinrehearsalwithaband.Withthehelpofthissupport,andagainasinthepool,amateurspassthroughthestageofcopyingtechniquetobecominginventors in their own right, creating their own channels. This is precisely what gives popular music its own specificcharacter - thisuseof technologyandrecordedrepertoires, the fact thatcommercially-availableobjects become instruments for cultural learning, yet many of those who use them remain, themselves, unawareoftheinfluencethesemachineshaveintermsofdirectingtheirlearning.

Since theearly1970’s,anotherway inwhich recordedmusicandassociated technologyhas increasedits reach is howdecks have become instruments and dj’s play venues and public spacesway beyondtheconfinesoftheirbedrooms,makingperformanceartoutofplayingdisksorrecords.DJ’sandscratchartists use recorded music and samples as ready materials from which to create new compositions and performances.Subsequently thisprinciplewasmainstreamedwith thedawnof techno (which is knownas housemusic for a good reason). From this time forward, sounds generated by technology becameeverpresentacrossclubsandperformancescenariosaswellashavingsuchacentralroleinthemakingofpopularmusic.Itfollowsthatthemixingofstylesandgenresnolongerstemmedjustfromavarietyof

27

musicalinfluences–aprocesswedescribedupuntilveryrecently-butalsobecameadeliberateprocessusingsamplers,software,decksandtaperecorderstomixexistingpiecesofmusic.TheflexibilityprovidedbydigitalfilesandtheeasywaysoftransferringandsharingthemviaUSBorinternetalladdtotheeaseof thisprocess.Overandabovethesespecificprocesses, themainstreamingofrecordingtechniques isso prevalent, that those who continue to resist or oppose them, often are just not seeing what is in front oftheireyes.Askanyconcertpromoterwhoisadvocatingthesuperiorityofliveperformances,wherehisfeedbackcomesfrom:soundboards,soundengineers,soundfedbackfromthedrums.Allofthatispartofstudioproduction!!Teenagersusedtoplayvinylsintheirbedrooms,andsoundboardsusedtobelonginrecordingstudios;nowprivateamateuractivitiesinconfinedspacesleadtopublicpopmusicperformances– a transfer from private to public space.

How Should we Take a Lead on Public Policy?

From2005-2007,IledaresearchprojectintheoutskirtsofParis-LesYvelinesandSeine-Saint-Denis-andinNantestoascertainthewayinwhichmusiciansborninthe1980’slearnedmusic.IwastofindthesamemethodswhichIhavebrieflyoutlinedabove:heavyusageoftaperecorders,copyingidols,acommonloveof recordings leading to forming bands, stretching limits of sound and then ambitious and passionate young artists creating their own music. In the age of internet, it became clear to me that this generation depended moreononlinecollaborations,usingchatrooms,socialnetworksandwebsitesforidentifyingcommonpointsofinterest,andthattheyusedTV,radioandmediachannelstosourcethemusicwhichtheirpredecessorssought out on vinyl. However, this study also revealed how people born into poorer families, in many cases these being immigrant families, neither had access to electronic devices nor to internet connections at that time.Inotherwords,eventhoughlibrarieswereofferingthemgoodqualityCD’s,theydidn’tpossessthemeans to listen to them. So, as well as local authorities offering rehearsal space, some rap artists needed aninternetconnectionandcomputersotheycouldsettheirbackinginstrumentals,writetheirmusicandopen up aMyspace orweb platform. In otherwords,whatever qualities itmay have had, the publicly-funded programmes were still discriminating against those with fewest resources, or to put it another way, were concentrating spend on buildings, such as concert venues, rehearsal studios, resource centres and libraries,andprioritisingtheproductionofso-calledhighqualitycontent.JustasinBingCrosby’stime,sowe’retalkingwellbeforethedigitalera,nowadaysequipmentformakingpopmusicisfoundinatleastasmany bedrooms as venues, and access to sound recording instruments is just as important as access to repertoires.Giventhefactthatwebandmedia-usersareusingmediaasaformofself-expressionandawaytoformnewcommunitiesofinterest,ratherthanbeinganendinitself,publicpolicyshouldwakeuptotherichpotentialhereandprovidesupport,whichcatersfortheinequalityofaccesstothesetools,andshould stop ignoring them or, what is worse still, seeing them as threatening.

François Ribac

28

2. How Practice Determines Pedagogical Choices

For more than twenty years, many people have noticed a stasis in the journey towards achieving cultural democracy, or even a loss of this humanist vision, amounting to a failure tomovetowardsachievingit.Successivepolicieshaveputforwardadualnotionofculture:on one hand, culture which involves the creation and conservation of human masterpieces; ontheotherhand,cultureasthegroupingtogetherofthewiderpublic’sartisticandcreativeactivities.SeveralstudiesonFrenchculturalactivityhaveshownhowmanycitizensdonotaccess the arts and culture, despite re-stated intentions for democratisation and access for all.

Inthiscontext,andbuildingonlivedexperience,itseemsessentialthatwetakeabroaderpoliticalstancewhichplacesthecitizenattheheartoftheeducationalprocess,anddrawson current social, economic and technological trends.

Thereby towns and regions should be considered as appropriate places for the development and application of all types of musical practice. Both the challenge and the imperative for publicbodies istoadapttheircontenttosupportemergingart-forms,ratherthanstickingwith more conservative ways of operating. In some cases by agreement with local councils, this will involve partnerships with other educational and cultural organisations, from within or from outside the local areaG.

2.1 The Role of Amateurs in Developing New Art-Forms ThetextbelowwaswrittenbyThierryDuval,DirectorofLeCry,forapresentationbytheCollectif RPM at the Musicora salon in 2001.

Overthelastfewgenerations,therehasbeenanexplosionofnewart-forms,whichhavebroughtwholenewsetsofreferencepointstoourconceptofthearts,cultureandcreativity.Byshakingupvaluesattributedtothearts,theyhavechangedthewaypeopleaccessculturalprovision:thefactthatpeoplecannowdirectlyaccess self-learning and production tools via media platforms means that institutions are no longer the only accesspoint.Thepeoplewhouse these readilyaccessible toolsdemand thatwe take intoaccount theaspirationsofthegeneralpublic,theirskillsandwheretheycomefrom.Theyareforcingaconversationaboutfreedomofspeechandeveryone’srighttojudgeartisticquality.Theyraisetheneedtovalueandlegitimiseamateurswithinadomainwhich,foraverylongtime,hasbeendedicatedexclusivelytoprofessionals.

Amateurs’motivations for engaging in a creativeactivity range frompersonal development, curiosity orresearch,toadrivetosharetheirpassionwithotherpeople.Thisshouldbewhatdefinesthemasagroup,ratherthanalackofthesocio-economicstatusheldbyprofessionals.Thefreedomthisgivesmeansthattheirartisticidentitytendstocomefromworkingwithpartners,ratherthanwithteachers.

Bythis token,musicians invent theirownpersonaland innovativeartistic identities,whichgeneratenewformsofartisticexpression.

Thepopularmusicsectorisanobviousillustrationofthis.Havingcomedirectlyfromamarketcreatedbypopular demand rather than from institutions, popular music comprises a plethora of trends and styles, and hascertainlydefinedanewwayofengagingwithmusic:peopledefinethemselvesasmusicians;thestatusof a project is accorded by public opinion; bands are global entities, in the artistic, social and economic sense of the term.

Bydefinition,workinamplifiedmusicinvolvesreflectingonthesounditself,itseffectsintermsoflanguage,thewayitisproduced,theenvironmentandauralhealth.Experimentscarriedoutaselectro-amplification

29

wentmainstreamandhaveestablishedkeyframeworks.Althoughpopularmusicwasnotpartofschoolorconservatoirecurricula formanyyears,archives,experiencesanda richmusicologicalsetof resourcesexist,whichhaveinfluencedbehaviours,cultures,andmanycareers.

Still, despite the fact thatan increasingnumberof localauthoritiesarecreatingspecific teams inorderto respond to these aspirations, there is currently no national policy framework for the development ofprovision for amateurs.

Thierry Duval

2.2 Collaborative Learning (Fr.L’Accompagnement) : A Deliberate Choice given our Changing Relationship to Knowledge

‘L’Accompagnement’ : the act of joining with somebody to travel alongside them. This act involves notions of movement, of support and of solidarity.

Musiceducationhasupuntilnowbeenbasedonthetraditionalmeansofacquiringknowledge:throughalogicalprogressionoflessonsknowledgetransfertakesplacefromthosewhohaveittothosewhodon’t,mainlyindidacticsituations,ielecturing,one-to-many.Thisapproachisbasedonasocialmodel,whichplacesworkatthecentre:justastheroleoftheschoolbeingtotrainfutureworkers,sotheroleofthemusicschoolistotrainfutureprofessionals.Nowadays,thevalueofpracticalskills-howtomake,howtobe,howtolive-isbetterrecognised.Atthesametime,thejobmarket,asawholeandinthearts,isnolongermeetingaspirations,leisuretimeisincreasing,employmentisnolongerthesoleaimoflearning.Ultimately,atatimewhenmediachannels,newtechnologiesandwaysofworkingareactivelydiversifyingsourcesofknowledgeandmeansofself-instruction,educationalandculturalorganisationsnolongerholdtheonlykeystotheknowledgebasenoraretheyessentialtothedisseminationofknowledge.

In sectors such as social welfare and healthcare, (eg providing support for people with long-termconditionsorterminalillnessesandsupportingunemployedpeoplebackintoworkwithskillstrainingandcareeradvice)thiswayofworkingwithpeoplehasbecomewidelyadoptedas a means of achieving a range of objectives, such as to enhance health and wellbeing, to provide psychological support, professional guidance, education and other forms of learning.

Collaborativelearningisawayofworkingwhichshedslightonouractivitiesandenablesustoobserve our own practice through the window of the pedagogical programmes delivered and managed by our organisations. This, in turn, helps us to understand the issues raised by the implementationoftrainingprovision,withoutuslookingtosettheseprogrammeswithinfixedframeworks,orasmodelsofbestpractice.

2.3 The Qualities of Collaborative Learning

In 1998, when the Collectif RPM was starting out, a university researcher published a study, whichidentifiedthesemanticrootsfromtheetymologyoftheFrenchword‘accompagnement’,its common usage and its usage in professional publications written to inform pedagogy. ThisFrenchwordincorporatesthreecoreideas:- solidarity, in terms of sharing a common position;- advancing along a pathway towards a goal, which we set ourselves;- support, in the sense of standing beside somebody to add strength to their position.

30

These elements are vital because this way of working, (which the French calll’accompagnementandwhichistranslatedforthepurposesofthisdocumentas‘collaborativelearning’) isbasedon the idea thatknowledgeflows in twodirections.Each individual isconsideredasunique,withhis/herownknowledgebase,anditistheculturalcapitalwhichthey bring to the training, which in turn gives meaning to the training process.

Collaborative learning relies on the autonomous nature of the individual and the way in which theybuyintothelearningprocess.Forgroups,itworkswiththesharedvaluestheyhold,always looking to strengthen their uniquemusical personality. Initiative, self-expression,curiosity, listening skills and critical acumen are key qualities we seek to bring out anddevelopbyworkinginthisway.

TheCollectifRPMhasorganisedanddedicatedseveralseminarstoexploreandbreakdownthe true nature of this approach and to understand its many applications in pedagogical practice.

2.4 The Pedagogy of Collaborative Learning

Overandabove trainingsomeone tomaster instrumental techniqueoracademic theory,collaborativelearninghelpsmusiciansinverypracticalways,suchasinteam-working,inrelating to an audience, in writing and distributing songs. The different stages of their journey – rehearsing, performing, recording – are considered to be opportunities for learning and for self-evaluation. The pedagogical team is made up of music professionals, who have been downthesameroadasthelearnerswouldliketotake,andwhoarecommittedtopackagingtheir own resources in order to share their knowledge of themany different trends andcurrentswhichmakeupthepopularmusicscene.Facilitatorsmaybespecialists,knownfarandwidefortheirplayingandskills,and/orgeneralists,anchoredmorelocallyandinvolvedin developing teaching methodologies.

This type of collaborative learning tends to differ from the dominant model of schooling, which putsindividualsintocompetitionwitheachother,settingtechnicalorperformanceexcellenceas the primary aspiration. Instead, by placing creativity at the centre of the individual or grouplearningprocess,itseekstobealiberatingprocessforthepeopleinvolved.

The purpose in developing such pedagogical and cultural projects is to empower people to accessandtakeownershipoftheknowledgetheywanttogainbyopeningupaconstantshared exploration of learning processes, rather than taking a controlling stance byencouragingpeopletoacquireanewsetofskills.

It is worth noting that this approach is closer to the values and experiences found incommunity-based education.

2.5 The Meaning of Collaborative Learning

Collaborativelearningtakesapedagogicalstandpointwhichmovesawayfromastandardorformaldefinitionofskillsandknowledge,andratherquestionsthedemands,prerequisites,programmes and, more globally, the outcomes and the status of facilitators, in order to giveaspecificformtothis typeofcultural learning.Thepurpose is tostrengthenhumancharacter,artisticidentityandtounderstandmusicians’needs.

31

Criticaltothisarethesocialframeworksforlearning.Itistheirhistory,theirmissionortheway in which they are set up, which differentiates these structures from traditional forms of teaching, so collaborative learningdemandsand isdefinedby its ownparticular timeand space.For bandswith a track record in performing, it is necessary to separate thelearning process from the challenges and time constraints of production and to move away fromasingle focusonresults.Extending the time-frame for thisprocess isan importantpsychologicalstep.Weneedtostopandthinktounderstandhowtheyareproducingtheirmusic.Thisprocessofcollaborativelearningshouldbelikeaperiodofsuspendedtimeforthe band.

As a grouping of popularmusic settings, it falls to us to define the logical steps in thisprocess and the varying intentions brought to collaborative learning projects by specificgroups of people – students, musicians, learners, placements, bands... – who continue to evadesimplisticformsofcategorisation.It isthecomplexityofthemanydiverselearningandtrainingsituationsinoursociety,whichhavepreventedusfromdoingthis,notalackofability.

2.6 Collaborative Learning as opposed to Teaching

Collaborative learning is a holistic pedagogical approach which covers the range of actions and methodologies offered by organisations, as well as their implementation and their values.

This type of pedagogical process elicits a range of different stages, which are, by their verynature,diverseandcomplementary. Incertainsituations, teachingmayberequired,andbecomespartofthepedagogicalprocessasawhole.Forexample,insomeinstancesknowledgetransferbytheteachingofaspecifictechniquecanprovetobeacrucialstepinthe creative process.

Aband’sleadsingermayneedsomesinginglessons,anotherbandmembermayneedtoperfecthisinstrumentalplayinginaparticularstyle…Therearemultipleexamplesofthistypeofsituationwhichshowhowteachingfindsitsplacewithinthecollaborativelearningprocessasandwhenmusiciansaskforit,ratherthanbeinganactofknowledgetransfergeneratedforitsownsake.

3. The Collectif RPM’s Main Pedagogical Devices

Thecategoriesinthisnextsectionaredesignedtobesetsofreferencepoints,somehorizonstoworktowardsduringthedevelopmentandimplementationofpedagogicalactions.Theyrepresent genuine intentions, even if they are not all drawn directly from real case studies. (Forease,wewillusethegenericterm‘learners’todescribethoseinalearningsituation,suchasstudents,groupsandmusicians;andtheterm‘organisations’forthesupportstructures,betheyschools,workspaces,resourcecentresorcollaborativelearningagencies.)

3.1. A Holistic Approach to Arts Education

The holistic approach we are advocating, holds true for learners across all aspects of their engagement:desire formusiccannotbe reduced to theprocessofacquiring technique

32

andreplicablesetsofknowledge,butistheaspirationtomasterthe‘artofmusic-making’withinamuchbroader‘artofliving’.Musicisnotastand-alonesubjectbutalargegroupingofcultures,suchasrock,reggaeandjazzetc..,whichallhavetheirtraditions,theirsocialcodes, their distinct sounds, their icons and their own truths.

Atthesametimeasdevelopingasetofartisticskills,alearnerisconstructinghis/heridentityfromthemusicaljourneyshe/shechoosestomakeandtheroutesofferedtohim/her.Thepurposeofaholisticapproach is to integratemusic-makingwithaquest formeaning, toraise awareness of what musicians have to say to the world. The need to understand the components of this raised level of consciousness is crucial in determining the content of any pedagogical project. Here we mean musicological content, relating to the history of music,thesocialcontextoftheprojectandthenatureoftherelationshipwiththedifferentpartners involved, eg performance and rehearsal venue managers, tour operators, resource centremanagers,researchersetc...Inordertofulfilthisrequirement,supportorganisationsthereforeneedtohavedirect linkageswithvenuesandpeoplewhomanagethedifferentphases of the creative development process - rehearsing, concerts and recording - so as not to create a disconnect between training and production.

In the same way, organisations needs to stay aware and up-to-date with social trends which influencemusic,suchasthebusinessandfinancialconditions,therevolutionaryuseoftheweb, and public policy developments.

3.2. Meaning as a Driver

Thelastfiftyyearshaveseenashifttowardsmusicbecomingmuchmoreofadominantforceinsociety.Theproliferationofmediachannelsmakeaccesstomusicmucheasierandmoreimmediate. Indeed, the internet enables anyone to create their own virtual media channel. Withsomanydifferentlearningplatformsandwaysofsourcingskillsandknowledge,itisimportant to accept that the institutions previously considered as cultural authorities - HE/FE,schools,artsschoolsandvenues-nolongerholdthesamepowerandinfluenceasthemedia, ie television, radio or internet, and, nowadays, every artist who puts him/herself out there.

The principle that learners approach training organisations with their own, sometimes very well-developed, musical tastes, desires and opinions is a given. They may not necessarily cometo‘learn’musicinthetraditionalway,butcomewiththeirownspecificobjectives,suchastomasterastyleorinstrumentaltechnique,tocompose,perform,getarecordout,withthe aim of becoming musicians, in the social sense of the word.

Our organisations’ strategies therefore involve converting this covetedmaterial – ie themusic listened to or played by each learner - into a subject for analysis. The meaning behind eachprocesscomesfromlearners’desiretomaketheprojecthappen,anditisthismeaningwhichgivestheimpetustoanytrainingprovision.Whereasotherfieldsofmusicalresearchmaybe touchedupon,care isalways takennot toalloworganisations’existingareasofexpertisetodivertlearners’ownlinesofenquiry.

Inthisquestformeaning,anopenapproachiskeytosupportingthecreativeprocess.Bycreative process we mean the method used to empower learners to construct their identity from their own repertoire and to validate their musical talent by sharing this repertoire with

33

the public. So the success of a creative process is not predicated upon the level of originality ofworkportfoliosbutratheronthewayinwhichtheindividualssetthemselvesapartanddefinethemselvesasartists.

3.3. Teaching, Training, Learning, Facilitating

The pedagogical programmes championed by our organisations have been shaped by the spectrum of theoretical issues raised during seminar series run by the Collectif RPM.

The contribution of education as an academic discipline, together with the wider humanities, also informs our activities and enriches our programmes. Our own interpretation of Jean Houssaye’s‘Triangle’flowedfromthisthinking.

JeanHoussaye,ProfessoroftheScienceofEducationattheUniversityofRouen,usestheschematicdeviceofa triangle,which illustratesthe interrelationshipbetweenknowledge,teachers and students, as a dynamic tool to promote discourse on educational issues. Whenappliedtothecontextofourwork,thepointsofthiswell-knowntrianglechangefrom‘knowledge/teacher/pupil’ to ‘music/facilitator/learner’.JeanHoussaye’striangleviewsthepedagogical relationship from three different angles or logics. In each case, only two points of the triangle are involved, the third remaining inactive. The two points in play depend on whether we are considering an issue from the angle of teaching, training or learning.

3.3.1. TeachingTeaching usually involves students taking on passive roles. Institutions or organisationsunquestionably back teachers’ authority,which is justified by their respective knowledgebase.Ateacher’spurposeistopassonhis/herknowledgetothestudents.Inthisdidacticdynamic,lessonsbecomeprogressivelymoredifficult,andstudents’progressisevaluatedbyexaminations.

“In this situation, a teacher’s legitimacy rests on his/her technical expertise and his/herknowledgeof thesubjectwhichhe/she is teaching.This is theclassicposition takenbyschools, the lecture in which the pupil acts as a spectator to the lesson delivered by the master. Though he may sometimes murmur to his classmates in order to assert his presence, hemayalsoplaydummy,astheysayinbridge.”3

3.3.2. TrainingTrainingisaformofeducationdesignedto improvestudents’socialstatusandstanding,by theiracquiringofskills,knowledgeandbehaviours,anobviousexamplebeingcareerdevelopment to increase employability. The frames of reference for training schemes – ie activities,skills, jobs–drawonanextremelyvariedknowledgebase,which, inourcase,extends well beyond the field ofmusic. Training schemes should take into account thestudents’abilitiesandproposearangeofpathways,sometechnical,somemoregeneral.

“Fromthisstandpoint,thestimulusfortrainingisnotdirectlyrelatedtotheskillsandknowledgeat hand. The primary concern should be to motivate the student, with the learning content becomingsecondary,andoftenonlybeingusedasapretextforthetraining.”4

3&4 GérardBuisine,«L’accompagnementdansl’histoiredespédagogies»,formationpourl’AriamÎle-de-France,janvier 2011.

34

3.3.3. LearningLearningdescribesthelinkbetweenknowledgeandstudents.Teachersmaynotfeature.Itispossible to learn what we are taught and/or to learn other things than what we are meant to be being taught. It is also possible to learn through doing and/or through connecting directly totheskillsorknowledgebaseinquestion.Studentstakingthislatterroutetolearningcreatetheirownpathwaybydefiningthestartingpoint,exchangingwiththeirpeersandchoosingtheir own ways of evaluating the process. (Rehearsing music is a learning process, which perfectlyillustratesthis.)

Thesedistinctionsmaybesimplified,buttheyneverthelessenableustodeterminetheaimsof organisations and their staff-members. It is fair enough to assume that the methods of implementationflowfromthewordschosentodescribetheseprocesses,whichalsoimpacton the role of the organisation and the policies and protocols they follow.

3.3.4. Collaborative Learning and the Pedagogical TriangleCollaborative learning findsitsplacewithinthedomainof‘learning’,whichisthethirdsideof thepedagogical triangle. In today’s society, the vastmajoritymusic learninghappensoutside of the traditional institutional structures. Listening and playing music independently through personal computers, mp3 players or mobile phones and buying instruments and using digital learning platforms, has created a new generation of musical beings who may have little or no contact with course curriculaG at conservatoires and music schools.

However,practicalexperienceandtheneedtoovercomecertainbarriersnecessitatesomeexternal input, be it in the form of theoretical ideas or structured pieces of information.Collaborative learning therefore fulfils this need by providing a flexible way of workingwhich can apply resources to jump a hurdle in a musical project, rather than bringing a predeterminedlearningmethodwhichpromisesaperfectedtechnique.

The aim of collaborative learning is to empower musicians to construct their own learning programme by consciously drawing on the range of resources available to them, from schools to resource centres, well-known musicians, friends, digital and web-based resources.Collaborative learning goes beyond promoting independence - actually many learners already have already developed a good degree of autonomy - to promoting freedom, by drawingonthinkingfromeverysinglerelevantdomain.

Timespentplaying,forexamplewhilstrehearsingintherecordingstudio,isconsideredtobeanexcellentopportunityforknowledgeandskillstransfer,whenfacilitatorsobservethelearners in action, watching how they deal with problems in real-time.

“Methodologies are heteregenous, complex and multiple. It would be delusional to putone forwardas theanswer, especiallywhen thequality of communicationand influencecontributesomuchtolearningandpersonaldevelopment.”5 The many different models and pedagogical devices within an organisation form a rich resource for musicians to draw upon during their meandering and evolving journeys. These various pedagogical resources when clearlyarticulatedandmadeavailabletomusicians,meanthat it ispossibletorefinethelearning agreementGandforbothpartiestosignuptoanexchange,whichremainsflexibleandwhichworksonamusicalandhumanlevel.

5 Damien TASSIN,«LeCollectifRPM–Moded’emploi»,2005.

35

3.4. Collaborative Learning Tools : Agreements, Networks and Experimentation

In the previous section we mentioned the semantics which underpin the meaning of the Frenchword‘accompagnement’ heretranslatedas‘collaborativelearning’as:- thenotionofajourneyorpathwaywhichrequiressettingachievableobjectivestogether

with a wide scope of ways to get there- theidentificationofcommongoalswhichpromotesolidaritybetweenorganisationsand

learners,forexampleinsupportingproductionthroughconcerts,recordingsessionsetc..- thesecondarynatureof thesupportingbody,standingbeside the learnerandmaking

themselvesavailable, togivespace for the learner’sownknowledgeand tofilterandshare the most relevant, useful information throughout the learning process

Thisapproachdemandsthatorganisationspartnerwith,ratherthanteach,learners,makingforanequalorhorizontalconnection,thekeyherebeing:dialogue.

3.4.1. AgreementsThe time periods leading up to and after any pedagogical process are critical in determining the collaborative learning programme content.

The introductory period involves setting the terms of the learning agreement to be put in placebetweenalearnerandanorganisation.Thepurposeofthisinitialexchange,debate,and listeningprocess is to formaliseasetofobjectives,whichencapsulate the learner’sexpectationsandwishes.Afterall,itistheseexpectationsanddesireswhichformthebasisforhis/herengagementwiththeorganisation.Herewecantalkaboutsharedanalysis–thistermisfrequentlyusedinregardtosupportprogrammesforbandstodescribeaprocesstowhicha learnerandorganisationbothcontribute theirownexpertise.Thisphasemayconsist of several sequences of conversations, listening to music, individual and teamgames. Over and above the tabloid preconception of our organisations - “I want to learn an instrumentsoIgotomusicschool/IwanttobeastarsoIgotoapopmusicorganisation”– it is about identifying learners’ truemotivations, and thatwhichanorganisationandalearner will commit to each other, by contract, to achieve. During this stage, it is important to avoid following the outline of a course structure, the setting of unattainable goals or the entertainingoffantasies.Allowingspaceforthemusicianstoexpressthemselvesfromtheveryfirstmeetings,canalsoincludeexchangeontechnicalaspectsofmusicaldevelopment,likethechoiceofinstrumentsandrepertoire,whichenableanytensionsinvaryingvisionsof themusicscenetobeaired.Organisationsmaythereforeberequiredtobeexplicit indefininghowtheypositionthemselveswithinthissceneandthevalueswhichinformtheirprogramming and actions, such as the common aspiration to be a star, the role of amateur musicians, the right to distinguish between different styles, and outside views of the music profession.

Learners enter into a contractual agreements with organisations rather than with an individual, as a subjective pedagogical standpoint, be it conscious or not, may limit learners in their will toexpresshisdesiresandhisexpectations.

3.4.2. NetworksNetworksareessentialtoolsintheprovisionofasuccessfulcollaborativelearningprogramme.Theyhaveseveralprincipaluses:- to provide a platform for exchanges with other organisations or cultural venues with

commonsetsofvalues:torepresentthemultiplicityofstructuresonthemusicscene,tohelporientatemusicianssothattheycanresearchandidentifychallengesofworkingwith

36

venues for writing, rehearsing and performing without having to launch themselves into such a potentially-confusing environment;

- rather thanexisting in isolation,music isasumof cultures,ofglobalperspectives,ofproductionstylestowhichnooneorganisationalonecanlayclaim.Networksarethereforea tool for guiding learners towards the person or structure best placed to provide what theyneed,oncetheirrequestshavebeendefinedandsetinmotion;

- networkscanbeaplatformandaresourceinthemselvesforassuringagoodspreadandcomplementarityofprovisionforthebenefitofbothindividualsandthewiderpublic.

3.4.3. ExperimentationIf not all, then the majority of pedagogical devices offered by our organisations were created to respond toclearly-definedneeds.Someof theseexperimentalmethodsweremainstreamed, whilst others were simply abandoned, as they were ineffectual.

Experimentationholdsan importantplace in the relationshipbetweenbothorganisationsand facilitators on the one hand, and learners on the other hand. It’s also important torecognisethatinmusicthecreativeprocessinvolvesexperimentationand,consequently,thepedagogueneedstogivecentrestagetothebandorindividual’screativeimpetusandtheirwilltoimagine,takeonandexplorenewculturalspheres.

Inthispedagogicalcontext,noonecanclaimtoknowwhatisgoodornot,whatismusicallycorrectornot,whatistrueorfalse.Leavingspaceforexperimentationbringsusbacktothepremiseforcollaborativelearningwhichenablestheprojecttohappenwhateverqualityitmay be judged to have.

3.5. Devising Modules within the Training OfferRather than a learning process divided into successive steps or cycles arranged in ascending order of difficulty,weprefer to think of the learning intervention as star-shapedwith thelearner’smusicalprojectatthecentre.Therebythecontentisnotdevisedinarational,linearchain but follows the articulated needs of the learner, and, often, is devised in relation to their productiongoals.Forexample,wemaychoosetoworkonveryspecifictechnicalissues,likesound-mastering,stagepresenceorrhythmicdiscipline,beforeworkingonbasictheory,inrelationtoaninstrumentforexample.

Therelevanceofcontentrequiresaflexibleapproachwhichcanoftencausetensionwhensetagainstintransigentinstitutionalprotocols,suchasfixedworkinghoursandjobdescriptions,rulesaboutbookingsoruseofspacesandlackofactivityduringcertaintimesoftheyear.

Deliveryofcontentisthereforeplannedinshortbursts,likeresidenciesorplacements,tofittheavailabilityoflearnersaswellastogivethemthebestaccesstopracticalknowledgeandresources.Organisationsshouldmaketheirresourcesavailabletofitwiththemusicalprojects,whereverpossible, though it isunderstood thatbothpartiesmayneed tomakecompromisestomakethelogisticsofthejointventureviable.

3.6. Collaborative Learning : Various Approaches to Management

Many of the collaborative learning methods now recognised as models of best practice cameaboutthroughpre-existingrelationshipsandartisticventures,whichgarneredoneorseveral resources from an organisation, such as rehearsal space, administrative support,

37

helpwithtouring.Sotherewasapre-existingrelationship,presence,welcomeand/ortimehadbeenmadetolistentothegroupwellbeforeapedagogicalapproachwastaken.Thetwo parties, whom we call, for the ease of language, organisations and learners had met and had respect for each other. Social and cultural legitimacy afforded by such respect is of central importance. Rather than being predetermined, it is won by a capacity to listen and to become an integral part of the local scene, and also by showing an interest in and empathy for a diverse range of traditional and emergent, individual and collective styles.

Afterall,legitimacyandcredibilityarecraftedduringtheworkcarriedoutoneachandeveryproject.Ofcourse,someorganisationshaveacquiredareputationbuiltonalistofartistswho have come through their programmes and/or the personality of their founder and/or the team.

Ultimately it comes down to an organisation’s capacity to deliver collaborative learningprogrammes using relevant pedagogical approaches, insomuch as an organisation needs to:- arrangetheintroductorymeetingstoformaliselearners’projects;- committocontractualobligationswhilstgivinglearnersflexibilitytomodifyandinputinto

the content and to empower them to deliver their responsibilities;- producearangeofmodesofevaluation,takingintoaccounteachsetofobjectivesand

pathway;- growaknowledgebaseofresources,constantlyup-skillstaff,beonconstantwatchfor

innovations in the current music scene;- beanactive,networkedpartnerwithotherpeopleandvenueslocally,regionally,nationally

and internationally.

3.7. Different Types of Collaborative Learning

Popular music venues, which focus on hosting performances, will in many cases offer local musicians services which fall between the stages of rehearsing and performing. The followingservicesformpartoftheholisticapproachtocollaborativelearning:- support for the creative project- career development advice- logisticalsupport:loanofequipment,performancespace- administrativesupport:bookings,payslips..- production:arrangingtours,financialassistanceBut do these activities fit within the pedagogical framework, which we have previouslydefined?

Ifwefiltertheseactivitiesthroughthebuildingblocksofourcollaborativelearningprogrammes,i.e.journey,solidarity,availableresources,wefindthattheseapproachesoftencoincideandnaturallydovetailwitheachother.Definingfactorshereare:- howmotivatedandcommittedtheorganisationistomakearealshiftinthelevelofskills

or performance ability of the musician;- how the learner/s feel within a learning dynamic;- whether or not the various methods – contract, evaluation, initial analysis – are successful

indefiningagenuinelearningprocess.

Collaborative support programmes offered by these organisations tend to fit within two

38

principalcategories: thefirstbeingpromotional, inmaking theprojectbetterknown; thesecondpedagogical,byup-skillingmusicians.

This is essentially a global approach which uses the same impetus from pooling resources, linking together space with available tools to fuel the creative process, by associatingthe practical support in production with training elements. Yet we need to re-visit how we evaluate both of these strands, as it is clear that if we sign a formal agreement to prioritise theprofessional launchof anartist, and todevelophis/her skills, that these twodistinctobjectivesrequiretheirowndistinctevaluationprocesses.Nowadays,all toooften,thesemethods are judged by the public success of the artist and not more generally, by tested skillsdevelopment.

3.8. The Importance of Pleasure

“Howmusic relates to pleasure is a key and should be central to the discourse aroundtraining. Popular and world music in particular are characterised by moments of shared pleasurefoundthroughskillsexchangeandthecreationorre-inventionofstyles.Peopletakepleasure in playingmusic together, andplay for thepleasureof other people.Thisrelationship to ‘theother’ ispartofa true ‘cultureof thesenses’,whichactivelyemployspeople’ssensorial,cognitiveandsocialintelligence.”6

Inordertolearnyouhavetowanttolearn:thereisthepleasureofdoingandthepleasureoflearning.Thisiswhytakingpleasureinmusic-makingcanbeconsideredasanachievementinitself,andit’simportanttoavoidsettingthebartoohighandtherebyputtingpeopleinastate of constant dissatisfaction and generating frustration. Our training programmes should findwaystooptimisetherelationshipsbetweendesire,pleasure,workandlearning!

Itiswellunderstoodthatpleasurecanbederivedfromworkwhichmayseemrepetitiveatfirst,butwhichprogressivelybearsfruitorevencreatesaeuphoricstateofbeing,ratherlikethatofasportspersonwhotrainshard in long-distancerunning.Workingon instrumentaltechniqueorlearningtheoreticalskillscanbejustasmuchsourcesofpleasureaslosingoneself in the moment of playing with other people in front of a crowd.

3.9. Re-introducing the Value of Mistakes into the Learning Process

TheetymologyoftheFrenchword‘erreur’-translatedas‘mistake’-comesfromtheverbtoerrwhichmeanstostrayfromthebeatenpath,totaketheriskoflosingoneselfinordertobetterdiscover,toflailaround,towander,tomakevariousattemptsinordertoeventuallyinventsomething.Thisprogressionrouteistotallyinkeepingwiththeworkingmethodsofmusicians,whohavegrownupwithrecordingtechniquesandwhousetaperecordersorcomputerslikeablankpage,whichovertimewillbecomecoveredwithcrossings-outandcorrectionsuntilthecomposer’searsaresatisfied.Thiscreativeapproach,whichdoesnotpre-supposethatanewmusical textwillfitwithanyparticulartypeofsound,alsoallowscomposerstolookuponsomeoftheirmistakesasdiscoveriesofnewtalents,aswellasbeingluckyevents.Thestoryofpopularmusic isstrewnwithsuchhappenings, fromtheimprobablechordfromtheintrooftheBeatles’‘HardDay’sNight’totheinventionofdubandscratch,allofwhichwerebroughtintobeingbywonderfulmistakes.6 QuotebyDamienTassin,authorofreportfortheCollectifRPM,2001

39

However,inwork,atschool,insportandeveninleisureactivities,itseemsthattherighttomakemistakesisincreasinglyruledout.Thisgeneratesafearoffailure,whichcantriggerparalysis and artificially prevent us from facing the unknown. Music-making and musiclearning is not immune to this phenomenon; indeed, classical music teaching has often been criticised for propagating such fears. The temptation of professionalising or theorising popularmusicalsoexists,andarapperorarockerwhois juststartingoutmaywellfindthemselvesfacingasenseoffailure,despitethefactthatwequestionwhetherrockorrapshouldevenbetaughtasfixedrepertoiresoradheretostandardmodel.Itthereforefollowsthat,eveniftosomepeople‘gettherebyfeelingourway’maysoundlike‘getthereanyoldhow’,itisimportanttore-introducethevalueofmakingmistakesintotheprocessoflearningin order to wholly own them as part of the creative process.

The process of collaborative learning advocated by the Collectif RPM, and the principle of takingasecondaryrolewhichisinherentinthisprocess,setsouttoreassurethemusicianwhilstdevelopingtheirownskills-baseand,alsoencouragesthemtotakeunknownpathways,oftenstrewnwithhurdles,toexploretheseobstacleswhichgeneratemistakesinordertofindnewsoundcombinations.

Somakingmistakesbecomesawayofgainingconfidenceinordertobeabletotakerisksandopenup toallpossibleavenues. It thereforebecomesa facilitator’s responsibility toaccompanythelearningprocess,triggeredbymistakesmadeduringexperimentation,bybringing understanding and resolution to situations as they emerge.

3.10. Assessing the Pedagogical Process

Aboutfiftyyearsagowemoved intoanera inwhichevaluationbecamean integralpartof every learning process. Today, evaluations or assessments seem to be the natural consequenceofallkindsofhumanactivity.

Assessing the economic impact of a project may be relatively straightforward, but assessing a pedagogical device or a creative process demands a much more subtle and considerably morecomplexapproach.ItisforthisreasonthattheCollectifRPMhasmadethissubjectthe focus of numerous discussions and seminars, in order to reach consensus on the most appropriateevaluationprocessestofitwithourmethodsandvalues.

Where training organisations are concerned, rules are generally set by organisations, learners only becoming involved once the framework for dialogue and feedback hasbeen established. Progress is monitored as learners gradually ascend the staircase of knowledge,whichbecomesincreasinglymoredifficult.Learnersareexpectedtoconformtotheseexerciseswhichmaywellraisesomerelevantissues,butwhich,alsoandaboveall,servetomakeorganisationsfeelcomfortableintheirunequivocalroleasthe‘tutor’.Thenatureofcollaborativelearningrequiresthinkingbeyondabilateralapproachtoevaluation.A number of methodologies place renewed importance on the role of the audience and of other stakeholders, such as venues, in stating how they regard learner/s’work. Events,likeshowcasesorrecordings,maybesetupspecificallytogaugehowaprogrammehasimpactedonalearner’sperformance.Inthesamewayinwhichtheinitialdiagnosisandthechoice of pathway are negotiable, multiple evaluation methods may be used to attempt to frame a shared process involving a range of viewpoints, such as the facilitator or facilitators

40

who have been in direct contact with the learners, the director of an organisation who has signed the learning agreement, a live or online audience in front of whom the musician has played.

Thiswayof thinkingabout evaluation shouldnot howevermuddy thewaters bymakingproceduresunclear.Itisanorganisation’sresponsibilitytoallowlearnerstofindtheirplace,and this can be a liberating process, which embodies that which music and its history teaches us,thatitisnotastand-aloneobjectwhichfitsintoboxesandcanbeeasilydefined.

3.10.1. Evaluation CriteriaOnce we have set the meaning of assessing our actions, it is then time to establish these much-debatedcriteria,whichmakeforanobjectiveevaluationprocess.

This should not be a reductive process of subjecting music-learning to a list of controls, as already stated several times. Adding any psychological barriers to access or the desire to learn should also be avoided. Rather than using this process to invent a new set of norms, thepurposeofevaluation in thiscontext is to layoutsomeclearreferencepointsandtocreatespaceforfeedbackwhichgives:- musicians a clear sense of what they have learned;- facilitatorsfeedbackontheirtrainingmethods;- organisations pointers from which to develop and adapt the content and form of their

programmes where necessary.

Defining theshapeofprogrammesunderscrutiny isalsoan importantstep. Indeed, theevaluationprocessworksabit likeRussiandolls: facilitatorsassess learners,managersassess facilitators, directors assess managers, funders assess directors. It is the interaction between these sets of people which determine the evaluation criteria.

This makes it necessary to check that any evaluation criteria are defined by a cross-sectionofstaff-members,fromdecision-makerstodesignersanddeliverersofthevariousprogrammes, and that they are coherent with the organisational mission, values and stated objectives.

Inthisrespect,criteriacanvaryaccordingtospecificitiesofgeographiclocation,sothatonewhich may be regarded as essential by a certain organisation may be impossible to use foranother.Itwouldnotthereforebeadvisabletosetastockchartortableforuseacrossmultiple organisations.

3.10.2. Assessment as a Constant, Planned and Participatory ProcessOnce the criteria havebeen considered, definedand set througha process of dialogueand exchange between facilitators and learners, three key stages of evaluation can bedistinguishedbymethodandaction:- prospectiveassessment(before);- formativeassessment(during);- summativeassessment(after).

Prospective assessment : key objectives are to understand the request, to check iflearners have the capacity to participate and to see if the organisation or facilitator is able toprovideanadequateofferinresponse.Throughaseriesofmeetingsandbylisteningtotherequests,thegroupandthefacilitatorwillagreeasetofobjectivesandwillformaliseanagreement,whichincludestheoptionofmakingchangesastheprojectevolves.

41

Formative assessment : informal chats between the learners and facilitator (or other contributors:trainingco-ordinators,coachesortechnicalassistants)onthecontent,theroll-out,thelevelofsatisfactionwiththeworkinprogress,allowforthecontenttobechangedtobetter meet the objectives, as the pedagogical programme rolls out.

Records made using self-evaluation tools are also important during this phase, as the formative evaluation happens throughout the delivery of a learning programme and enables us to situate the progress of the student against a given objective.

The dual objectives are to allow learners to see how they are doing in terms of achieving their objectives, and facilitators to measure the effective delivery of their programmes and toovercomeanyobstaclesbymakingappropriatechanges.Thereforeformativeevaluationinfluencesboththelearningprocessanditseffectivegovernance.

Summative assessment : shared debriefings between groups and facilitators checkwhether set objectives have been wholly or partially achieved and what measures should betakentoenablelearnerstocontinuetheirworkinprogress,eitherindependentlyorwithsupport.

Duringthisphaseofevaluation,acollaborativewrittenfeedbackreportservestoconsolidateany agreed actions and enables them to be shared within organisations, which, in turn, evaluate the relevance of their methods against these various parameters.

Allofthisfeedbackistakenintoaccountbyorganisationsinthedesignoftheirprogrammeoffers,generatingfrequentmodificationstoimprovemethodsofdelivery,tomakethemmoreunderstandableandtoadapttooranticipaterequests.

3.10.3. Evaluation ToolsTheidealtoolfordeliveringanevaluation,whichtakesintoaccountalltheaforementionedfactors,doesnotexist.Theresponsibilityfallstofacilitatorsandorganisationstoadapttheirresources to deliver evaluations which are coherent with the objectives set down during their initialexchangeswithlearners.

The plethora of forms to choose from gives each organisation or team the freedom to build theirownevaluation tools from tablesorcharts, towritten, recorded,filmedorstatisticalreports, delivered in digital form, on the internet, orally, in the form of questionnaires,interviews or personal records…

The time this work takes should not be underestimated or approachedwith a sense ofurgency.Dedicatedtimeforreflectionisrequiredbeforetheevaluationtoolbestsuitedtostakeholderrequirementscanbeselected.

3.11. The Concept of Pathways and of a Course Curriculum

Collaborative learning involves a different relationship to time from that held by a course curriculum with set modules.

Forourorganisationsalinearnotionoftimedoesnotfitwithmusicians’waysofworkingandthereactivenatureoftheworkwecarryouttomeettheirneeds.

42

Ourpedagogicalmethodstakeaccountofthecontextofmusic-making.Musiciansmaywellcometousforassistancewhilstrehearsing,thenfurtheralongthewaycomebacktouswitharequestforindividualsupport,perhapsonperfectinganinstrumentaltechnique,orforgroupsupport,whichmaytaketheformofapedagogicalresidency.And,astimegoesby,both groups and musicians move between phases of rehearsing, recording and calling on organisational resources to support them in developing their individual or collective project.

Therebytheneeds,whichevolvewithmusicians’journeysandstories,areidentifiedbytheindividuals and bands themselves, and inform the way in which organisations respond and accompanyeachuniqueprocess.Thesecreativeprocessesarenot linear.Sometimes itmay be necessary to revert to fundamental principles which have not been integrated from thebeginning,and then toquicklymove tosortoutanurgent issuewhich ismore todowith the current situation of a band, and so on, as dictated by the time available and each evolving project.

Collaborative learning cannot be slotted into a pre-determined time-scale with a beginning andendanddefinedphasesforresultstobeachieved.

4. The Facilitor’s Role

4.1. Facilitators, Teachers, Coaches, Collaborators?Whether they are practicing musicians or permanent members of staff, the most important thingisthatfacilitatorsarepeoplewithlevelsofpracticalexpertisewhichfitwellwitheachproject’sdefinedobjectives.Specificsetsofskillsare therefore requiredso theareasofexpertisearerelevantandbespoke.Severaldifferentpeoplemaybringparticularskills,suchas analysis, face-to-face pedagogy or evaluation, contributing to an overall programme. The variants in local infrastructure, organisational programmes, and localitiesmake it almostimpossibletodefinetherolesandtitlesofeachpersonpotentiallyinvolvedinthisprocess.

Throughoutthissectionweusetheword‘musicien-intervenant’,translatedforthepurposesofthisdocumentas‘facilitators’,whichfeaturesintheGlossarysection.Weacknowledgethatotherterms,equallyvalidinagivencontext,suchasteacher/professor,trainer/coachoradvisor/mentor, may also be used.

Thismultiplicityof termsandyet this ‘non-choice’ (iechoosinga termwhichfitsbestbutwhich isnotperfectandwhichhasanotherkeyassociation) is testament to thedifficultywehaveinascribingajobtitletoaprofessionalrole,whichrequiresnoformaltrainingorqualificationandthereforeisnotgenerallyacknowledgedasacareer.

4.2. The Pedagogical Position of the Facilitator (fr. Intervenant)

There are two common viewpoints, which are commonly held, in relation to the positioning of collaborative learning : those who say, “They are doing it, I am only assisting them from the sidelines, and am certainly not standing in their shoes.” and those who say “I see absolutely no problem in rolling up my sleeves and getting involved with them as part of this process. Of course not standing in their shoes, but working with them.”7

7 QuotebyGérardBuisine,«L’accompagnementdansl’histoiredespédagogies»,formationpourl’AriamÎle-de-France, janvier 2011.

43

Facilitatorsshouldactivelytakethelead,intermsofinstigatingthesharingofexperienceandmusicalknowledge.Atthesametime,theyworkinactivepartnershipalongsidelearners,providingmotivation,by being available and supportive.

Theyacceptthefrequentlypragmaticnatureof theprojectandthe ideathatbothpartiesaremaking theirwayona shared journey.Theproject becomesa story inwhich everypartnertakesonarole.Theprocessbecomesmoreaboutlearningthanteaching,theprimepurpose being to foster the desire to learn.

Bysuggestingcreativewaysinwhichtotakeaninitiativeorsolveaproblem,facilitatorsactasbridgesbetweenlearnersandtheknowledgemostrelevanttotheirsituation.Theuseofpersonalexperiencebyfacilitatorscanbeanimportantlearningaccelerator,thoughdoingsowithobjectivitywithoutprojectingontolearners,isequallyimportant.Learnersshouldfeelvalued,asself-esteemisacriticalfactorinreachingadefinedobjective.

Hence, in thiscontext, facilitatorsmay judge themselvesmoreby the thoughtprocessestheybringtotheworkintrain,thanbytheirleveloftechnicalexpertise.

Rather than calling on one particular method, they choose the most appropriate approach foreachpersonorgroup,eachcontextandsubjectmatter.

Musiciansortechnicianswhoactasfacilitatorsduringresidenciesputtheirexperienceandknowledge at the service of groups theyworkwith. In feeding back to the groupswhattheyobserveandhear,theyactlikeamirrororasoundboardforthegroupstobounceoff.Theyareabletoanalyseandunderstandtheartisticortechnicaldifficultiesthegroupsfindthemselves confronted with.

Itisnotappropriateinthiscontextforfacilitatorstoimposetheirownsolutionsonaband’sproblems. A more neutral stance and helpful approach is to propose a portfolio of possible solutions,whichgiveabandasetofkeys.Itthenbecomestheband’sownresponsibilitytochoosewhichevertheyfeelisthebestfitwiththeirownmusicalprocess.Inthisrespect,afacilitator’sroleisnottousehis/herowncriticalfacultiestoteachabandhowtodothingswellbuttofacilitateandtosupportagroup’sownproject.Thisiswhytheycouldalsobedescribed as relayers or connectors rather than as teachers.

4.3. Facilitators’ Responsibilities

Within the learning framework, it is rare foronesingle facilitator toassumeresponsibilityfor the totality of theagreement that exists betweena learner andanorganisation.Thecontractualresponsibilities,whichareassignedtofacilitators,fallintothreemainareas:- Production: they may be present during rehearsals, composition or performances.

Alongsidethistheirrolemayinvolvearticulatingtheinitialdemandorgivingfeedbackona performance;

- Training: theymay be called upon to deliver lessons or specific pedagogical adviceidentifiedwithinthelearningframework;

- Regulation:theymayworkondrawinguptheagreement,oramendingtheagreementto bring in additional resources where appropriate, and play an important role in the evaluation.

44

Threekeycompetenciesarerequiredtoworkeffectivelyacrosstheaboveareas:- technical expertise: be it instrumental, cultural, administrative, in staging, sound, or

lighting…- pedagogicalexpertise:theabilitytousearangeofapproachestoadapttrainingmethods

whichfitthespecificpathway;- networkingskills:anawarenessofhowthehostorganisationlinkstoothercomplementary

spaces and resources, to enable useful connections to be made.

Facilitatorsshouldknowhowtoarticulateandformalisearequest,whichinvolves:- speakingandexchangingwithlearnerstogettoknowthemandbuildtrust;- being sensitive to the context of the request and understanding any inherent issues

connectedwithlearners’motivationformakingmusicandtheirpreconceptionsofworkingin the music industry;

- constantlyre-visitingthe initialagreementandenablingtheessenceof therequest tobeexpressed.Facilitatorsshouldthereforebeapproachableandabletorespondeitherdirectly or indirectly by referring on to other human or physical resources.

Withgroupprojects, the task becomesmore complexbecause thedesires of a group -whetherpartiallyormostlysharedandabletobeexpressed-comeintoplay,togetherwithawholenumberofindividual,relatedandsometimesevenconflictingexpectations…Thoughanyobjectivesonceagreedcanbefrequentlyreaffirmedorbroughtbackintoquestion,thetimerequiredtoagreeonasetofsharedobjectivesshouldnotbeunderestimated.

4.4. Facilitators’ Credibility

Facilitatorsaremusicians(or technicians)whohavealreadybeendowntheroadswhicharebeingdiscoveredbythelearnerstheyareworkingwith.Credibilityisacriticalingredientto thesuccessofany learningpathway,andsomethingwhichneeds tobeacquiredandestablished with every new agreement. Credibility cannot be conferred by organisations, as learnershavearighttoexpresstheirviewaboutmusic-makingandaboutorganisations,aswellaslearningprocesses.Drawingonlivedexperiencecanhavemoreimpactinthiscontextthantheoreticalreferencepoints.Learnerstendtobuyinmorereadilytotool-kitsassembledfromreal-lifeexperiences,thanintomoreabstracttheoreticalknowledge.Thisapproachisinkeepingwiththeempiricalwayinwhichmusicprojectsdevelop,especiallywhenworkingwith bands. It is also the reason why our organisations mainly recruit musicians who are actively playing, engaging in the current professional music scene, and therefore who are keepingabreastofnewdevelopmentswhich theyare thenable toshare inpedagogicalsituations.

Anorganisation’sroleisalsotoalternatepeer-learningwithsomesessionswhichmaybemore in a typical lecture format. The most important thing is that each pedagogical situation is selected by a learner - even in cases where the initial analysis airs contradictory viewpoints between a learner and an organisation - rather than being imposed on a learner (“learn this, you’llunderstandwhylater!”).

Facilitators should be open to transformation. It is wrong to bring intentions to transform people through learningandexchange,withoutbeingwillingoneself tobechanged.Themeetings,exchangesandlearningprocessofeachjourneywillinvolvefacilitatorsrevisitingtheirownskillsandknowledgebasealongtheway.

45

4.5. Pedagogical Challenges to Overcome

Depending on the context and situation, facilitators may find themselves confronted byissues, such as those discussed below, in relation to different aspects of their role.

4.5.1. The Relationship between Facilitators and Learners during the Prospective AnalysisIn becoming involved in the life of a band, it is fair to assume that a facilitator begins to understand the direction in which the band are headed and becomes part of their story. Though from the outset, he/she must accept that they will only ever own a very small part of the story.

Itistheirresponsibilitytotakeonthedifficulttaskofgoingbeyondlisteningtowhatisactuallysaid,becausebands’spokenrequestsmayonlybethetipoftheiceberg,concealingneedswhichinitiallyremainunformulated,unidentified,dormantintheirsubconscious.Itisoftenmuchmorereassuringforabandtocomeforwardwithastandardrequest,whichavoidsfacing head on any recurring problems they may be up against. Starting with these would clearlybetomakethemselvesvulnerable.Thisiswhyitisabsolutelykeyforafacilitatortoestablishtrustwiththebandatthisearlystage:aprocess,which,initself,canthrowinternalhierarchiesintoquestionanddemandare-evaluationofskillswhichwemayassumethatwe have mastered organisationally or individually. Sothereisaclearneedtotakeintoaccountthatwhichisnotsaidinordertoestablishadiagnosis,and,ratherthanbeingsatisfiedbyanautomatedresponsetotherequest,togodeeper in order to illuminate where the true need lies.

Atthesametime,facilitatorsmustnotdenytheirownimpetusandviewpoints,butmustworkwith them and use the energy from them to create a dynamic relationship with the group. Of course,thisdoesnotmeanthattheysubstitutegroups’viewpointswiththeirown:thiswouldbeanabuseofpower.Whatwearelookingforisabalancedsharingofviewsresultinginaclearorientationwhilstallowingspacefor‘theother’.

The ability to hold on to certain skills and experience gives facilitators authority, in anunspokenandinformalsense.Credibilityisbuiltonthemformalisingaframeworkinternally,providingastrongbasisfromwhichlearnersarethenabletoexercisetheircreativitymorefreely.

4.5.2 Pedagogical Challenges It is impossible to predict the success of one particular method or approach. In pedagogical situations amore ethicalwayofworkingmeansallowing instincts to guide the process,ratherthanrelyingexclusivelyonlogicalmeansofprogression.

Facilitators’waysofworkingcanbecomparedtofacingaseriesofsuccessivechallengesalong a road set by destiny. They choose what seems to be the best option and assume responsibilityfortheirdecision.Ifitturnsouttobeamistake,theyareabletoexplaintherationale for the choices and to re-orientate the project in a more positive direction. This honest approach creates transparency between facilitators, organisations and the learners.

In this instance, theongoingevaluationprocess(seePart2:3.10.2)providesfacilitatorswith opportunities to re-orientate the direction of the project.

46

4.5.3. Music Theory and PracticeHere music theory is understood in the same way as it would be in a community learning context,asameans toclarifypracticalworkingmethods,which isonlyappliedonce thedevelopmentprocessisunderway.Weplay,listen,reflect,analyseandthendrawontheorytohelptounderstandwhyacertainissuehascomeupandtomakesenseofit.Inanycase,theoryshouldnever‘weigh’ontheworkinprocessnorbethoughtofasaprerequisite.Thisis why the creating of optimum conditions for artistic processes should be the central driver toanycollaborativelearningprogramme.Inthemidstofacreativeprocess,learnersworkwiththematerialsclosesttohand.Learnersareverymuchworkinginapractical,real-timesituation, even if they cannot theorise about what to do with the results that they achieve. Thenthetimecomeswhentheyareablelistentootherpeople’ssongsormusicasartistsintheirownrightsofrommoreofanequalor‘horizontal’standpoint,howeveramazingthesongs may be, rather than listening with more distance to songs being played as unattainable or lofty reference points.

Let’s become analysts, rather than gurus!

Article by Louis Chretiennot8

Thetraditionalrelationshipbetweenteachersandpupilsisimbalancedforseveralreasons:

1) In order to qualify as teachers, musiciansmust prove themselves by demonstrating a high level ofexpertiseinoneormorefieldsofmusic.Itthereforefollowsthattheyareapttopresentthemselvesbeforepupilsasconfirmedexperts.Consideredasexperts,theyfeelexpectedtoknoweverythingabouttheirsubject,anditisthereforefairtodeducethattheymustnotputafootwronginpedagogicalsituations:not to know theanswer toapupil’squestionmaysignify that theyareat fault because their rolebydefinitionimpliesomniscienceintheirfield.Allofthismayleadtoteacherstendingtonarrowthefieldofpossibilitiesintheirlessonsandtolockdowntheprogrammesothattheycannotbefoundatfault.

2) In Frenchmusic schools, the pupil is generally a child (the Frenchword ‘enfant’ holds etymologicalmeaning‘hewhodoesn’tspeak’)andisregardedintraditionalmusiceducationasablankcanvasdevoidofallknowledgewithnobadhabits,whocanbemouldedinordertoachieveexcellence.Thesegoalsaregenerallydefinedbyaveryoldsetofpreceptsastowhatexcellencemeans.Atypicalexampleofthisislearningthepianofrom‘theyoungestpossibleage’.

NB:insuchlessonsorlecturestherelationshipworkswhenteachersareabletoresponddirectlytostudents’questionsorwhenthereisanemotionalconnection,orforanotherreason,studentsbecomeinterestedinwhat teachers are coming out with. For all of this, and particularly in this last case, will students ultimately feelinapositioninwhichtheyownthisknowledgeenoughtocreatetheirownmusicalidentity?

Or to put this another way, how many students have felt the need to change their repertoire or their instrument in order to overcome this barrier of ownership and to create their own musical identity?

Theimbalanceintherelationshiphasseveralconsequences:- byendowingteacherswithallofthepower,thereisariskthattheystarttothinkofthemselvesasgurus,

eveniftheydon’tmeanto;- itcanslowdownorpreventstudentsfromaskingquestionsandtherebymakesthedevelopmentand

realisationoftheirownmusicalprojectslesslikelyandmoredifficult,especiallyincasesinwhichtherequestandtheprojectmaytaketheirteacherwayoutofhis/hercomfortzone;

- ithasupuntilnowinvolvedaverticalprocessofknowledgetransfer,inwhichstudentsonlyplayaminorrole.

8 LouisChretiennotteachesrockguitarintheRockDepartmentattheENM(conservatoire)inVilleurbanne,andis a member of the Collectif RPM

47

Teachers,whoholdknowledge,passitontostudents,whodon’tyetknow,orwhoneedtobere-taughtbecausewhat theyknow is incorrect.Evenwhenworkingwithadvancedstudents,habitsaresuch thatteachers tend to emphasise their version of the right interpretation of a subject and to impose their vision, withoutelicitingorexploringthoseoftheirstudents.

Talking projectsHowever, the collaborative learning process we adopt in music involves a different dynamic between the musicianswhomwerefertoas‘facilitators’or‘traininginstructors’andthosewhomwerefertoas‘learners’.Rather than treating their counterpart/s as a child or as children, facilitators managing such training programmeselicittheirviewsashumanbeingswiththeirownsenseoftheworld.Inthiscontext,facilitators’roles involve taking an active interest in these viewsandputting their own knowledge, experience andanalyticalcapacitiestoworkbytryingtorespondtospecificrequestsandmakingprojectshappen.

Historically, you could say that, inmusic teaching, the issueof students’ requests and their ownmusicprojectshascomeupandbeengivenairtimebythoseworkingwithpopularmusic:inthisparticularsphere,wefindmanymusicianswhoclaimtobeself-taught,whenthisisrarelythecase.Clearly,bythistheyareassertingthattheirmusicaljourneybelongstothem,thattheirband’sidentityandoriginalmusicareself-generated and are not indebted to a vertical or didactic teaching dynamic. In most cases the project has been developed by a small group of people and is owned and protected by this group, even if individuals withinthegrouphavetakenmusiclessonsorattendedmusicschools.

When they come into contact with a training instructor, the relationship is more balanced than those cited above.Bothpartiesbringtheirownviewsandstyles.Thetrainingprocessthenflowsfromthemeetingofthesetwosetsofskillsandvalues.However,difficultiesmayarisewhenmusiciansorgroupsaresuspiciousof andsometimesevenaggressive towards their training instructor/s:wonderinghow theywill positionthemselves towards or within the group project, how they will understand and appreciate its relevance and placewithinthescene,whattheywillwanttochange,etc.Soatraininginstructor’sroleinvolvesanticipatingand diffusing this potential violence by creating good conditions for bands and individuals to discover their owndirectionand road.Wehave triggeredaCopernican revolution, raising thequestionof how to co-ordinateadidacticprocess,whichrestsonthestudents’views,skillsandwill…

Louis Chretiennot

48

49

Part II

Building Blocks for Collaborative Learning

1. Designing Collaborative Learning Projects

1.1. Acknowledging All Aspects of Music-Making

From the very beginning of a collaborative learning project, wemust take into accountthe different parameters discussed in the previous chapter, which serve to determine the programme’soutline.Weshouldalsoconsiderwhetherornotthemusicianshaveaccesstoother sources of information, such as self-instruction, whether they are playing or rehearsing aspartofaband,theusetheymakeofavailabletechnologies,whethertheyplaylive,orareplanningto,andwhethertheyhavetakenpartinorplantoparticipateinasharedmusicalproject.These elements should be integrated into any support project,which takes intoaccounttherealityoflearners’dailylives.Our approach is therefore different from traditional teaching methods, which, being based on pre-determined programmes, are not in a position to consider the individuality of their learners,andwhereknowledgeistransmittedbyteacher-thoseconsideredtoholdthekeystoknowledge-tostudents–thosewholackknowledge-withnoaccountingfortheculturalorenvironmentalcircumstancessurroundingeachstudent’smusicallife.

1.2. The Pedagogical Programme Adapted to All Ways of WorkingThe overall approach and manner of making music differ according to the band, themusicians,and themusicalactivityundertaken.Therearevariationsamongstmusiciansorgroupsofmusiciansas to rehearsalor recording techniques,aswellas thewritingofmusic.Usingacollaborative learningapproach, facilitatorsput themselvesat theserviceof musicians, whilst maintaining an awareness of their own relationship with music. It is not thereforeaquestionofapplyingaone-size-fits-all teachingmethod,whichcouldpreventlearnersfrommakingtheirownartisticchoices,butofpersonalisingandthenaligningtheteachingmethodswiththespecificway inwhicheach learnermakesmusic.Thiscanbeachievedbyemployingthemostrelevanttechniquestothecontext,likerecording,writing,oral transmission, computer-assisted music, and so on.

1.3. Taking Musical Tastes into Account Musical genres are numerous, and tastes varied, and teaching projects evidently are devised tofitwiththemusicthat thoseapplyingourorganisations’methodsproduce,oraspiretoproduce.

This should be a focal element of the development project, not simply a component to be acted upon once the programme is decided. In effect, the decision as to how a student willbesupported,should take intoaccountmusicalstyles. It thenbecomes important toconsiderthefacilitator’sskillsasageneralist,oraspecialistinaparticularaestheticorstyle.

This approach is distinct from that of the type of establishment proposing courses centred

50

arounpre-determinedstyles,suchasbluesworkshops,afro-cubanmusic,jazzworkshops.Whilethisisnotinitselfproblematic,itexcludesothergenresfromtheprogramme.Whatabout the musicians who play metal, rap, electronic music and so on?

2. Pedagogical Frameworks

2.1. The Context for FrameworksForcollaborativelearningprogrammes,thetimebeforeandafterthelearner’smusic-makingjourneyhasadefining influence.Aswehavealreadydiscussed, themeasures in placeshouldinvolvespacefordialogueandinputfromthelearner.Thecontextinwhichlearningframeworksfunction,togetherwithtransparencywhiletheyareinoperation,aresourcesofcomfort and can serve to enrich interpersonal relationships. Insomecasesteachingframeworkscanleadtomisunderstandingsbecausetheirobjectiveslackclarity.Forthegroup,theideaofreceivingsupportoftenrelatesasmuchtotheprocessofgainingartisticcredibilityasitdoestotheacquiringofnewskills.Thewrittencontract,oftenreferredtoasa‘memorandumofunderstanding’shouldacknowledgethecommitmentsand status of all parties invested in the project. Whilst all of the time staying strategic, the agreementshouldneverthelessarticulateobjectives,usuallyidentifiedinpartnership,whichwill, in time, form the basis for the summative assessment. If the goals of the project are not madeexplicit,thereisariskthatviewpointsmaystarttodivergeinrelationtotherelevanceofthelearningframework,andtherebyjeopardisetheoverallsuccessofthecollaborativelearning programme. This preparatorywork becomes all themore importantwhen the organisations involvedare not, perceived primarily as training specialists but more as venues with a focus on rehearsing and distributing music. The professionals we encounter in such places are most oftenidentifiedbygroupsaspromotersortourmanagersforgroupsinresidence,andwouldnotgenerallyconsidermusiciansaslearners.Sothispreparatoryworkshoulddispelanyambiguity,allowingadequatetimeforassessingthedirectionanddetailsofthecontracttobemutuallyenteredinto.Indeed,thepersonprovidingthetrainingoughttoaskaseriesofcarefullythought-throughquestions,evenwhentheactivityisundertakeninacontextwheretraining and teaching are not counted amongst the core competencies or activities.

Therearealsosituations inwhich thecollaborativeprocessplaysout throughanetworkof organisations, often within a region or subregion. This coming together of local partners certainlyhasadvantages,butdoesrequireamorerigorouswayofworking.Thecollectiveexperienceandthegroupdevelopmentofinitiativescanbereassuringandallowsforthesharingofrisk,includingfinancialriskandthemarriageofskillsandlogisticalresources.Itmay also convey the image of an appealingly large organisation to artists. During delivery, such a frameworkwill often involve three clear parties: the physical organisationwhichis located in close proximity to the band and often hosts their rehearsals; the networkcoordinator; and the learning facilitator/s. These three parties, together with their various assets and responsibilities, share decisions to give form to the project whilst maintaining its directpracticalnature,andtestingitscapacitytobereactiveandflexible.Wehavelefttheclassroom, where the essence of learning is played out through the pupil-master relationship, butamidstacomplexsetofrelationships,abundantintherequisiteskillsbutwithaninherentriskofmisunderstandingsandorganisationalfailures.

51

It therefore becomes important to define clearly, which of the three parties involved isresponsibleforthegatheringanddistributionofinformation,andwhichfordecision-making.These three agents should also define their responsibilities in relation to setting up thesupport programme, allocating delivery roles to each part of the programme and evaluation. Theinteractionofmultiplestructuresbringsnewskillsandnewpossibilitiesofadaptingtospecificartisticprojects,withthe(much-flaunted)goalofcoveringabroadartisticspectrum.In return, it requires excellent communication between all parties, together with a clearstatementoftheirrespectivewaysofworking.Timeisrequiredfortheseorganisationstoestablishthemselves,forthemtofindtheirrhythm,andtodevelopcredibilityonthemusicscene.

2.1.1. Working With Bands In Rehearsal

Workingwithbandsduringrehearsalsisaformofeducationalsupportwhichstartedinthe1980’sandhassincespreadviathecommunicationchannelsassociatedwithprofessionalnetworks.Theroleofsuchafacilitatorspecificallyworkinginrehearsalsettings,hasbeenformalised with dedicated qualifications such as ‘rehearsal coach’, included in trainingprogrammes implemented by the Association for Music and Dance in the French Region of theRhone-Alpes.TheAra’sprofessionaltrainingprogrammeincludesthismeasurewithinits teaching programme since 1993. In the 1990s, other forms of training for facilitators or coaches in rehearsal settings were developed at the Cry and at Florida. More recently, a study on the rehearsal process has been carried out, leading to a proposition for a recommended portfolioofskillsinthefieldofrehearsingamplifiedmusic.

Itwasinitiallyconsideredaridiculousideatointerveneinagroup’srehearsaltime.Rehearsalsare thought of as an intimate, private time, where musical and human elements are played out: a time for a type of informal learning that exists outside any standard framework.However, the evolution of musical habits (see chapter 2.1) show that in rehearsal many aspectsoftheartisticjourneycometothefore.Tobringanexpertfacilitatorintotherehearsalspacehasbeenaproactivegesture,apedagogicalchoiceratherthananexplicitrequestbythegroup.Fromearlyon,musicianshavegraduallyboughtintothisprocess,inafieldwhereclose-knitnetworksofgrass-rootsmusicianshavespreadthewordandboughtintothiswayofworking.

Thepremiseissimple,andinvolvesthinkingofrehearsalsasaspecialtimeforknowledgeand skills transfer, theairingof truthsandacceptednotions, and innumerable piecesofinformationonwhatmakesgoodmusicandagoodband.Itgoeswithoutsayingthattactand sensitivity are of paramount importance; it is often enough to merely suggest that the presenceofanexpert,oftendescribedasan ‘enlightenedobserver’,cancontribute toamethodological approach, by bringing solutions to simple problems (such as the adjustment and balancing of amplified instruments, group performance, structuring parts, listeningback...),aswellasaffirmingtheartisticprocessthusprovidingencouragementtoforgeahead.Facilitatorsshouldthereforeallcomewithdirectexperienceoftherehearsalsituation,andhavefoundeffectivewaysofrefiningtheirperformance,aswellaswherenecessarybeingcapableofconsideringtheband’suniqueprojectwithinthecontextoftherelevantartisticgenre,beitreggae,metal,popsongoranother.Drawingfromtheirexperienceinanattempttoclarifythemusicalproject(withtheunderstandingofall themembersofthegroup),todistil theoretical elements and practical advice, the approach should result in a method of workinginrehearsalwhichalignswellwiththegroup’sproject.Thetaskiscomplexbecauseitswingsbetweentheneedtotakeanobjectiveviewofthemusicaloutput,andthenaturalwishtopreservethegroup’stogethernessandtheirmodus vivendi.

52

Facilitatorsneedtobeawareofandsensitivetothegroup’sownideaofitsfutureplans:anyforthcoming concerts, the will to record, time to create new music, improvisation, and so on.

This is a delicate situation for the training instructors who represent a ‘school’ which istransportedtothelearners’territory(therehearsalroom,timetable,repertoire,etc.)andwhoareoftenrewardedbyasharpincreaseinhungerforknowledgeshownbyband-members,who may previously have shown a certain resistance to the idea of learning in a more formal context. In this case training instructors’methodological skills become theirmostvaluable resource. This observation has caused the organisations of the RPM Collective toproposetrainingmodulestotheirfacilitatorsinthisdomain,becauseitisaneasytasktoofferpedagogicalandmethodologicaltechniquestoknownmusicianswhohaveadetailedknowledgeof thepractices,constraintsandmotivationsboundupwiththeadventuresofevery band.

With the rehearsal space as departure point, which we can consider as the heart of practice, amorespecificstructureoftrainingcanbeestablished,forexampleworkonvoice-work,harmonicsand/orrhythm,takingplaceinmoreacademicteachingconditions.Interveningin rehearsals, where the main goal is to render the band more musically coherent, can have anumberofknock-oneffects for the individuals involved.Onecouldbefindingpotentialdifferences between the aspirations of a particular individual and those bought into by the group, which may lead to the encouragement of individual career paths, as much as the successof thecollectiveproject.Anothercouldbe the ratherunexpected transformationofthemembers’relationshiptotheoreticalknowledgeandtolearning:tobeinterestedingroup practice without any prior judgement is the best means of reconciling many musicians to the idea of learning.

2.1.2. Working with Bands on StageWorkingwithbandsonstageformedthebasisforthedevelopmentoftheveryfirsttypesofthis collaborative learning device.

Beingonstage(evenifweconsidertheconceptofastageasverybroad)andinfrontofanaudienceisatotallydifferentexperienceforabandthanthatofrehearsingtogether.

Themusicianswillbehavedifferently.Whereasinrehearsalthebandwilllookateachother,relating both visually and through sound, and will behave in a relatively restrained way, on stage,thegroupfindthemselvesinanewsetup,face-to-facewiththepublicratherthanwithoneanother.Thesituationmaychangedramaticallyfromonemomenttothenext,andtheband’sbearingsshift,withcommunicationbetweenthemnowbeingmoredependentonwhat they hear than what they see.

Coachingbandswhilsttheyareonstageenablesmusicianstoworkonhowtheymanagetheir space, how they are located in relation to each other so that they interrelate well. This is just as important for the sound (how different instruments will be heard on stage, and makingsuresoundlevelsarecomfortableforall)asforthepositioningofthemusiciansandtheirequipment.

The focus here is primarily technical, though it helps the group to understand the particular challengesoforganisingthemselvesinanunfamiliarspace,whilsttakingintoaccounttheirindividualperformancestyles,ideasandartisticinfluences.

Thestagelosesitsneutrality.Weareuptheretoperform.Thecrowdholdsexpectations,

53

however intangible they may be, but whatever happens, the musicians have no choice other than to give themselves over to their audience.

Musiciansarenotonstagetorecitetheirlessons:thatistosay,itisnotenoughtorecitetheparts they have learned in rehearsal. It is necessary to bring their own interpretation, that of the group. The essence of the challenge facing any performing artist is encapsulated in thequestion‘whatdoIhavetosay,tocommunicatetotheaudience,andhowamIgoingtomakemyintentionclearandunderstandable?’

Afacilitator’sroleistohelpbandstoidentify,specifyandactouttheirartisticvision–deliverthe message that they want to give to their audience.

Naturally, facilitatorsdon’tprovideoff-the-shelfsolutions,butencouragethegrouptoaskquestionsofthemselves,andtogeneratetheirownresponses,whichresultinthemfindingtheirownsolutionsspecifictotheproblemstheyface.

Workingwithbandsinthiswayisrarelylimitedtothetechnicalaspectsoftheirperformance,thoughthistypeofrequestmaybethemostcommontocomefromgroups.Ofcourse,itiseasy for us to assume that if the sound is awful, and the concert is not very good, it is due to unresolvedtechnicalissues.Butinthemain,ourworkflagsupthatmostoftheproblemstobetackledtendtobeartisticand,moreoftenthannot,humanratherthantechnical.

Workingwiththebandonstagecanalsoofcoursebefocussedontechnicalwork-lightingtodeterminethelookoftheband,oragainthemanagementofthesoundfromparticularinstruments or machinery, or on the projection of particular visual elements to be integrated into the concert.

Working on stage, as with other initiatives, will achieve success if the evaluation ofrequirementsof thebandhasbeenproperly carriedoutand if thecontractbetween thefacilitator and the musicians is clear.

2.1.3. Collaborative Learning During the Recording ProcessRecording has for a long time been considered to be the ultimate stage of an artistic project. Anartistgoesintothestudiotofinalisethecreativeprocessandtocomeoutwithahardcopyoftheirwork.Thestudiousedtorepresentsacredgroundinthecollectiveimaginationofpopgroups.Itisthepenultimatestepbeforethefinaljudgementheraldedbythereleaseof the album or CD.

The band meet, create their playlist, rehearse, prepare themselves on stage and then go into the studio when everything has almost come together. They go into the studio to record afinishedproductortocreatethemodelsanddemos,whichenablethemtogetgigs.

The studio is rarely considered as a tool to help a band organise themselves or develop artisticaly.Theresultswere(andare!)veryoftenunsatisfyingformusicianswhocomepoorlypreparedtofacethedifficultiesofmusicalproduction.

In effect, studio work is very specific and requires a completely different skill-set fromrehearsing or performance, and very few groups are adequately prepared for it. In thestudio, musicians will record themselves with cues or audio devices that they hear in their headphones. They will record themselves instrument by instrument, or in sections, separate from one another. If they are not prepared for this, they will waste the session time in the

54

studio,whichwillthenbeusedtothefullasittendstobeexpensive.

Workingwithbandsinthestudiomayhavetwoobjectives:

- Firstly, it is a matter of preparing the band for their recording time, which is to say that the parts to be recorded will be chosen, selected, rehearsed and mastered, by all of the musicians. The musicians should also be able to familiarise themselves with different methods of recording. We may try to record by section or individually, with a test voice, playingbackthroughheadphones;thissupportwillhaveadirecteffectontheoptimisationoftheband’sworkinthestudiosothattheirtimeisgivenentirelytotheartisticprojectandnotwastedindiscussionsabouthowtheyaregoingtowork-conversationswhichshould happen before entering the studio

- The second objective, which has more recently been integrated into collaborative learning projects, should be to use the studio as a pedagogical tool for the advancement of the musicians in their creativity and their individual or collective practice.

In this situation, the studio is used as a model for production for the group or the musicians. We record the band, by listening to the recordings, and see whether the resulting music is whatthemusicianshadintended.Itispossibleandeasiertodetect‘imperfections’duringrehearsal time when each person is concentrating on their instrument and the parts that they will be playing. The studio therefore becomes an indispensable added-value tool for the musician. A piece of music is recorded, then the rhythm, the voice … and it is thereby possibletoworkoneachindividualelementinisolationfromtheothers,toseewhatworksandwhatdoesn’tinthepieceweareworkingon.Peoplecanthencorrectwhattheycreatebylisteningtothewhattheyproducebylisteningtotheirworkreflectedback.Thiscanbehardtotakeatfirst.

Technological advances and digitalisation have made the studio process much simpler than itwasafewyearsagowhenalltheequipmentwasanalogue(withmagnetictape)andmuchmoredifficulttouse.The‘homestudio’isnowapermanentpartofthemusician’slandscape.

In thissituation, facilitatorsoffer feedbackto theband,andproposeasetofsolutionsorworkinghypotheses.Itisthenuptothegrouptotakeonboardthosewhichseemtothemthebestfitfortheirproject.

2.1.4. Collaborative Learning in Relation to Financial Management

Whether the musicians involved in collaborative learning are amateurs or envisage becoming professionals,theyhaveasharedneedtosearchoutanaudience,torecordontodiskorpublishontheinternetandtoprotecttheirintellectualproperty.Fulfillingthisneedinvolvesunderstanding how to organise, manage, communicate and negotiate. While success in a musiccareerrequiresadeepknowledgeoftheworkingmechanismsofthemusicindustryandthedifferentprofessionalsworkingwithinit,evenanamateurparticipantisawarethatpublicperformanceandinterpretationofartisticworksisregulated.

Indeed, French law can tangle up a hobby in red tape, imposing the presumption of salaried work,intellectualpropertyrightsandothercomplexitiesveryremotefrominstrumentalworkor rehearsing in a band. But all practice, even amateur, has an economic element and it isoftentemptingtoignorethelawinordertobetterfinanceanactivitywhichcanquickly

55

becomeexpensive,withthecostsofgoodqualityinstruments,rentingrehearsalspace,andso on.

Finally, emergent groups - amateurs in legal terms – though already earning on a par with professionals,arefrequentlyofferedhelpwithfindingaudiencesbybodiesinthefieldwhiletheywaittomeettheprofessional(manager,producer,tourmanager,editor…)whomaytakethemon.Wecommonlyhearofstrictlyfinancialpartnershipsbetweenartistsandsmallcharities, which search for professional partnerships whilst acting as producers or tour managers for performances and recordings, during the time before a band gains proper professional recognition.

A number of subsidised performance spaces are now involved in this type of collaborative process. In order to support emerging local artists, active organisationsmake availabletheir performance space and technical skills, in lighting and sound, by providing stagedrehearsalsG –a termusedbyvenues in thefield (alsoknownas ‘residencies’when thesessions last forseveraldays) -andadministrativemanagementof theband’sactivities,such as the drawing up of contracts, advice on copyright, invoicing, and payment processes.

This issue iscloselyconnected topopgroups’will to invest inpublicspaces,whichhasled these organisations to develop and deliver modules and programmes, which are designedtoraiseawarenessoftheworkingsofthemusicindustry,aspartoftheircoreoffer.Suchmodulescoversubjects like regulatorystructuresandsocial legislation, intellectualproperty (rights management), artistic revenue, state support, networks, communicationand promotion and so on. The relationship between current popular music styles and the entertainment industry, recorded music and the media, the economic dimension of musical activity, as well as any technological dimensions, is part of the culture of the sector and therefore must feature in any training or collaborative learning programme.

2.2. Learning an Instrument and Learning Musical Notation and Theory2.2.1. Instrumental Workshops and Organisations’ Pedagogical Programmes

Themajorityoforganisationsinvolvedinthefacilitationofmusic-makingworkwithbands,atevery stage in their development, and prioritise collaborative practice. This becomes all the more relevant when music is developed as a group process.

But, throughout the development of collaborative learning programmes, requests haveconsistentlycomeforward forhelp in improving instrumental technique,whichrequiresamoreindividualapproach.Sharedprospectiveanalysismightalsorevealthataband’sprojectwithregardtotheirarticulatedobjectives,requiresatechnicalimprovementintheplayingoftheirmusicalinstruments.Itisworthnotingthatthenotionofinstrumentaltechniqueremainssubordinatetotheoverallprojectandisnotanendinitself:thefinalgoalisnottoplayaninstrument,buttomakemusic.

However,organisationsmustconsidercarefullyhowtorespondtosuchrequests.

2.2.2. Prospective Analysis, Defining Objectives, and Assessment

Instrumentalworkshops,whether individualor collective (threeguitaristsor fourbassistsatthesametime),willcausethefacilitatortoslideintoapositionofteacher.Thisdoesnotnecessarily conflict with the collaborative learning process, but should be considered in

56

contextandmayalsotakeplaceduringtimeswhenpedagogicalposturesareinflux(seePart2,2.6).However,theriskofthere-emergenceofateachingstyleinwhichtheinstrumentoperatesonitsownandisdisconnectedfromtheoverallmusicalprojectdoesexist.

In order to avoid this, it is helpful to carry out a prospective analysis with each musician beforehand,whichtranscendsthecommongoalto‘getbetteratplayingone’sinstrument’andwhichoutlinesthemorespecificrequirementsofeachcollectiveandindividualproject.This phase should allow each individual to establish objectives, and to consolidate their own learning programme.

Sotheevaluationisnotaboutvalidatingthe‘level’ofalearnerbutratheraboutreassuringthem that theyhavestayedwithin the frameworkof theobjectives fixedup-front. In thissense,itismoreaboutthefacilitator,asitistherelevanceandqualityoftheapproachandframeworkthatisassessed.

Toensureprogrammes remainflexibleand reactive,assessmentsshouldbecarriedoutregularly, in case needs change and the initial demands evolve throughout the course of learning,fedbynewknowledgeandencounters.

2.2.3. The Syllabus, and the Length of Each Intervention

Even the basic notion of the syllabus is relative. When imagining these disparate courses of study, with their points of convergence and divergence, it appears utterly contradictory to set outanobligatorycourseofstudywithafirstyearvalidatedbyanexamallowingprogressintothenextyear.

Wemightalsoquestionhow instrument-specificgroupsareorganisedby levelofability,making technical ability the main criterion for each group, whereas in a collaborativeprocess it would seem more appropriate to assemble people in terms of their common musical objectives. In this case once again, the learning of an instrument, instead of being astand-aloneactivity,isplacedatthecentreofamorecomplexmusicalproject,howeverunambitious. Operating in this way leads to a different perception of learners within the collaborativeframeworkfromthatwhichiscustomaryinschools.

We can very well imagine that musicians pursue learning an instrument for a certain time andthen leave thestructure(orparticipate in it inanothermanner)andreturn to it later,followingotherexperiences,withotherrequests,linkedtootherprojects.

2.2.4. The Limits

Weshouldnotdeducefromtheabovethateverythingisgoingjustfineinthepopularmusicworld.Weallknowthattheworkingprocessesdescribedabovecontainplentyofidealismand,withthat,potentialtoworkwellortofail.

Itmaybeusefulheretopointouttheprincipalnodesofresistancethatwehaveidentified.

Theflexibilityrequiredbysuchanoperationwillposemajorlogisticalproblems,whichareoften resolved by reversion to more conventional methods.

In order tomaximise programme benefits, time for discussion and exchangemust alsobe factored in, prioritising flexibility and reactivity, and allowing for any mistakes to be

57

quicklycorrected.Thisrequirestimeandmoney,nosmallissuesinasectorfacingfinancialchallenges.

Anotherno lesssignificantmatter is facilitators’ resistance,andquestioningof theirownpedagogical methods. Here as in other sectors, the tendency is one of reproducing the frameworksinwhichourownlearningwascarriedout.

This issue highlights the importance of continuing professional development for those involvedinthesector(seeahead,Chapter4,4.4).

2.3. Pedagogical Approaches designed for Children

The teaching of popular music has failed for a long time to cater for children. In addition to alackoffamiliaritywiththeirage-group,youngchildrenhavenotbeenconsideredaslikelylearnersofpopularmusic.Existing initiativeswerenotappropriateand thequestionwasraised:howdowegoaboutdevelopinganexperiencewhichdoesnotexist?

In fact, all children show a very concrete interest in sound, and in objects which produce sound, to varying degrees. This interest is shown through touching or handling the instrument tomakeanoise.Achildmaychoosetouseatraditionalmusicalinstrumentorsimplytherail on a staircase.

This spontaneous aural exploration is carried out by little ones without the anxiety ofsubscribingtoanexistingstyle.Itisthisexplorationthatwecanbuildon.Stylisticchoicescan be made later.

Goingfurtherwiththiscanbelargelyhelpedbyusingamplification,recording,computer-assisted music and other technologies from the popular music domain. Once again, recording devicesandequipmentbecomeintegraltothemusicalcreativeprocess.

Itgoeswithoutsaying that theprocess requires those involved to takeastepback fromtheirusualinstrumentalorartisticpractice,andthereforerequiresaperiodoftrainingandacclimatisation.

58

59

Part III

Perspectives and Challenges

1. From Popular Music to Current Ways of Making Music

Practically speaking, the term ‘popularmusic’ neither allows us to differentiate betweenthe idiosyncrasies of each music style, nor to identify their common denominators. Instead it is reductionist in theway that it simplifies these different cultures, glossing over theirhistoricalormusicologicalvalue.Similarly,manypeopletakethistermtoapplyexclusivelytoemergentmusicalforms,andconsiderthemakingofpopularmusicasapracticeonlymeantforyoungpeople.TheFrenchadjectivetranslatedas‘popular’is‘actuelles’9 which literally translatedmeans‘current’or‘contemporary’,implyingthatthismusicalgenredoesn’texistinthefutureorthepast.Theterm‘currentwaysofmakingmusic’(Fr. pratiques actuelles de la musique)holdsaverydifferentmeaning.Itunderpinswhatcharacterisesmakingmusictoday, which goes beyond stylistic considerations, and instead is about how music is made, how it is aired and transmitted, how music circulates and how people become familiar with itby,eitherlearningabouttheculturalbackgroundofthemusicorbyplayingitthemselves.Such methods have been revolutionised in recent decades by technological advances, an explosionofnewwaysofworkinglinkedtoaquestforfulfilmentandself-expression,andamarkedincreaseinself-instructionassistedbynewtechnologies.Somanydifferentaspectsseriouslychallengepublicpolicy-makingprocesses.

Using ‘currentwaysofmakingmusic’asacatch-allphrase todescribeallcontemporaryformsofmusicfromclassicaltoelectronic,ortoextremetrendsinheavymetal,istobypassthe fact that what characterises popular music lies beyond genres and styles and playing instruments. Through learning about and/or playing popular music, people naturally absorb differentculturalbackgrounds,andtheprocessofunderstandinghowmusicistransmitted,is aired and circulates forms part of this process.

Nonetheless, this term, however imperfect it may be, has been widely adopted over the lasttenyears,andthefactthatpoliticiansarenowawareofitandconnectwithitas‘ourkindofmusic’indicatesamajorstepintherightdirection.Popularmusicpractitionersareattracting the attention of local authorities, and there are some initiatives to introduce so-called popular music programmes within institutions, along with their untouchable investment inthetoweringfieldofclassicalmusic,consideredaseternal.Grantedthattherehavebeensome improvements, this approachnowneeds to be re-examined in the light of currentdevelopments. At the moment popular music is often still considered to be a genre limited toworkingwith young people, or in social activism, consigning it to become evermoreperipheral and to feature well down the list of budgetary priorities.

Paradoxically,thegeneralpublichaveneverinvestedsopassionatelyinthecurrentmusicscene.Theirinvestmentisreflectedinsignificantknock-oneconomicgrowthelsewhereinthe sector (instrument sales, rental of rehearsal rooms, and soon).Easyaccess to therichesoftheinternet,dreamsofcelebrity,reconstitutedmyths,haveallbeenusedforprofitbymoney-makingindustries,inthegapleftbythenationalsystemformusicaleducation.

Todaytheterm‘currentwaysofmakingmusic’ isaroadmap,adiversionwhich leadsus

9 See Glossary p 73

60

tolookatthisculturalsector,notintermsofananalysisofvaststylisticfields,butthroughtherelationshipswhichattractthe‘users’(wecouldsaytheentirepopulation)tomusic.Toacceptthereferencepointas‘currentways’istolumptogetherthesignificantdevelopmentswe have witnessed in the past forty years, as much on a technological level as in terms of training or the media. These ineluctable elements of our lives as socio-musical beings deserve a much larger degree of attention than the debate surrounding the relative value of musical styles. They should be at the heart of our search, as new media and businesses, responsibleforshapingmarkets,prescribing,andelicitingdesire,havecertainlyrealised.Ineffect, by observing young musicians immersed in a society so rich in sound, whether they beclassical,rockersorrappers,makesitclearthattheylistentoawholespectrumofmusic,and it isbytakingpathswhichareopentotheminorder torealisetheirchosenmusicalvision that they become artists. With this in mind, the choice of repertoire or of learning an instrumentislessofachallengethanfindingopportunitiestoexperiment,tochangetrack,tograsptherealitiesofartisticpractice(technical,legal,organisational,andsoon)andtoexperiencepublicperformanceasearlyaspossible.Therearesomanyelementswhichtranscendspecificstylesandcultures,andsomanytoolsrequiredtocarveoutamusicalidentity.

From experience,we feel strongly thatmethods ofmusic-making and their connectionsintosocietyasawhole-methodsofproductionanddissemination,aswellassocialskills,and building cultural identities - should be observed and analysed to flag up new keyissuestoeducationalspecialists.Thisstandpointinvitesustotakeabroaderperspective,encompassingall formsofmusic,and to take time toexaminepractices in theirartistic,socialandculturaldimensionsinordertore-evaluatewhatitisthatweareteaching.Lookingatthebiggerpictureenablesustostayonpermanentlook-outfordevelopmentsinpracticeandwaysofworkingsoastoensurethatouroffersremainconstantlyrelevantandtoavoida set pedagogical routine. It should also facilitate a fruitful coming together of sociological andmusicologicalapproaches–tworesearchdisciplineswhoseworktooseldomco-incideson musical matters.

1.1. The Issue of Credibility

According to some people we should learn at school, create in a studio, perform in a concert hall:eachlocationhasitsfunctionfordevelopingspecificskills,andprovidesalegitimateexperience and standpoint fromwhich people form their social, institutional and politicalrelationships.

For others, legitimacy is founded upon the relational quality between an artistic projectand thehostingorganisation (rehearsal rooms,school,andsoon). Incertaincases thislegitimacycomesfromproximitytoacertainlocation,fromstyle,questionsofidentity,andmay be claimed by organisations whose main focus is not education or training.

When independent not-for-profit organisations propose collaborative programmes, theircommissionersorfundersgenerallyfailtoacknowledgethevalueofthem.Howeverpalpabletheir impact on artistic life, the educational value of their activities is underrated by cultural leaders and established centres of musical teaching and cultural activity.

At thesametime, therapiddevelopmentofpopularmusicandtheexplosionofamateurmusic-makinghasledthoseresponsibleforthedemocratisationofculturalactivitytoappeal

61

to conservatoires and music schools to involve themselves more deeply with their local communities, to increase their openness to other styles, and to reach out to new audiences. Theirresponsestothisrequestareveryvaried,butdebatesandarticlesincreasinglyputforward the argument that schools of tomorrow should cut ties with old notions of teaching, where theoretical ideas dominate, the curriculum is pyramidal in structure, and the mastering of the instrument is the ultimate goal.

Insomecases,thisquestionoftheeducationalmodeliscrucialtosustainingorganisationsintothefuture.Itshowsthatpublicserviceforteachingofmusicisalsoseekinglegitimacy,be it social, or sociocultural.

Thesetwoquestsforlegitimacydonotgarnerequalattentionfromthepublicpowers.Despitetheproliferationofdebateandreflectionregardingtheintegrationofpopularmusicintotheconservatories,nothinghasbeenputinplacetoallowacknowledgementofthecollaborativeinitiativesinstigatedbyvariousnot-for-profitorganisations,nortoprovideadequatesupporttowards their operating costs. It is in this manner, however, that the public administration canestablishequalitybetweenthedifferentformsofmakingmusic,theorganisations,themusicians who are learning there, and the professionals who surround them.

1.2. The Process of Purveying Skills and Knowledge

Studies on the subject of pedagogical programmes on offer to musicans are few and far between, especially those which observe the progress over a meaningful length of time in an institution, be it a music school, a youth centre or a publicly-funded bodyG devoted to popularmusic (as found inFrance).Yet todemonstrateandmeasure the impactof theirprogrammes, articles and an evidence base is essential.

Manywell-knownartistsarehappytosharetheirviewsonthekeyturningpoints in theircareers,anditisaquestionofusingtheirstandpointstoinformthechoicesmadeindefiningprogrammes, or supporting one mode of education over another. It is therefore logical to thinkhowwecouldformalisethesefeedbackloopsbyreconnectinginthemedium-termwiththosewhohavebenefitedfromatrainingprogramme,particularlywhenpublicmonieshavebeen invested.

Those active in the popular music world are increasingly using online tools where each describes his activities, media and identity. Specialist technical knowledge is therebymobilised tostudydataand toallowclose-readingof thesector: itsassets, challenges,and areas for improvement. This willingness to monitor activity in real time should also be deployed in the domain of cultural learning, by sourcing criteria and indicators which serve to analyse and assess the development of a wide range of different phenomena, such as projects run by organisations, educational initiatives and materials, economic data, partnership-working,andtheunderstandingofcurrentandprojectedaudiences.

Without access to any records, which are easily comparable and agreed across the board, a comparison of the variety of programmes available (public, private, in schools or rehearsal spaces…)amountstonomorethanadeclarationofapedagogicalstance,especiallywhenthe trend is towards the streamlining of public programmes. The collective generation of knowledge,attheriskofrevealingprofounddifferencesandvaryingbeliefs,isameansofdemonstratingasector’smaturitytopublicpolicy-makers.Thewidespread‘musicalisation’

62

of our society, a rich source of prosperity, commercial activity, and dreams, is a call to the professionals of musical education, whoever they are, to demonstrate their willingness to engage and to join the debate rather than withdraw into isolation.

1.3. The Difficulty of Navigating Many Different Approaches and Programmes

Music, as already stated, is not a stand-alone art, but a sum of representations of sound and therelationshipsbetweensoundandtheworldwhicharesodiverse,richandcomplexthatthey deserve to be charted. The ways in which professionals active in the world of music - artists, teachers, producers, project managers and so forth - have built their value systems within this abundanceof styles, therefore are equally diverse,with somefixedpositionsandevenconflicts.Asaconsequence,thelandscapeisdottedwithtrainingorganisations,each with its own school of thought as to what constitutes a successful training programme, a good teacher, and so on. This dimension is barely, if at all, communicated to the public, mostofthetimeinvitedonlyto‘learnmusic’.Sheddingnewlightonthishiddenaspectwouldenablepeopletobetterunderstandeducationalandpoliticalprojectsandthentomakeachoice based on individual values and aspirations.

1.4. The Management and Promotion of Knowledge-Sharing

Despite the fact that collaborative learning initiatives have been developed over the last fifteenyears,thereisstillnoframeworkforexchangebetweenthedisparategroups.Theabsence of a systematic review prevents us from identifying what common approaches and projectsexistacrosstheconglomerationofstakeholders.Whatismore,eventhepremisefor collaborative learning has been the subject of criticism by many professionals involved in music education and training for whom the basis of a pedagogical programme is the initial training on the instrument, from as young an age as possible. Finally, as we have seen, the provision of support without far-reaching impact, such as competitions for bands with excitingrewards,logisticalandadministrativesupportarepresentedasbeingcollaborativelearningprogrammes,whichmakesitdifficulttodifferentiatebetweentwodistinctareasofprofessionalexpertise: thatheldby those inoccupations related to learning,and thatofthose related to production.

Thissituationexplainstoanextentthefactthatthesecollaborativeprogrammes,broughtabout through the activities of bodies dependent on public funding, are struggling to position themselves within mainstream public policies.

The political climate and increasing scrutiny of spend on cultural projects, as well as the increasinglystructuredco-ordinationofpeopleworkingontheground,arefactorswhichareleading us to distance ourselves from traditional constructs of state-funded music education, asfromtheincreasingnumberofclaimsmadebytheprivatesector.Asignificantnumberof roundtables and symposia have sought to set out how we can revise values and better useresources,tooptimisethebenefitsofanationalrepublicansystemdistributedacrossthenationalrealm,whichalsoactivelysupportsinnovationstakingplaceinsocietyatlarge.

Thesedebatesbringdivisionstolight,butequallytheypresentanopportunitytoovercomesuchdivisions, to construct a rationalebetween stakeholders frompublic educationandindependentnot-for-profitagencies,towardacommongood:thepreservationoftheprinciple

63

ofpublicinterventioninthefieldoflearningthearts.Inorderontheonehandtoclarifywhatdiffentiates private enterprise from public structures dedicated to such learning and on the other, to clearly identify the ways in which these places or schools are in the public interest, itisnecessarytocreateaserious,methodicalandparticipativeforumfortheexchangeofexpertise.Theideaistoworkattwolevels:

- that of national organisations, representatives of different organisations (conservatories, teacher training institutes, private colleges, performance venues, and so on) wherestandardisation of protocols and procedures should allow for comparative assessments, theexpressionofbeliefsandthesharingoftheresultsofstudiesorinternalevaluations;

- that of subregions, cities or communities, in which people involved in music pursue their vocations in various structures offering training, which may either co-operate or ignore one another.

It is when we imagine that urban communities will assume a strategic role that we begin toworkatanappropriatelevel,largeenoughtoencompassacomplexterritorybutlimitedenough to deal with real experiences, individual stakeholders and palpable impacts onartisticlife.Theprocedureshouldencompassprecautions,methodsfoundedon‘practicalanalysis’,thatis,writtendocuments,videos,sound,thatbearclosewitnesstowhatactuallytakesplaceinthedifferentorganisations.Sharedobservationofthesedocumentswillallowinvestedpartiestoinvoketheirmusicalandpedagogicalbeliefs,certaintiesanddoubtsfromreal situations and strong judgements. The process of baring all is a solution which invites each participant, facilitator, teacher, director of studies, etc, to come out of their institutional orsymbolicshellsandconsidertheessentialsofwhatmakesupavocation,anoccupation,know-how.Thisdemandsshort-terminvestmentwhichcancreatetheopportunitytosurvivein the long-term.

2. The Need for Policy-Makers to Re-Engage

Collaborative learningprogrammesareessentiallymadepossiblebyfinancial investmentfrom local and regional government. These local institutions, despite having no legal obligationstoinvestinculturalactivity,inmanycaseschampionexperimentation,andkeyinitiativesencouragingthepoolingofknowledgeonalocallevel.Professionalorganisations(suchasFrenchbodiesresponsibleforcopyrightslikethePRSFoundationinEngland)andstate-run services are cautious regarding the wholesale support of collaborative learning programmes. They therefore tend to limit their investment to a handful of such programmes.

Beyondastrictlyfinancial intervention,wewouldexpectthatthestate,aswellashavingintegrated these initiatives into their blueprints for arts education, would also create the conditions for implementation at ground level (training for instructors, collaboration with private collaborative learning organisations, delivery methods, and partnerships with further andhighereducation).

Thissituationisnotirreversible.Consequently,itcomesdownononehandtoorganisationsrunning collaborative learning programmes to continue to formalise their approaches, to continuallyadoptingenioustrainingmethods(objectives,resources,evaluation,andsoon)to develop common points of reference. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the authoritiestostayclosetopracticeandremainonthelookoutfordevelopmentsandmodesof dissemination.

64

On this basis, it would be possible to create a fair method for co-ordination and a complementarity between all such training offerings, (from conservatoires to private training centres,andsoon)alldedicatedtotheadvancementofmusic-making.

The majority of elected representatives have been relatively absent from the debate throughout recent years, imagining that it was a matter for specialists. On a local level, as in nationalorregionalmatters,thedebatetendstotakeplaceamongstexperts,professionalsfromtheprivatesector,andpublicofficials.

What place is there for musicians in the 21st century? What types learning should be on offer?Whatmusicalheritageshouldbepasseddown?Theseessentialquestionsarerarelyposed and are not voiced by our elected representatives. In fact, propositions tend to bypass unquestionablehumantruthsandthemanyassessmentscollectedbygovernmentbodies,such as higher education establishments and conventional qualifications and diplomas.Anything that allows the parties involved to position themselves and to understand political logicisrarelymadeexplicit.Theobjectives,structuresforthevalidationofinitiatives,andthefinancialresourcesinvolvedarenotmadetransparentanddonotenterintothedebate.At the mercy of administrative logic, the future of music education is devoid of vision, of interactionwithrealmusic-making,andofprioritiesexpressedbypoliticians.

2.1. Conservatoires and Popular Music

OneconservatoireDirector,whenfrequentlyaskedforhisopinionontherelationshipbetweenmusic schools and popular music, always now starts out by saying, “Thequestionshouldnotbe‘howandwhenwillpopularmusicbecomepartofwhatmusicschoolsoffer?’,butrather‘whenwillmusicschoolsbecomepartofthepopularmusicscene?’”.Inverting this conundrum illustrates well the spectrum of opinions on the subject of academic teaching.Dependingonthecontext,popularmusiciseitherconsideredasasocialphenomenon,whichleadsustore-examinethefundamentalprinciplesoftheeducationsystem,orasoneofmanydisciplines(asperthediplomasrequiredforteachingpopularmusicinconservatoires),requiringitsownteachingandlearninginfrastructure.

It is easy to see the differences in strategic ambition which can arise between these two viewpoints, and the length of the potential preliminary debates well before the purely pedagogical questionoftheteacher’sexpertise.Wecanobservehereandthereawillingnesstoadaptandexperiment,whichbearswitnesstoawishtowelcomediversity,totakeastepbackfromthetraditionalcurriculum,tobeanapproachablelocalaccomplice,capableofadaptingone’sownresources and of recognising those of others.

Inthiscase,popularmusic-makingisarealitywhichexposesitscomplexities,whichappealsto the collective imagination and which is in time is owned by everyone with its challenges and also its potential.

But lookingbackwecansee,howsomeacademic institutions, stylistically frozen in time,resolutelymaintainprincipleofexcellenceatalllevelsofthepedagogicaldiscourse,reducingpopularmusic to itsmost simplistic level (at best, a specialised department), becomingamissionforafewexpertgraduates.

65

2.2. Opting for Skills Networks

It is unreasonable toexpect that a singleestablishment is capableof responding to theextremediversityofdemandsformusicalinstruction.Forreasonsofpedagogy,technology,and identity, every school develops an offering which tends towards ensuring loyalty from a particular strand of the public, open to others but rarely able to respond to all aspirations, tastes,andallrequeststacitorexplicit.Also,behindacampaignwhichinvokes‘music’or‘alltypesofmusic’,werarelycomeacrossexpertsfromallcultures,andevenlessthetypeofinitiativethatcorrespondstothediversityofpracticesandrequests(fromthedemandsofindividualstothatofbands,forexample).Incertainsettings,observationsfromsociologyspeakvolumesregardingtheimportanceofidentity,exploringthesymbolicreasonswhywefrequentoneplaceandavoidanother.Creatinganetworkofplacesof learningthereforeappears to be a solution, a logical step allowing for the convergence of diverse demands withdiverseofferings.Eachprofessional(teacher,headofestablishment,decision-makers,and so on)will be the link between a united front of stakeholders capable of guidance,counsel,andofproposinganarrayofpossiblecourses.The logicof creatinganetworkmust be seen on a scale of a coherent geographical area, bearing in mind that with the advancementofartisticprojectsconcernedtherequirementforproximityvaries:asmuchaschildren’s learning requires localsolutions,other individualsorgroups involved in themoreadvancedstagesofanartisticprojectareequallywillingtotraveltofindthead-hocstructure, resource, or know-how they require. In thisway, the school or the trainer areno longer isolatedandconfrontedwith thepotentialdifficultyofnotbeingable tosatisfyaparticulardemand,but cancall on theirpeers forhelp.Thiswayofworkingobviouslyrequiresawillingness tocooperateand themeans todoso,and foreachof thepartiesinvolved,arecognitionofhis/herroleas‘prescriber’andbasedonanadequateknowledgeofwhatisofferedineachestablishment.Theusefulnessofthenetworkshouldnotbelimitedtotheeaseoffindinginformation,butshouldalsoconstituteaframeworkfortheintroductionofpedagogicalquestions.Itsperimetershouldreachtocentresofpracticeandperformance(rehearsal studios for example) thereby envisaging a coherent synergy between thosewhowillreceivetheartists,thoseexposingthemtothepublic,andthoseevaluatingtheirefforts. This vision supposes that the training period is inseparable from periods of activity andperformance,andthattheskillsoftraditionalteachingprofessionals, and of facilitators workingoncollaborativelearningprogrammesgobeyondtheculturesofeachvocationandremainopentoinfluence.

2.3. Formalising Without Standardising

Since the 1990s, an increasing number of French organisations, training centres, performance venuesandnetworks,haveofferedlocalbandscollaborativelearningprogrammes,gearedtowardscareerdevelopment.Inthiscontext,bycareerdevelopmentwemeanthequalitystandardsappliedtoworkingmethods,know-howandartisticworth,ratherthanthepursuiteof a career purely related to income generation. These programmes offer a wide range of educational content, support in production, and promotion, and are co-ordinated locally, subregionally,andsomeofthemextendtheirreachtoregionalandnationalprogrammes.(Indeed, this translation indicates awill to explore new international partnership-workingplatforms.)Upuntilthispointnoformalstudies,systematicreviewspoolingofexperiencesor evaluations have been carried out. Instead, each organisation tends to plough its own furrow,attemptingtosustainandadapttheiractivitiesinthelightoffeedback,partnershipsand the availability of local resources.

66

Making these flagship collaborative learningmethods and programmes the subject of aformalresearchstudyisnotwithoutrisk,butisbecomingincreasinglynecessary.

This need is now increasingly strong because, as soon as public funding becomes limited to anumberofstrictlydefinedprojects,ortherearecutstogrants,ordecentralisationprocessesforculturalprovisionfailtoextendtoindependentinitiatives,theseprogrammesareatriskof losing their funding. Moreover, professional organisations, such as those in charge of copyright,distancethemselvesfromtheseapproachesto ‘professionalisation’ in thearts,for reasonswehavealreadycited.Suchastudy is therefore required,because, if thoseinvolvedthemselvesaspiretosustainedrecognitionandareseekingthestabilityenjoyedbythis type of organisation, they have no choice but to translate and publish clear indicators of the inherent value of their training processes. This process will involve the monitoring and evaluationof educational objectives, artistic aims, skills development, theexplanationofevaluationprocedures,resourcesinvested,ahandbookofprotocols,and,lastbutnotleast,anexplanationofhowdirectexchangeofexperiencesbetweenthoseinvolvedisessentialto progress and continuous improvement.

This process also carries risk, because to produce an analysis that is too abstract andfragmentedordetachedcanmakeforasituationinwhichgovernmentexpertsonlygraspafew elements that are easily standardised, integrating those which are easiest to integrate into existing educational programmes, at the expense of a more complex panoply ofvaluableresources.ThishappenedinFranceattheendofthe1990’s,when,theprocessofdevisingasetofqualifications inpopularmusicresultedinacertificateandanationaldiplomaastheonlyoutcomes.Thereisalsoarisktoindividualsconcernedif,intheprocessofformalisation,thedefinitionofcriteria,andvaluejudgementsthatarearticulated,resultinstandardisationor‘dumbingdown’atthecostofuniqueandcutting-edgepractices.Wetaketheoppositestandpointthatsuccessistheproductofadynamicinteractionbetweensupply and demand, and that, as a result, every programme or device which adopts this collaborative approach to learning should be given space in which to innovate rather than be requiredtoadoptgivenstandards.Drawingalinebetweenunnecessaryriskandessentialchangescouldbeyetanothergamble,orperhapsacalculatedrisk?!

67

In Conclusion or A Final Plea

The ways in which we listen to and produce music have been revolutionised, from the latenineteenthcenturyandEdison’sgramophonetocurrentsamplingmethodsandweb-baseddistributionofdigitalmusicfiles,withsuchground-breakinginnovationsaselectronicrecording,radio-broadcasting,45’s,Fenderguitars,soundsystemsinallconcertvenues,mini-disksandmulti-trackrecordingcontributingalongtheway.

Over the last twenty years, the rapid evolution of information technology has generated a massiveshiftineducationandlearningmethods,includingthewaysinwhichpeopleacquiremusicalknowledgeandskills.Thatwhichwasoncelimitedtopeerexchangenowextendstocommunitynetworksinvolvingpeoplefromacrosstheglobe.Thecollaborativeplatform,Wikipedia,haslargelyreplacedtraditionalencyclopedictexts.

Thesetwokeyobservationsleadustoconcludethatthenewdemandsplacedonculturallearningcanneitherbesatisfiedbytheverticalapproachtoknowledgetransfer,norbythelearning methods designed for classical music. Instead, there is a clear need to devise training and learningmethodswhich evolvewith practice, taking into consideration fast-moving stylistic, technological and social developments.

Thislargelyexplainsthelogicbehindanumberoforganisations,whichspecialiseinpopularmusic,comingtogetheroverrecentyearstodebatetheissuesofknowledgetransferandpedagogy. It is also true that ongoing government reforms and the new European programme provide opportunities for international collaboration in devising and designing dedicated higher education facilities.

EveninFrance,weunderstandthattheStateisnottheonlycommissionerinthisfield.Fordecades now businesses have been developing programmes designed to respond to and stimulate appetites, to anticipate and manufacture trends.

Concurrently wider internet access gives people the freedom to choose and own large music collectionsfromanincrediblepoolwhichextendsacrossallconceivablegenres.

Meanwhile, the upsurge in local authority activity, and the gradual co-ordination of the third sector, is providing people with another healthy option to the public education system. Equally, newwaysof devisingpolicy are comingupwith new formsof, and spaces for,decision-making.

Amidst thisplethoraofdifferentdomains, it becomes increasinglydifficult todifferentiatebetween self-seeking and public-servingmotivation.Webelieve in affirming the need torecognise and support authentic local initiatives, which, by engaging with people in order tobetterunderstandandrespondtotherangeofrequestsandexpectationsintheirareas,definesustainablecareersandpathwaysformusicians.

Rather than emphasising any divide between conservatoires and specialist popular music organisations,itisimportantnowforallpartnerstopooltheirprinciples,areasofexpertiseandknow-howtofindnewwaystobestservethepublicinterest.

In order to get to this point, cultural leaders and politicians urgently need to assert the public

68

responsibility for cultural learning, specifically inmusicandmorewidelyacross thearts.Weareaskingthemtoupdatethevaluesof theword ‘culture’andtoassumeakeyrolealongsidemarketforces.

The highest barrier isn’t between the classicalworld and the popularmusic scene, it isbetween those who are comforted by sets of absolutes, and those who accept that the music surroundingusthrowsourpreconceptionsintoquestion.

To be sensitive to this, we need to stay in constant touchwith public expectations andevolvingpractice,and tocontinue toexperimentand topropose innovativeand relevantsolutions.Itisonlybydoingthisthatwewillavoidbecominghemmedinbywaysofworkingwhichmaybefitfortodayandwhichareunfitfortomorrow.Atthesametime,thereisaneedto play an active role in the thought processes which are shaping our future pedagogical landscape.

Inthisbrochure,theCollectifRPMhassetoutasetofmarkersandreferencepoints,withtheaimofpromotingandstimulatingreflection,sharingandexperimentationtohelpadvancemusic-makingandgrowtherelatedknowledgebase.

Attheendoftheday,theCollectifRPM’smissionisfortheirworktobeofpracticalusetothe largest number of people possible.

69

Appendix

Description of the Four Founding Members of the Collectif RPM

L’ARA - www.ara-asso.fr

BasedinRoubaixinNorthernFrance,the‘ARA’isanot-for-profitorganisationthatsupportspopularmusicpractice.Forthelast25years,ithasbroughttogethermusiciansandmusicloverstoexchangeandsharetheirskillsandknowledge:aswellaslearningtoplaymusic,peoplecandeveloptheirartisticprojectsthereandcultivatethepleasuretheytakeinlisteningtomusic.TheARAisamusicalhiveofactivityopentoeveryone,amateursandprofessionalswithno limitsonage,socialbackground, technicalskillsorpreferredmusicalstyle.Theorganisation’sphilosophyisbasedonaspecificapproachtoteaching,whichoptsforexchangeratherthaninstruction,co-operationratherthancompetition,andpleasureratherthanexcellence.

TheARA’sprogrammeconsistsoffourmainstrands:

1. music learning, which involves 200 people per year in group learning either to sing or to play an instrument;

2. artistic guidance,designedforbands,thesebespokeprogrammescantakeanynumberofdifferentforms, from performance analysis to a composing residency;

3. cultural outreach,which involves setting upanddeliveringmusic-makingandprovidingaccess tomusic out in the community, with a range of groups, including disabled or vulnerable groups, in schools, prisons and hospitals;

4. training on sound management and prevention of risks to hearing, throughworkshops,trainingand awareness-raising initiatives this strand is delivered to young students as well as to professionals.

TheARAiscollaboratingwithBelgian,Englishand Italianmusicorganisationson twoeuropeanprojects:“Rout’Art” isan Interregprogrammewhichaims tosupportartists intoprofessionalcareers in theFrench-Belgiancross-borderregion,and“MusicinProgress”isaGrundtvigProgramme,whichinvolvesexchangesofpracticeandknowledge-sharingon teachingmethods regardingcollaborative learningwithgroupsandcultural outreach.

70

LA CASA MUSICALE - www.casamusicale.net

Founded in 1996 jointly by the City of Perpignan and the regional government of Languedoc Roussillon, the Casa Musicale is an open space for playing, meetings and artistic projects, directly grounded in the area and today’surbanrealities.Itisaspace,whichsitsbetweensocial,culturalandartisticactivities.

The Casa Musicaleisprincipallydedicatedtoamateurmusic-making.Thisconsistsofthreemainstrands:

- Weekly workshopsAllworkshops(strings,percussion,voice,danceetc.)areforgroupsandareledbyartistfacilitators.Theyarejustasmuchdesignedforpeoplelookingforahobby,asforconfirmedamateurswhowanttoplayinagroupand/orperfecttheirtechnique.Thestylesofferedarepop,rock,hip-hopandlatindance,inkeepingwith current forms of music and dance from the area.

- Placements and learning residenciesThis strand involves short intensive programmes, sometimes in a series and sometimes as one-offs, during whichanartistorateamworksonaspecificrepertoireormethod.Thegoaloftheseprogrammesistogodeeperwiththeworkachievedinworkshopsortodiscoveranewform.

- Collaborative learning with bands and companiesTheCasaMusicaleofferstailor-madecollaborativelearningpackagesformusicgroupsanddancecompanies.These can range from simplymaking available suitable rehearsal studios to studio recording sessions,rehearsals guided by an artist mentor or facilitator and support with management and administration.

Toensurethatthesupportonofferisofpracticaluse,theCasaMusicalemakesitsrehearsalandrecordingstudios and performance spaces available to many artists who are preparing to tour or to record. This healthy mix of amateurs and professionals using the same workspace stimulates creative exchanges and newmeetings.

DespitethefactthatdistributionisnottheCasaMusicale’sprincipalworkprogramme,theteamarehappytoconnectpeoplewithlocalorganisationsandproducers.Also,theyorganisetheYVueltaFestivalandmanyclub nights and showcases throughout the season.

Due to the location of the centre in northern Catalonia, the Casa Musicale is developing a good number of cross-borderpartnershipsforskills-sharingbetweenculturalprofessionalsandproducerscoveringsuchgenresashiphop,rockrumbaandflamenco.Amajoreventtodowiththiscross-borderpartnershipisthe‘SetmanadelaRumbaCatalana’involvingconcerts,exhibitions,film-showings,conferencesandguitarcoursesinGironaandPerpignan,the4theditionofwhichissettotakeplacein2014.

Over and above these cross-border partnerships, La Casa Musicale is developing international bilateral projects,forexamplewiththeMHHOBhip-hopmovementinBrazilandwiththeLiverpoolInternationalMusicFestival in England.

71

Le CRY - www.lecry.com

The name CRY in French stands for Centre de Ressources Yvelinois which means Resource Centre in the YvelinesdistrictborderingParis.TheCRYistheumbrellaorganisationfortheYvelineslocalnetworkofconcertvenues,rehearsalstudios,trainingspacesallworkinginthefieldofpopular,amplifiedmusic,suchasrock,jazz,song,hiphopandelectro.

Setupinthe1990’s,thisnon-for-profitorganisation,nowbringstogetheraboutthirtyplacesfromacrossthesubregion,whichsharethegoalofimprovingaccess,learningandexpressionacrossallmusicalstylesintheYvelines.

Workingattheheartofanetworkallowsfor:- peer learning between members- the strengthening of a sense of community and dialogue between members- stimulating discussions about the current challenges in music playing and development- theidentificationofmusicians’andmusiclovers’needstohelpshapepublicpolicy

TheCRYdeliversawideofprogrammes,cateringforallsectionsofthepopulation:- artisticdevelopment:promotionandcollaborativelearningforlocalartists–Yvelive–Plateau109–Echo

du Local- supportforpeoplewithprojects:receiptofproposals,information,advice,guidancefromartists,organisers,

students, local politicians…- gathering and distribution of music-related resources: catalogue (concert organisers and rehearsal

studios),documentaryresources(reports,recordsofconferences,academicarticles,legaldocuments),soundarchives(localartists’music)

- providingnewsfromthelocalmusicscene:78Tour.com- monitoringofmusic-makinginthelocality:keepingarecordofequipment,carryingoutaudiencesurveys…- trainingandawareness-raisingforarangeofstakeholders:themedtrainingdays,bespokecourses,days

of showcasing and meetings for local politicians and information days for musicians…- culturaloutreach:inschools,prisonsandotherspecificpartnervenues

TheCRYreceivescoresupportfromthefollowinginstitutions:- ConseilGénéraldesYvelines(subregionalgovernment)- MinistèredelaCulture–DRACÎle-de-France(nationalgovernmentfundsfortheartsdistributedviathe

regionalculturalbody)- ConseilRégionald’Île-de-France(regionalgovernment)- MinistèredelaJeunesseetdesSports(nationalgovernmentdepartmentforyouthandsports)

PartnersincludeTVFil78,RadioSensation,MarcTouchéfromtheNationalCentreforScentificResearchamongst others.

72

TREMPOLINO - www.trempo.com

Trempolino supports artists, musicians, promoters, record labels, producers.In1990,agroupofpublicpartnersandkeyplayersfromthepopularmusicscenecreatedTrempolinoinorderto provide practical support to artists, musicians, concert organisers, labels and developers. After twenty years ofexperimentationandrunningsuccessfulprogrammes,Trempolinomoved toLaFabrique.Acollectionofartslaboratories,LaFabriqueisanoutward-facingplacewithaglobalandeuropeanidentity,andequallyislocally-grounded,creatingspaceforartistsfromarangeofbackgroundstomeet,exchangeandtoinventnewcultural narratives.

Committed to Public Innovation, Responsive to Citizens’ Needs and AspirationsDealing directly with arts and cultural issues, social innovation, economy, harmonious and lasting local development,everyprojectTrempolinorunsadherestotheorganisation’sculturalethicscharter.Ouractionsseek to strengthen core principles of a shared social economy, co-operation between partners, and co-production of public policies with life in our communities.

Trempolino’s programme is structured around three main objectives :

1. Supporting Local Arts Development : bycontinuouslylookingforinteractionsbetweencultureandsociety,Trempolinosupportsdiversewaysofapproachingandmakingmusic(learning,experimenting…)andenablesvariouskindsofknowledgetransferandshowcasingbyofferingflexiblesupportpackagesandspaces:- rehearsal and recording studios,- musicworkshops(promotinglearning,encouraginggroupsessionsandplayingwithformsandstyles),- localisedculturalprogrammesofferingexcitingartisticjourneys.

2. Supporting initiatives and creations : thissupportenablesworkersintheculturalsectortobetterarticulatethe context and to acquire skills in cultural projectmanagement.Ourmethods help to pool and optimisestrengths and encourage partnerships to develop.Trempolinooffersongoingsupporttofacilitatelong-termprojectdevelopment,including:- Pays de la Loire Regional Center for information and resources(mediaandbooklibrary,shop),- financialassistanceforprojects(microcredit,distribution,etc.),- personal consultations, conferences, etc.

3. Supporting professional career paths with training and integration into the workplace : training for artists, technicians and cultural operators encourage individual and collective careers through learning. Beyond the training, professional integration builds the relationship between artists and practicing professionals in offering:- ongoing training internships,- international training courses,- college training.

UNIQUE ACTIONThe Trempo Guaranteemakesiteasierforartiststogetcredittofinancetheirculturalprojects.

International Projects Supporting Artists’ Mobility: residential training courses enable professionalmusicians to immerse themselves in the culture and musical scene each host country and city. Courses to date havetakenplaceinGermany(Berlin),England(Liverpool),Cuba(LaHavana),UnitedStates(NewOrléans),Mali(Bamako),Morocco(Meknes),Trinidad&Tobago.

Supporting Artists To Perform At Festivals : Several artists from the Pays de la Loire region are supported by Trempolino to prepare and participate in the Printemps de Bourges and Trans Musicales de Rennes festivals - both of which are major music festivals in France.

Workspace :Supportlocalplayersbyprovidingworkspaceaswellashelpingthemtostructuretheirprojects.

La Place :Aculturalcafétomeetandlearn,totalkanddiscuss,tohostconferences,seminars,gigs,cartesblanches,exhibitions.

73

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Rather than functioning like a traditional glossary, which serves to provide definitions ofkeywords, thepurposeof thisGlossary is toexplain thechoiceofcertainEnglishwords inrelation tooriginalFrench text.Several keyFrench termsused in this texthaveapluralityof meanings in English. Where possible, we have opted for consistency, only sometimes interchangingwordsforamoreaccuratetranslation.ThisGlossaryisaworkinprogressandadditionsandcommentsforworkinotherinternationalsettingswouldbemosthelpful.

Englishwordsarelistedinalphabeticalorder.Thefollowingconventionsareused:

bold a more important termitalic thecontext(e.g.senseorgrammaticalroleofaword)(…) an optional wordf feminine nounm masculine nounpl plural

The subject of teaching popular music is perceived differently in France than in England, due to the way that current musical styles have developed, the status of artists and the balance ofpublicandprivatefundingwhichhasinfluencedtheinterrelationshipbetweentheartsandthemusicindustryinbothcountries.ThesefactorsdefinethevocabularyusedthroughouttheFrenchtextandhaveraisedseveralimportantissuesintermsofcontextualisation,whicharetouched on here.

1. Artists and Popular MusicTobeanartistinFranceisgenerallytomakeaclearcareerchoice,asthestatusofartistsisverymuchdefinedintermsoftaxstatusandnetworks.InEngland,theprofessionofanartisttendstobemorelinkedtoestablishedvisualartistsandsomeperformers,andpeopletendtomixtheircareerasanartistwithotherpaidjobs.Asexplainedinthetext,streetartsandpopularmusicweredefinedasart-formsunder theFrenchMinisterofCultureJacquesLangue.Frenchpopularmusicisverymuchinfluencedbythe‘chanson’,whichisspecificformofmelodicpoetrywithamoremarginalaudiencethanBritishorAmericanpop,whichisgenerallymorecommercialandmarket-drivengiventhemuchlarger audience numbers internationally.

2. Public Funding and Policy-Making In France, where taxes are generally considered high (much higher than in Englandfor example), cultural facilities and large-scale projects have been 100% dependenton public funding. This is slowly starting to change. French government funding has operatedataCity-level,aDépartement(orcounty)level,aregionalandanationallevel.Before being translated,many of the specific references to French public policy andfunding, and assumptions based on these, were edited out, in order to focus on sharing processes.Theclear impetusandurgentneedforthisworkinFrancetobeendorsedandbetterrecognisedbypoliticiansinordertobesustainableiscentraltothetext,andistransferabletheEuropeanDGforCultureandotherdecision-makingstructuresandfunders internationally and nationally, which support the principle of artistic and cultural entitlement.

74

English word/smostly used

Translated words in context

French wordin original text

area(locality) The local ‘areas’ in this text mainly relate to areas defined by government localities, be it City/Council, subregion or regional, as per the French word ‘collectivité’. The word ‘territoire’ often refers to the local area surrounding an organisation, which is often defined by public funding and therefore these areas defined by governments. ‘Locality’ is used to denote a smaller defined geographical area.

collectivité(f)territoire(m)

body/ies Public bodies is a generic term to cover mainstream institutions and agencies. However, agencies have taken on a more negative slant due to the proliferation of government-funded ‘quangos’ in the UK. (See also ‘organisation’.

Structure(f)

British and American

In English ‘Anglo-Saxon’ is a word which evokes the past and is rarely applied to popular music. In this context it relates to Western, English-speaking influences which is why we have used these national terms though the reference could be broadened to Canadian and Irish for example too.

Anglo-Saxon(adj)

collaborative learning

The literal translation ‘accompaniment’ has specific connotations in English which are associated with piano or instrumental accompaniments. The Guildhall School of Music recognise the outdatedness of this ‘secondary status’ and now run a course called ‘collaborative piano’. Other potential adjectives considered were ‘co-operative’ and ‘supported’ but ‘collaborative’ was considered to best communicate the sense of a shared journey and mutual exchange. (‘Accompagnement’ is defined on page 25.)

accompagnement (m)

Collectif For the name of the ‘Collectif RPM’, the French sticks. It doesn’t translate precisely as collective.

Collectif(m)

conservatoire (musicschool)

In France publicly-funded ‘conservatoires’, or music schools, are located in every city. Larger ones cover regions and there are two which operate at a national level. They tend to focus on teaching classical music, though this is slowly changing. The French word has usually been retained as it is generally understood in English and there is no direct equivalent in England due to the much smaller number of publicly-funded facilities in the UK.

conservatoire(f)

course curriculum These words are both mainly associated with a traditional educational context.

cursus(m)

facilitator ‘Intervenant’ carries a sense of somebody carrying out a specific intervention whereas facilitator is more about supporting a development process and fits well with the ‘accompagnement’ methodology. A breakdown of the definition of this word in French is found on pages 34-5.

intervenant(m)

in-between bands This new phrase was coined to define bands operating between the professional and amateur spheres, and implies a deliberate blurring of these twoa categories.

groupe intermédiaire(f)

learner Because the text is dealing with education and exchange the word ‘learner’ is used as a direct translation does not exist in one word.

accompagné(m)apprenti(m)

learning agreement

‘Convention’ has a legal sense in French. Here it is about setting out an agreed plan which is designed to be flexible and to evolve and change in an educational context, hence the word ‘agreement’ has been chosen over ‘contract’.

convention(f)

75

monitor (See article by François Ribac, pages 19-21). More used in a visual sense in English, but also means a feedback speaker. In English the associations are also about imposing rules, eg school monitor, or in relation to CCTV.

moniteur(m)

musician (artist) In several cases, the word ‘musician’ has been used for the French word ‘artiste’, as it is closer to artist than other options and sounds more natural than artist.

artiste / musicien

organisation Here ‘structure’ refers to the type of arts or cultural organisation managing these popular music training programmes, thereby a medium-sized organisation with a formal structure and function, covering a locality.

structure(f)

not-for-profitorganisation

In France these third sector organisations usually have a very specifically-defined remit and client base and are set up with charitable aims to re-invest in the communities which they serve. As in England they can vary in size from very small organisations to large-scale charitable organisations.

association(f)

pedagogical / pedagogy

These words are used very frequently throughout the French text and, in some cases, are translated directly. However, in English they tend to have a more academic connotation so in some cases more common words, such as educational, have been chosen.

pédagogique/pédagogie(f)

popular music ‘Les musiques actuelles’ has a broader more inclusive sense of current music styles than ‘popular music’ which has a more public / market-facing sense, reflecting the more commercial natures of this type of music in England. ‘Pop music’, which is more currently used also has more limited connotations rather than defining a discipline. Gaby Bizien’s article on page 9 defines more the scope of the French term.

musiquesactuelles(f.pl)

public policy Public policy in France is an industry in itself backed up by in-depth philosophical research and layers of government-funding, from cities, subregions, regionals and nationally. It is seen as crucial to underpinning the development and sustainability of this work.

politiquespubliques(f.pl)

practice Again there are multiple broader meaning of ‘pratique’ in French and a strong connotation in English of rehearsing alone or with bands.

pratique(f)

staged rehearsal Rehearsal which take place on stage and are used as learning experiences, often with facilitators and mentors present, as explained on p50.

répétition montée (f)

teacher Whereas teachers are more commonly associated with schools or instrumental teaching, ‘professeurs’ in France teach at all academic levels. Both are, in the main, understood to be formally qualified.

professeur(m)

76www.collectifrpm.org

Musicteachingandthetransferofmusicalknowledgearecurrentlykeysubjectsfordebatebetweenculturalorganisationsandstakeholders.As inEngland,where recentdecisionshavetriggeredsignificantcontroversyoverboththeimportanceoftheartsandmusicwithinthenationalcurriculumand thesupportneeded forwork in thepublicdomain,a lot isatstake in France, where decisions taken over comingmonths locally and nationally, willset thecore framework for thedevelopmentofmusicasadisciplineovercomingyears.Thisdevelopmentworkinvolvesquestioningtherelationshipbetweenqualitystandardsinteaching,training,skills,collaborativelearningG and support programmes and the reality of howthegeneralpublicexperiencemusic.

Despite only being a recent feature of public policyG in France, popular musicG is central tothiscurrentdebate.It isforthisreason,andinthiscontext,thatwewanttoshareandexchangeourresearch,learningandperspectiveswithawideraudience.

Indeed,theexperientialandpracticalexchanges,inwhichtheCollectifRPMhasinvestedfor many years now, have led us to include current popular music practiceGasakeystrandof our practice-based research, which is designed to bring new ideas to the table for how to createtheoptimumconditionsforthedisseminationofknowledgeandskillsinmusic.

This paper is written for a wide range of interested parties - from musiciansG to educationalists, from teachersG and facilitatorsG to leaders of cultural and training bodies, and also for politiciansandpublicpolicy-makers- inthemodesthopethatthesereflectionswillassistthemintheirdecision-makingprocesses.Atthesametime,throughexchangeanddebatewehopetorefineandimproveourownpractice,strengthenexistingandbuildnewpartnershipsacross Europe and more widely. Initially this paper will be used as a basis for discussion at European seminars throughout 2014.

contact@collectifrpm.org