Artful Thinking with/about/through Music: Harmonizing the Onto-Epistemological and Ethical Terrain of Inquiring (Poster 5)

• In Event: Artful Inquiry in Qualitative Research: Philosophies and Enactments

Abstract

Objectives
As artful inquiry invites imagination to open up “other” possibilities in/for inquiry, we aim to open liminal spaces by weaving our transformative moments of thinking with/about/through music. Drawing on the idea of methodology as a lifestyle choice and multical thinking, this paper explores how to envision methodologizing music-informed thinking for qualitative inquiry.
Perspectives
We visit music within artful inquiry, positioning it not only as a research medium but also as a metaphor, companion, and critical friend. We explore three key characteristics of artful thinking in conjunction with music, drawing from Freeman’s (2017) concept of poetic thinking and integrating our personal experiences with music. Poetical thinking, as Freeman describes it, seeks to liberate unconventional modes of perception and existence, transcending the boundaries of conventional knowledge representation to focus on a deeper understanding of existence itself, an ontological being. Our framing of thinking with music aligns closely with these principles of poetic thinking, endeavoring to push the boundaries of what is deemed possible within the realms of both thought and expression.

Modes of Inquiry
Our writing of this essay centers our embodied knowing and stance as relational beings connected by and through the Pacific Ocean. We acknowledge that our ways of being, knowing, and thinking are shaped by the history of the land each of us is from—a wounded history by coloniality, imperialism, military occupation, and racial capitalism (Chen, 2010; Mignolo & Walsh, 2018; Trask, 1999)––and our constant efforts to search and imagine a place where our voices can be celebrated in approaches to and processes of inquiry. We also understand that our ancestral knowledge embodies the artful nature of being and thinking (Bhattacharya, 2020; Tuck & McKenzie, 2015), unlike the Cartesian-infused binary between science and art. Thus, we intend to open liminal spaces (Finley, 2014) for imagining qualitative inquiry that has not come yet (Truman, 2023), by weaving our transformative moments of thinking with/about/through music and our engagement with qualitative research.

Conclusion and Significance
We first posit openness for social imagination through active listening as a fundamental element of musical thinking. Second, we emphasize relationality in music-making space that can serve as a metaphor and companion for inclusive research space. Finally, we address ethicality by exploring how music as a critical friend can guide inquiry toward the decolonial and justice agenda. In methodologizing music as a form of inquiry, it’s clear that there is much to discuss and develop, with specific guidelines and examples. In our first attempt, we aimed to highlight the potential of musical thinking for epistemologically boundary-crossing, ontologically relational, as well as ethically just and decolonial dimensions. Considering music as a metaphor, companion, and critical friend throughout the research process can enable more creative and embodied approaches to inquiry, conducted in an ethically minded manner. This sets the stage for the next act of researcher-performers to take the academic spotlight with a listening and engaged audience ready to play along.


[References omitted here due to word count (form lacks a separate field for references). See submission document.]

Authors

• Taeyeon Kim, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Sam Bader, University of Nebraska - Lincoln