November 18

Ep 9 – An International journey in building musical communities and “the jam” w/ Alison Armstrong

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Alison Armstrong has worked as a music educator in Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Switzerland, Laos, Thailand and now Uzbekistan at Tashkent International School

Drawing on influences from all of these experiences, Alison represents a new wave of international school music educators. Unconstrained, yet informed by tradition, Alison delves into the experiences of her students to create music programs that are truly communal and life-changing for her students.

In this episode, we explore:

  • The ways that Alison's personal reflexivity around her own music learning has informed her approach to music education pedagogy. 
  • Alison's various experiences in international schools to draw a thread showing how tapping into student interests and cultural contexts creates incredibly powerful musical communities
  • Alison's concept of "the jam"! You'll have to listen to find out what that is all about. 
  • Using music technology in fresh ways.
  • Approaches to hybrid ensemble work.
  • Ways to engage students through culturally diverse music styles.
  • The concept of an "album club" (kinda like a book club, but with albums!). 

Let me tell you, this episode is a fun one! My favourite moment is where we discover that System Of A Down is now a classic band that is loved by students that are into metal! 😅

Access the episode video via YouTube (probably our most popular option!) or click the buttons below to head to your favourite streaming service.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE ON:

Get in touch with Alison:

Twitter: @alisonmusicblog

Links to other content referenced in this episode:
Ableton Push - https://www.ableton.com/en/push/
Musical Futures International - http://www.musicalfuturesinternational.org
System Of A Down band website - https://systemofadown.com

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Tags

Community, cultural diversity, Curriculum, Interview, Music Technology, Pedagogy