Understanding Music Literacies: An Investigation of How Artists Engage With Texts

• In Event: Challenging Boundaries in Music Education

Abstract

This qualitative interview study investigates how texts are used in the daily routines and processes of professionals who work in music-related fields (e.g. performers, sound engineers, teachers, managers) in order to understand the text types, processes and purposes for reading and writing that constitute disciplinary literacy in music. Data for this study included field notes and transcripts from 20 interviews. Findings suggest that professionals use texts in integral, supportive, and adjacent ways in their professional roles. And that several habits of mind characterize text interactions: repetition and routine; and emphases on communication, empathy, collective movement and response. These findings may help music educators broaden conceptions of literacy in music and the texts used in K-12 settings and beyond.

Authors

• Cara Bernard, University of Connecticut - Storrs

• Rachael E. Gabriel, University of Connecticut