Cultivating Artistry: Intersections of Applied Musicianship and Mentorship in a Preservice Teaching Community

• In Event: 44.084 - Roundtable Session 18
  In Roundtable Session: 44.084-20 - Becoming Artist Music Teachers: Four Perspectives on Music Teacher Identity Construction

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive case study was to investigate the nexus of mentorship, musicianship, and artistry for pre-service music teachers while engaging in authentic context learning (ACL) experiences. Research questions included: how do participants understand and express artistry in music teaching?; and how does mentorship influence the development of musicianship, artistic disposition, and career trajectory?
Mentorship and the indirect observation of teachers at various stages of development have been cited as an important part of the socialization of pre-service teachers (e.g., Korthagen, 2016; Lebler, 2007; Le Cornu & Ewing, 2008). While mutually supportive and diverse socialization structures in undergraduate programs have are important to the development of strong teacher identities (Austin, Isbell, & Russell, 2010), ACL activities may be especially relevant to cultivating successful music educators (Paul et al. 2001). Additionally, a sociocultural conception of teacher identity development may elucidate the trajectory negotiations experienced by pre-service music educators (Wenger, 1998).
Participants included twenty-one individuals who teach in a university-sponsored community outreach program that serves Title 1 middle school musicians, although, for this presentation, I will focus on three participants: Erin (Senior), Oren (Junior), and Amber (Senior). Sampling techniques included both typical case and intensity sampling strategies (Patton, 2002). These strategies were used to identify and focus upon individuals whose experience was typical of the experience had by many participants and also revealed several intersecting trajectories as they prepared, grew, and reflected upon program participation.
Data sources included sustained observation/field notes, group and individual interviews, participant journals, and written feedback to peers. Data interpretation progressed through several iterations of in-vivo, pattern, and deductive coding strategies that led to several conceptual framework revisions and ultimately led to the emergent themes presented here. Ethical Validation (Creswell, 2007) also played a major part in attempting to create a critical stance for this study. Specifically, negative case analysis, member checks, and external checks were done in an effort to gain additional insight and perspective for data interpretation.
Sustained observations over three years reveal patterned conceptions of musicianship, artistic disposition, and career trajectory for participants at all levels. These factors were seemingly influenced by the opportunities to reciprocally exchange roles. Participants who exhibited a rich consilience of artistic disposition and teaching identity fluidly traversed the stages of role exchange outlined by Tharpe and Gallimore (1991, pp. 52-53). Conversely, those resistant to role exchange actively wrestled with their own identity trajectory as music educators.
Findings will be discussed in three themes: (1) searching for outlets to cultivate musical creativity; (2) finding artistic voice through the worldview of another; and (3) expanding depth of musical experience/expertise.
Practical implications suggest that multifaceted feedback and mentorship relationships help to increase awareness, transparency of community, and individual teaching confidence. These factors are also seemingly interdependently linked as avenues for developing an awareness of artistic depth. Theoretical implications suggest that examining how various trajectories and the associated communities of practice each preservice teacher is involved with, intentionally or unintentionally, reveals the reciprocal and multifaceted nature of PMT identity development.

Author

• Erik Alan Johnson, Colorado State University